The Presidents: 1836-1936 - An Interactive US AAR

I, Constant Blancharde will be running under the Republican banner!

I would like to congratulate our athletes in these Olympic games. I shall increase our nations belief in its self and bring it back to glory!

Address by former President Joseph P. Jarvis in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1 August 1936

These past eight years have been years of turmoil, economically, socially, and internationally. At home, the American economy has collapsed under the watch of our outgoing president, Patrick Ryan, whose two term administration has seen the economy flounder and the the size and scope of the federal government expand exponentially, with little real economic gain or security; indeed, the economy is still so precarious that we could face a second recession, brought about by false growth promoted as economic expansion by this administration! Furthermore, despite his championing of civil rights during both of his campaigns, no progress has been made since 1925, and certainly not since 1929, the beginning of his Ryan's presidency.

Should any of the present Progressive candidates win, the American economic situation could very well reach a true nadir, and the power of the federal government will see no limit and end to its expansion. Longstrum? He wants to save capitalism by implementing socialism, statism, and bureaucratism! McCahill? The man who has helped formulate and implement the economic policies that have continued this downturn, and has expanded the government to insane levels! Willis? He will lead us to war and more of the same; economic stagnation and statism!

However, a far darker force now stands before us; the visage of fascism, authoritianism, and blatant tyranny. The independent candidate stands only for the radical policies of Germany that even now lead the world closer to another Great War.

The only candidate who seems to have a sensible worldview and economic plan would be Congressman Blancharde, who, as of right now, has my endorsement; I implore the members of my party to unify to fight back the statist, expansionist policies that the Progressives and the independent candidates champion.

However, I will not dwell on the sorry state of our nation; indeed, news from abroad is growing darker and more grim everyday. The authoritarians, fascists, communists, and radical nationalists will lead Europe, and with it, the world, to war. I fear we cannot properly change the course for Europe, but the United States can ensure, right now, that they will not be forced into the great storm that surrounds Europe.

((BBB, have we come to a decision on when we're going to officially end the AAR?))

Address by Secretary of Labor Charles Longstrum in Washington, D.C., September 11th, 1936

Ladies and gentlemen:

According to the tables which we have assembled, it is our estimate that 4 percent of the American people own 85 percent of the wealth of America, and that over 70 percent of the people of America don't own enough to pay for the debts that they owe.

Any man with a thimble-full of sense ought to know that if you take 85 percent off of that table and give it to one man that you are bound to have 2/3 the people starving because they haven't got enough to eat.

How many men ever went to a barbecue and would let one man take off the table what's intended for 9/10th of the people to eat? The only way to be able to feed the balance of the people is to make that man come back and bring back some of that grub that he ain't got no business with!

Now we got a barbecue. We have been praying to the Almighty to send us to a feast. We have knelt on our knees morning and nighttime. The Lord has answered the prayer. He has called the barbecue. "Come to my feast," He said to several hundred million American people. But Morgan and Rockefeller and Mellon and Baruch have walked up and took 85 percent of the victuals off the table!

Now, how are you going to feed the balance of the people? What's Morgan and Baruch and Rockefeller and Mellon going to do with all that grub? They can't eat it, they can't wear the clothes, they can't live in the houses.

Giv'em a yacht! Giv'em a Palace! Send 'em to Reno and give them a new wife when they want it, if that's what they want. But when they've got everything on God's loving earth that they can eat and they can wear and they can live in, and all that their children can live in and wear and eat, and all of their children's children can use, then we've got to call Mr. Morgan and Mr. Mellon an Mr. Rockefeller back and say, come back here, put that stuff back on this table here that you took away from here that you don't need. Leave something else for the American people to consume. And that's the program.

We will call in Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Morgan, Mr. Mellon....Dear Mr. Mellon, We're not going to destroy the capitalistic system, but we're going to put in a limit, you can have up to 4- to 5-million dollars and that's all. We're not going to destroy the Gulf Refining Company; we're not going to destroy the Standard Oil Company, but we're going to say that the limit of any one man's stock ownership in the Standard Oil company is from 3- to 5-million dollars for that individual and the balance to the people of America who own the balance of what the Standard Oil company is worth!

