Hope and Change in America - A Parliamentary Political Quest

The year is 2006, one of the most transformational years in American politics since Woodrow Wilson remade the United States into a parliamentary democracy in 1920. 2006 would be the year public opinion began to truly turn against the Bush administration. The economy, once robust, is slowing down as the population reckons with the massive debts they've taken on over the past few years. Worsening matters, the handling of the war in Iraq has further soured opinions on Bush across the political spectrum. Arguably most fatal, though, has been the election of Howard Dean and Russ Feingold to the leadership of the two major opposition parties. Both ardent critics of the now toxically unpopular war in Iraq and endless government overreach it has brought, both are arguably much more in touch with the zeitgeist than the increasingly sluggish Bush administration.

Bush's United Conservative Party is a rare creature. The merger of America's three largest (and most relevant) conservative parties, it has been in power since a narrow win in 2000. Recently, however, the 'Compassionate Conservative' coalition is starting to show signs of fracturing. Libertarians abhor the seemingly ever-expanding curtailing of civil liberties from the War on Terror, as the ever increasing number of body bags returning from Iraq and Afghanistan slowly turn the population against the war itself.

Even worse, the far-right nativists, never especially fond of the Bush family, have split from the party and pulled together a coalition of their own to challenge the UCP for the title of 'True Conservative'. The National Salvation Alliance has been formed by dissaffected UCP MPs, led by Tom Tancredo of Colorado, and have loudly declared themselves to be a 'true' Conservative party, unapologetically Nationalistic and fond of Conspiracy theories. They have drawn MPs from across the South, the Plains, and even have secured a handful of defections in California and New York as well. On conservative and right wing radical message boards, there is even talk of a 'great awakening' that will vanquish the Old Right once and for all.

But it isn't just the freshly fracturing right that threatens the UCP's increasingly slim majority, but also the centre and the left. The New Democracy party is recovering from the disaster of 2004 under a fresh new leader, Howard Dean, who has breathed new life into the centrist political alliance, loudly criticising the Iraq War, fiscal crises, and Christian Fundamentalism that Conservative rule has brought. His punchy, pugnacious style of debate has seen New Democracy's formerly flagging fortunes rise anew.

Further to the left (In some regards at least) is the oldest party still functioning in any real capacity in the United States. Democratic-Farmer-Labour. Born out of the violent death of the old Democratic party, DFL would rapidly take over much of the old-left under the leadership of Henry Wallace and would rule the left-wing space of politics from the 50s well into the 80s, where a string of weak leaders and renewed racial tensions within the party would lead to a catastrophic split when party leader Jesse Jackson was removed in a party-room coup. Combined with the emergence of New Democracy, DFL has seen a long but slow decline, helped along by the emergence of newer, more dynamic left-wing parties. A bitter leadership conflict has left the party divided, and many of the party faithful pin their hopes on Russ Feingold's bold and progressive vision for the future.

Last and certainly least amongst the major parties, People United to Save Humanity, or PUSH, has been the only party that could've been said to truly benefit from the War on Terror. Having taken an absolutist view from the first day of the conflict, Jesse Jackson's splinter of the DFL secured an unprecedented 19% of first preference votes in 2004, but just two years later the good times seem to be behind it. A party of activists in the first, PUSH has been no stranger to controversy, but Jackson and Sharpton have reached new heights of controversy, involving themselves in several high profile political cases, at least one of which seems to be in a state of active meltdown. As well, many of the 2004 political intake, the first real influx of fresh blood into the party since Jackson's deposition as leader of DFL in 1989, chafe under what they view as Jackson's cliquish, nepotistic rule (His son, Jesse Jackson Jr, is highly placed within the party). With anti-war campaigners leading both of PUSH's rivals, some predict that the party may find its niche pulled from underneath it.

Even outside these major movers and shakers, many smaller parties nip at the heels of the big four. Most notably, Reform has been reinvigorated after near-death in 2000 by Michael Bloomberg, who has taken over the New York party to serve as his vehicle in the mayoralty and beyond, as well as the Popular Action Party, which seems certain to cement its hold on the Hispanic vote after leading the immigration reform vote in 2005. The Ecological Democrats, the Conservative Green party are also having a moment amidst a certain kind of conservative disappointment with how Bush has handled the environment, while their centre and left-wing rivals Greens of America and Green-Left Action spoil for a fight with each other to decide who shall be the true Green party.

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Staten Island - 12:24pm

It is hot today. Unreasonably so. As you stagger through High Rock Park in search of shelter, you curse your partner for telling you that this whole 'going outside' thing was somehow good for your health. You're sweating so much that by the time you find a bench to collapse in and look down at your sweaty hands.

