The UMP Presidential candidate, Loic de Fourgéres, takes the podium next, and shakes the previous speaker's hand.
"Thank-you Major McGrath."
...turning to the audience...
"He has done a good job of representing you in General Assembly this term. Vote for the UMP GA slate so he can have more United Moderate Party colleagues there to get our programs enacted.
A CUE politician suggested that because the ESA endorsed me, I was a socialist. This is simply not true. I have founded a business, Fourgéres Family Holdings Incorporated, which is employing directly hundreds of people in Western Eutopia, and indirectly providing jobs for many more in the renovation of hotels and apartments there. I am a member of the Eutopian Business Association. Is this how you tell if someone is a socialist?
We live in a democracy, and democracy means choice. This election, for President, you have have choice between Per Forbes and I. Per Forbes is relatively inexperienced, and so we don't know what kind of President he might make. He was not among the top two possible presidential candidates this term. Leaving aside our current president, who under our constitution is not able to succeed himself, there were a number of people with better records, such as some former Presidents. Public service is a mixed blessing. Having experienced it, some, like former President Al'Aeshir, choose not to run or serve.
Our Federal Government has three branches: the judicial (with the courts and the Commissioner of Justice), the legislative (with the General Assembly and the Senate), and the executive (with the President and Cabinet). All three must work reasonably well to provide you, the people, with decent governance. No one branch is more important than the others. The branches work better when they can work together.
The best possible and willing candidates for president this term were both in the United Moderate Party. One of them was General Assembly Speaker John O'Floinn. We conferred and he felt that given our talents and the nations needs, he could best serve the country in Term XI in the General Assembly, hopefully continuing as its speaker. I would like to believe you think so as well, so please vote for our GA slate.
Democracy is about choices, and on election day, politicians and newspaper editors are like any one else, they get to vote for their choices. If you make up your mind before you vote, you can keep it secret, or you can choose to tell others. It is so surprising that some politicians and newspaper editors have decided to let you know their choice beforehand? Given the choice, it is so surprising that I have received several endorsements? They are simply reacting to the same choice you have. It is not just one other party that has endorsed me, so don't read more in to one party's action than you should.
After the election, it is important that all branches of the government be able to work together. I have been able to work with people in other parties, and thus the other politicians who endorsed me believe that we will continue to be able to work together, for the good of our country. That doesn't mean I will pursue some other party's agenda. But it does mean that if a politician some other party comes up with a good idea, it will not be seriously considered, and perhaps 'borrowed'.
I hope to contstruct the best cabinet possible. This will undoubtedly mean looking outside my own party. However, as we are the United Moderate Patry, I would like to keep the cabinet balanced as well. Including independents does not tip the balance, but if I were to include someone from the left who could be an active and effective cabinet minister, I would like to balance that choice with someone from the right, if they could show their willingness to work with me by agreeing to a few simple ground rules. Of couse, a minister serves at the President's pleasure, so such appointments are not guaranteed for the full term. However, I have made it clear in my first campaign speech what is expected. If one is resonably active in administration of the ministry, they would probably do well. They would be free to say whatever you wanted in the townhall or on the campaign trail, but when acting or speaking as a cabinet minister, they would defer from advocating positions not held by the administration. That doesn't seem to hard to live with, but I would understand if someone couldn't, and would be obliged to look elsewhere.
We should be proud of our democracy and the best way to show that is to vote. If you want the best government for the next term, please vote for the United Moderate Party."
My candidacy has received