Then, we start from the bottom. That the 25 or more million American families shall have a homestead. Up to $5,000....a home and the comforts of a home, including an automobile and a radio, the things it takes in that house to live on...

We say to America, none shall be too big, none shall be too poor, none shall work too much, none shall be idle. No luxurious mansions empty, none walking the streets, none impoverished, none in pestilence, none in want, but in the land blessed by the smile of the Creator with everything to be consumed, to be eaten, to be worn, that America will become a land, sharing the fruits of the land, not for the favored few, not to satisfy greed, but that all may live in the land in which the Lord has provided an abundance sufficient for the luxury and convenience of the people in general! I thank you.

Address made by Congressman Constant Blancharde in New Orleans, Louisiana, September 18th, 1936

Fellow Americans:

I, Constant Blancharde; native of this beautiful state of Louisiana, your former Governor and incumbent Congressman, is now running officially for President of this country. Now is your time to vote! I am up against a party that caused you to loose your businesses, your money, have MADE you go into to poverty.... But for what reason,you may ask? Their certain banking bills that were passed, and so on and so forth, they were in office when the America I knew went into shambles! But then they were re-elected for another 4 years, that led our nation back into a deep depression once again! Let's not make the same mistake again, do not let those dare I say it... Communist Progressives be elected again, because they'll cause this nation another depression!

Now let's see who the Progressives and Independent have put up to run this election shall we:

Mr. Longstrum: A Louisianian by birth, but he doesn't care about his own native state. When was the last time he was in this state, may I ask? Four years ago? Not even. This man forgets his own grassroots which all Americans treasure and keep sacred! Not just that, he's a communist! State Capitalism? Yes this is what he wants it to be implemented!

Mr. McCahill: This man has been our Secretary of the Treasury for eight years now, has anything gotten better in these eight years of being the Secretary... Nope, so why have him become President? He would not fix America to her former glory, he would reduce her just the same.

Mr. Willis: This man with his pet bird and all.... Wants to lead us back into a world war! IS that what we want when our economy is in the dumps? Enough said.

Mr. Spencer: This man WAS a Republican, but now is looking at National Vinogradism... To tell you the truth, I thought that ideology died out like 50 years ago. He has crazy ideas and ideologies why go through someone like this when we can't even figure out the economy never mind this politician.

In closing statements, I would like to thank our former President Jarvis for his endorsement of my campaign. As an American I urge you to vote for a sane leader who has the right ideas for the job, I will bring America forward not go backwards! An America under the Progressives is a America we don't need!

It's all the same to these Republicans. You stand for anything other than a completely and utterly unregulated market? You're a communist.

You're like Mr. Ryan, whose stance on this current Depression is mild, at best? You're a communist.

You're like me, and they accuse you of state capitalism? You're a communist. Never mind how blatantly contradictory that is, but hell, Republicans have always been that way. They'll cobble together any two pieces of an argument they can against you, doesn't have to make sense, as long as it ends with you being a communist that's all that matters.

You're like Mr. Spencer, who's looking at old ideas and givin' em a new spin? You're a communist, even though he probably hates communists as much as I do, if not more.

America, I think you deserve something better than these spineless, lilly-livered simpletons who ain't got any clue about what they're talking about. These men would stand to the side while all the common people starve to death. They'd put you all back on their gold standard they worship so much, never mind that we ain't got the economy for being on the gold, they'd take away your unemployment and see you slowly starve to death while you look for a job but can't find one, they'd see an economy without bounds crash itself into the ground and never get back up again.

Vote out these corporate fat cats, and vote in the people that give a damn about you, not Rockefeller, not Mellon, not the bankers on Wall Street, you!

The state is a living body, with each of our workers being red blood cells, with each of our soldiers being white blood cells, with each of our industries being organs. Could you imagine if our great lord had built our bodies in a way so that they did not co-operate with each other, so each did as they pleased rather than being subservient to the brain? How is a nation different I ask? How is government not the brain?

Jarvis refers to my ideology as tyrannical, but tell me this; how is uncontrolled opportunistic capitalism any different? The capitalist classes lay off scores of good Americans in order to guarantee their own wealth, leaving them to starve and die or live off meagre government subsidies. I know my enemies will peddle the lie that I shall have people shot and beaten by the state, as the German's have been forced to do due to a bloody civil war, but that is an untruth of the greatest proportions and it is his beloved 'wealthmakers' that in actuality cause the deaths of good Americans with such massive brutality. They act not in the interests of the people at large nor the state, and because of that they shall be made to do so by force.