Why on earth did you think it'd be a good idea to head outside in the middle of a damned heatwave? To think about that call from the other day? You sigh loudly and slump on the bench. At least it is shaded from the glowing orb of death by several trees. After a few long minutes of catching your breath, you rock forward and decide that, rather than just ruminating on the earth-shaking news you'd been given, you'd read the newspaper you'd bought at New Dorp station.

It is, unfortunately, rather sweaty after you decided to hike up a hill during the worst heatwave New York has seen in decades, but fortunately, your reading literature of choice is slightly more durable than you yourself are. You've picked up a copy of the…

[] New York Times, of course. As someone who likes to think they're fairly plugged into the wider New York, rather than being a Staten Island Stalwart like some of the locals, you're a long-time devotee of the Times. New Democracy Candidate

[] The Economist, bringing all the news of the world to your doorstep in one handy little magazine. It helps to keep up with not just the latest goings-on in New York (You've never had trouble with that, there are more newspapers in New York than there are council members), but also with the goings-on in the wider world. Reform Candidate

[] New Republic, the long time factotum of truly progressive media, and a personal favourite of yours. You've been reading it ever since you went to university, and see no reason to change now. Democratic-Farmer-Labor Candidate

Of course, before you can even make the weakest of efforts to dive in, you are pulled back to the reason you've braved this disgusting heat in the first place. It all started three weeks ago when you'd been watching the news, right up until the ticker read out...






Vito Fossella, the lonely Conservative Party stalwart in New York City, is to stand down after almost a full decade in office. Resigning in disgrace wasn't that unusual in and of itself, New York City was famous for having some truly impressive political scandals through the decades, just look at the man almost certain to lock up the nomination to replace him! Giuliani was no stranger to sexual scandals, after all.

Of course, the ongoing infighting and implosion within the 'United' Conservative party over the 2006 state elections weren't really your concern, what was your concern was what had dragged you all the way up this stupid, overheating hill. You'd been approached about running for office. Staten Island had been a Conservative stronghold since the late 60s, surviving the collapse and reforging of Conservative parties with a stoic resolve, determined not to allow those 'filthy liberals' of the main city to infect their island. The idea of displacing the Conservative party on Staten Island seemed frankly kind of absurd on the face of it, but with the incumbent MP being forced out due to a DUI and the subsequent revelation of bigamy, and the nominated candidate being Rudy Giuliani, you might just have a chance. Maybe. Possibly.

Drawn in ever deeper by your reminiscing you turn your mind to just how you'd truly wound up here, sweltering in the midday sun.

[] You'd been working late at the firm, which wasn't unusual, in a city like New York lawyers were always in high demand, and you'd drawn the short straw, doing some late night research and trawling through a Client's tax records, when you'd gotten a call from the local political office. They wanted someone with a grounding in legal work to be the lead candidate in the race against Rudy, they said.
Background: Political Amateur, Lawyer (3 Intellectual, 2 Social, 1 Physical)

[] You'd been finally able to leave a very late running GOAL meeting and get back to your partner, when you'd been pulled aside by the chapter president, and told that apparently, a friend of his was looking to recruit a candidate for political office. You'd always been somewhat involved in politics (Being a gay police officer effectively forced your hand there), and you told him you'd think about it.
Background: Political Amateur, Police Officer (2 Physical, 2 Social, 2 Intellectual)

[] Being a veteran, you're more used to being used as a political prop than you'd like to admit. From 'Mission Accomplished', to the endless TV and Radio ads in the 2004 election, Military service has always been used as a political byword for patriotism (Even by those who never served). You've been active in Veteran circles, especially IVAW, and when Fossella was forced out, it didn't take long for people to start blowing up your phone. You had, naturally, demurred and said you'd give them your decision today.
Background: Political Amateur, Army Veteran (3 Physical, 2 Social, 1 Intellectual)

[] It had all made so much sense in the lead up to Fossella being pushed out. You're a city councillor, one of the few on this island not from NYConservatives or the UCP, so it was only natural that you get tapped to run. But then Giuliani announced he'd run. And then things got complicated. Still, you said you'd make your call on whether to run by the end of today, even if the sun is trying to melt you.
Background: Political Veteran, City Councillor (3 Social, 2 Intellectual, 1 Physical)

[] You'd never really been the type to expect to run for Office. You'd always been a 'behind the scenes' kind of operator. Working the polls, pounding pavement, writing speeches, and stage managing difficult politicians for the state party. And yet, here you were. Sitting on a park bench, on a 100 degree day, deciding whether to make the plunge into the world of political Candidacy.
Background: Political Veteran, Campaign Staffer (3 Intellectual, 2 Physical, 1 Social)

[] You'd been expecting this, or something like this, for a very long time. The Rockefellers have a long and proud tradition of involvement in both New York, and in politics. Staten Island wouldn't have been your personal first choice to run in, but it's an open seat, and you're confident in your skills (and your family's financial connections).
Background: Political Veteran, Dynastic Heir (2 Social, 2 Intellectual, 1 Physical. Bonus trait: Rockefeller's Legacy. Your family is well connected in the political and fundraising world, giving you +10 to campaign rolls.)

Note: To represent the connections and experience of political veterans (and Dynastic scions), Political Veterans will get 40 points to assign during campaign creation, while Political Amateurs will only get 20. Amateurs will gain their own appropriate bonuses at a later point.

Before you can reminisce for too long, you spot the person who'd summoned you up this damn hill in the first place. A sharply dressed man is already huffing and puffing up the same path you had taken minutes before, and by the time he's before you he's sweating bullets.

"Finally!" He exclaims, in between slightly shaky breaths. "I think I might've made a mistake, having our meeting up on this hill." He pulls a handkerchief out of his suit pocket and mops some of the sweat from his forehead, sighing in exasperation. "Just like that asshole Fossella to force an election in the middle of the worst heatwave this city has seen in my lifetime."

You nod in agreement, you've only met Fossella a handful of times but he's always represented the worst impulses of Conservatives to you (well, aside from the likes of Dick Cheney). Pig-headedly driving forward from crisis to catastrophe, ever proclaiming his moral rectitude over perfidious liberals even as he was getting drunk and sleeping with (and having a family with!) someone who wasn't his wife.

Your friend and political recruiter, Julian, turns to you. He's a fairly stereotypical New York Lawyer. Tall, well dressed, rimmed glasses. Even now, in the middle of the worst heatwave, the city has seen in either of your lifetimes, he's still in his suit and tie like he'd just stepped out of the office. You can't imagine how hot it must be under that black fabric. "Now, I need to know. Have you made your decision? We've only got so much time before other people will make a play for the nomination." You nod in agreement. He's right, of course, you wouldn't have agreed to go outside today if he hadn't been.

"I've made my call. I'm running." He claps you on the back, nodding excitedly.

"That's great! Of course, this is just the start. We need to get a team together. Think of a slogan. Something catchy!" His smile is infectious and you find yourself joining him. You both get up as you…

[] straighten the hem of your skirt and shake his hand. You might've mentally dogged him for his wearing of a suit and tie to a park, but you're still in your work clothes so you really can't knock him too much. Gender: Female

[] adjust your own tie and shake his hand. You might not be in a suit but you're still conscious enough of appearances to wear a tie. Which was a mistake, of course, the damn thing feels like it's choking you! Gender: Male

A/N: Hey all! I'm back, and deep in isolation when I had this idea. Thanks to a friend I've got a new system to work with to hopefully make this entire quest run that much smoother. I hope you'll all join me in what promises to be a protracted and exciting romp through American politics!

The Abstract

Past the Post is an election campaign game system, to represent the process of running for and winning (or losing!) an election. Take charge of an aspiring candidate or seasoned political veteran, and navigate your way through debates, debacles, and shoes thrown at your head to claim your rightful position as elected official. Use your personal skills, campaign staff, small favours from big names, and more to achieve victory!

The Basics
Past the Post is designed for Quests on well-known catgirl support group Sufficient Velocity. The game is played using a d100 die for Actions or Contests. Actions will generally have the d100 roll against some predetermined difficulty check (DC). Contests will roll two dice against each other, with the higher die being considered the "winner"1​.

For both Actions and Contests, the die roll will often be based on a particular Attribute. Attributes can be either Personal, or Staff. This Attribute will be added to the roll.

Personal Attributes
Personal Attributes represent the inherent skills and abilities of your character. These are broken into Social, Physical, and Intellectual. For any roll based on these Attributes, take your character's skill in it, multiply it by 10, and add it to your die roll. These Attributes will also govern how many actions of a particular type you can take in a turn.

Social governs your character's charisma, and ability to interact with other people, be it voters, interviewers, or your own campaign staff.

Physical governs your character's fortitude. Whether it's giving speeches for hours, barnstorming across a state in a day, or rescuing a kitten from a tree, this will handle it.