The problem with Mr Longstrum's solution is that it does not add direction as a corporatist economy would, he calls for the splitting of wealth more equally, which is all well and good, however the system he proposes would be many smaller cells going about their individual business without a common goal or proper leadership. A role that should be filled by a strong and reformed government. He also does not call for revision of free trade. Protectionism shall not only fill our coffers through tariffs but shall allow American industry to flourish, there are easily enough Americans to produce and consume enough to keep our economy healthy, if they don't have to compete with inferior foreign goods produced in sweat shops.

Now to return to Mr Jarvis' last point, on war. The reason that the world is in the sorry state it's in now is that we settled for an unfinished war with an apologist peace. One would guess from the election where he acquired his Presidency that we were a defeated power, trying to rescue what little dignity it had. I was in France at the close of the war and we should have pushed all the way to what is now Leningrad! We should have ensured that the scourge of communism in Germany and this hideous 'Soviet Union' were eliminated there and then by continued pushes forward, and then force a peace that was actually advantageous to ourselves. He says that America should crawl into an isolated ball and throw away our military. I say NO! We should built tanks, battleships and guns, we should use the building of the world's greatest military to rejuvenate our economy and secure ourselves the ability to control the entire hemisphere, which shall bring material riches and new exploitable markets.

The future is fascism!

Fascism is NOT the future!

Fascism is a selfish and authoritarian government that is the base of what America is against! Fascism is going to a state ruled by one man, who has complete control over the entire state and is suppose to dictate our every move and breath! The leader of the state is all powerful, their would be no more elections and you could never voice your own opinion! There would be no law or other power to take them down!

In a fascist government, there is no such thing as peace! Always in a fascist government you always have to assert your domination, survival of the fittest is what they believe in. Americans are a breed of people better than everyone else. You have to be kidding me, Americans are great people but not better than anybody else. Wonder what that would teach our children?

Social order is key to a fascist government. Every one has to stay in line with their social class no change, change resorts to chaos. Chaos will ruin the State it cannot have chaos. So if you wanna strike due to no pay, you already be willing to buy a gravestone because you will be shot. Also everyone has their own specific place in the State and they must stay strictly in that position.

Finally, as I mentioned their will be one ruler, the all powerful ruler. They would rule this country with an iron first, no one would be able to do anything without the State finding out and hunting you down. We would have no more freedom, censored press and media! Fascist police would be around every corner, hurting innocent people! Fascism is not the way, never has been and never will be! We must pray for the people of Italy and Germany, that they can prevail over their vile government!

Forward with the Republicans! Fighting the battle against fascists and Progressives for America!

Fascism is not selfish, it is selfless and calls upon the people to be selfless, devoting all their energy to the cause of the state, and the leadership would too. Fascism calls not for the destruction of democracy, but its reforming. Our current democratic system is based around geography, what sense is behind that? Does it seriously make sense for a shipbuilder to vote for the same representative as a farmer merely because they live near each other? Surely it is more sensible for the shipbuilder, with all his expertise and experience to vote along with other shipbuilders to elect someone who can properly represent their collective interests, and the same for the farmer. I propose that the House of Representatives and State Assemblies be rearranged so people elect representatives of their particular lot in life, who'd be able to properly speak for that subject and ensure legislation and such best serves their sector. What does a former businessman know of firefighting for example? Nothing and thus firemen should have their representation in our Congress. I also propose that elected governors be replaced with Presidential appointees, their purpose being to co-ordinate the actions of the individual states and the federal government along with the other states, so that we may work more efficiently and be united in purpose as a nation. Power should be placed in the hands of a few strong and decisive men, how can our nation survive in these modern times if what must be done is scrapped and delayed due to bickering between wide-eyed idealists and those who look only for their own interests. Would you prefer riots and anarchy? You spend so much time accusing others of being communists that you don't seem to realise you espouse drivel of the exact same nature.

((I believe Italy is not actually fascist, though I may be wrong...))