Intellectual governs your character's adaptability to new information and situations. With this Attribute, you can prepare for debates, write speeches, and figure out new and exciting ways to kneecap your opponents publicly.

A character's base Attributes have a cap of 5, and increasing your score in them should require fairly rigorous effort2​.

Aside from your three primary Attributes, your character will also have their Experience and Reputation.

Experience

Experience represents the general competence level of your character. Whenever your character attempts an Action or Contest, your character will gain Experience. The level of Experience you gain will depend on the Action's DC, or the Contest Opponent's own Experience. The Experience you gain does not increase or decrease depending on whether you win or lose: this serves as something of a consolation prize for failing on a particularly risky Action or Contest.

The amount of Experience gained from any Action should be equal to its DC. The amount of Experience gained from any Contest should be equal to the Opponent's own Experience Bonus.

The Experience bonus is calculated from a character's total Experience. Level 1 requires 100+ total Experience, and grants a +5 to all Personal Attribute rolls. Each subsequent level requires twice as much total Experience, and grants an additional +5 to Personal Attribute rolls. The maximum Experience level is 5, requiring 3100 total Experience, and granting a total +25 bonus.
Reputation

Reputation represents how your character is perceived by the world. Unlike one's core Attributes or Experience, one's Reputation can differ depending on who your character is interacting with. Reputation adds itself to any rolls taken by either your own character or your campaign staff. Depending on who your character is interacting with, your Reputation may be either a bonus or a malus.

Unlike other Attributes, one's Reputation changes more flexibly. Depending on what Actions or Contests your character takes, your Reputation can change. Generally, you will have two or more Reputations, though the exact number of groups is left up to the GM.

1. Ties are left to the GM's discretion.
2. The multiplier of these stats or their cap can be changed depending on the GM, but we recommend keeping them balanced. The bonus given by these attributes should be helpful, but not to the point of making a challenge meaningless.

You are Lewis Belkin, a New York trial lawyer specialising in taxation law. Until recently, you didn't stand out all that much. You gave to causes you felt strongly about, did pro-bono work for distressed tenants with bad landlords, and of course, you participated in every New York lawyer's favorite way to kill time. Joining in the endless political gossip and drama surrounding the office of the Mayor, the state of the City Council, and speculating on how this political microcosm in the world's most important city, reflects on the rest of America.

And then, months after your last round of heavy drinking and celebrations, in which you boldly declared that you had the magical knowledge to fix American politics, you've found yourself recruited to run for office. Staten Island is a conservative stronghold in a liberal city, but the United Conservative party is fracturing, and you've got the backing of Mayor Bloomberg, who utterly crushed the Conservative-backed candidate here just a year ago.

Stats:
Intellectual: 3, You're a tax lawyer, doing corporate accounts by day, and when you're doing pro-bono work, you're researching the history of local landlords to see if they've broken the law. You've got a sharp mind, and when applied properly there are few things that you can't overcome.
Social: 2, As a lawyer, and a former debate captain, you're pretty capable with words. However, since earning your place at the firm, your skills on the stand have atrophied somewhat. Researching was your true talent. That said, there are some things you never truly forget.
Physical: 1, You're a lawyer. A nerd. You weren't winning awards for track and field at any point, and the requirements of long nights and short sleep, combined with a diet of convenient food and energy drinks, your physical fitness just isn't what it once was.

Essential Information:
Campaign Funds: $930'000
Weekly Expenses:

• Staff: $25'000​
• Advertising: None​
• Other: None​

Every candidate, no matter how seemingly gifted with words or with money, is only as good as the campaign behind them, and many people have made the mistake of not building up their team. Not you though! You've got some shortcomings, to be sure, but you've built, for a first-time candidate for office, an extremely beefy organisation. Between yourself, your Campaign Manager, and the Campaign's chief consultant, you've got an impressive core to build off of.

Assuming, of course, that you can keep the money flowing in for long enough to pay the people that have made all this possible.

Important Staffers:
Kevin Sheekey, Campaign Manager
Peter J. Laxalt, Chief Consultant (ORG)
Paul M. Bennett, Press Team lead (PRESS)
Patricia Heely, Research Team lead (RESEARCH)


Another important part of your campaign, of course, will be getting endorsements. Right this second, all you've got are a handful of the party's councillors, but that's not a problem. You've got some ideas on other people to petition for endorsements, and ensuring you've got the party on side is important!

Endorsements:
Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City
Christine Quinn, City Council (3rd District)
Peter Vallone Jr, City Council (22nd District)
Michael E McMahon, City Council (49th District)
Vincent M Ignizio, City Council (50th District)