Firstly; the charge that my tenure as Secretary of the Treasury has been unsuccessful, I refute, because it simply is not true. On gaining office, this administration has been faced with the façade of success that the previous Republican government had produced through the laxity of it's regulation. The necessary steps taken may be seen to have precipitated to the crisis, but this was a crisis that would have happened regardless of government actions, would have been seriously worse had the steps that I took whilst at the Treasury had not been taken and is liable to happen again without sufficient regulation in place, of which I see the Banking reforms enacted 8 years ago as the starting point. Working with the Vice-President, I have been able to stimulate and sustain a recovery.

Further government subsidies to key industries and further capital expenditure, such as the construction of intercity express-ways to cope with the increased volume of traffic on our roads, will help to further stimulate the economy at a time when recovery is fragile and provide the necessary infrastructure for future prosperity. Further regulation, such as the creation of mandatory capital buffers on both retail and investment banks, will help prevent this country from ever reaching such economic depths again.


Secondly; I believe that social reform is necessary to make our society a fairer place and increase the liberty of our citizens:

We should be reforming public services to reduce the discrimination often inherent in the system; be it children being indoctrinated against certain groups in schools, health care failing to be provided to those who need it most or a whole host of other issues.

We should be reforming public services to ensure they work correctly; be it by introducing inspectorates for schools, hospitals, the police or the myriad of other services provided either by federal or state governments, by introducing minimum requirements for schemes such that those that do not achieve their targets are no longer funded indiscriminately or by embracing civil service reform that will speed up the enactment of legislation.

We should be reforming public services to ensure money is not being wasted, such as by introducing means testing on benefits to let those who need the money most get it whilst those who don't don't.


Finally; we should not, as a society, embrace the extremism presented by both the Fascists and the Republicans.

Fascist militarism will achieve nothing but more wars.
Republican isolationism will prevent our country from aiding our allies and will only cause more countries to fall to communism or fascism.
Fascist state control of industry will prevent all innovation in our economy and strangle growth.
Republican economic policy is the recipe for more economic crises.
Fascist social policies would remove all personal liberty.
Republican social policies would leave 99% of the population either starving, homeless or in danger being so.

Instead we should be responsible overseas with diplomatic, and needed economic, aid to legitimate governments under attack by rebels. Instead, we should defend our principles and our allies from attack by other, without being aggressive. Instead, we should help fund projects and ensure key industries can survive and promote policies that create economic stability. Instead, we should be using social policies to create a society where everyone is both free and free from poverty.


It is for these reasons I hope Progressives will unite behind me in the coming primary and why America should unite behind the Progressive party to ensure four more years of social justice and financial stability.

I vote Yes to the District of Columbia Representation Amendment.

Yes to the District of Columbia Representative Amendment.

Yes to the D.C. representative amendment.

Men and woment of the US, all of my opponents are saying I want to pull us into a WORLD WAR? And in this economy? NO! I want to spend the first 2 years building the economy back, THEN go into war when we're on our feet. These drivel don't know what war does for the people! It gives us a reason to celebrate! To be prestigious! To be PATRIOTIC! Are these men promising patriotism? I didn't think so.
Also after talking strongly with my parakeet, I have decided to take another issue under my wing. CIVIL RIGHTS! In my presidency I will completely eliminate legal segregation.

((You sure your name isn't Nightmore?))

((Yeah, why? I don't get the reference.))

((Jerry Nightmore, or perhaps one of his other relatives, consistently, and insanely, argued for American warmongering and world domination; very hawkish, very insane. Maybe your parakeet is his reincarnated spirit, then...))

((Perhaps....))

Yes to the D.C. Representative Amendment.

Mr. Mccahill has done a decent job, I'll give him that much. But he just doesn't got what it takes to make a stand against big business. He proposes limited interventionism and moderate reforms, and while these are a step in the right direction they simply aren't enough.

This is a massive crisis that needs heavy duty reconstruction. We need to take a stand, right here, and right now. We need massive change, because if we don't stand up to the bullies who're holding America hostage, then ultimately we'll crash and burn and our people will starve to death. We need to take drastic measures! Stand with me, America, because if you don't then you'll find yourselves in the hands of cowards and corporate slavers!