As promised in QTG, if Jack Ciattarelli is elected New Jersey governor tonight, y’all get one free max roll.

>>6327808

Craig Theodore Cramblin
53
Male
Proprietor of an exotic fish and aquarium store, secretly he sells exotic insects in the back. They aren't illegal or anything, but he only lets people he trusts know that they're an option, because he cares so much about the bugs. He also is part owner and primary investor in a gun range on the edge of town, which hosts NRA meetings monthly - but he focuses on the fish store.
Four year degree, business management
Libertarian party
Lives in town
White man, average looking, very charismatic and friendly which has allowed him to hard sell a lot of fish and aquatic stuff, it's why he believes so much in the free market. Craig does believe that an elite cabal of pedophiles controls the government, including the presidency, and is convinced that his opponent is a pedophile cultist. He is unsure of running this position publicly, but it is what has compelled him to run for election, so he can purge local government of sinister influence.

Let's play Hard Mode.

>>6327808
>Corey Dare
>Age: 18
>Occupation: GrubGo Runner (Delivers food)
>Education: High School Diploma
>Political Party: Independent
>Home Location: Crashes on his Uncle's couch in the city.
>Physical description: Young and bright-eyed recent graduate who was inspired by a dream where an extremely hot dream girl told him if he ran he'd not only win, but also probably get with her in the future. With zero experience and minimal hope, Corey Dare is an underdog story given physical form... but where experience is lacking, drive is overflowing!
>HARD MODE

>>6327824
I'll back the crackpot aquarist.

>>6327922
Yes anon thank you!!!

"Ya see folks, Whispering Oaks... It's like a fish tank. A fragile ecosystem. You gotta be able to multitask, you gotta mind all the moving parts or your fish... Well they stop swimmin, and they start floatin. Ya understand me? So is business. If I can make this much money sellin guppies, I think that speaks for itself as to how well I multitask. You need someone just like me, somebody that can keep their eye on the ball and keep spinnin every plate."

>>6327808
is this quest just about becoming mayor?
or does it become like a civ quest after?
and can we climb the political ladder later?

>>6327939
I haven’t thought much further than Election Day. There’s no promise that you’ll get elected, either.

>>6327824
+1

>>6327808
>Name: Roxanne Stacey
>Age: 20
>Occupation: Social Media Influencer
>Education: Associates Degree in Psychology
>Political Party: Green Party
>Home Location: Lives in an affluent suburb outside of the city
>Physical description and additional character information: Generally seen as the archetypical blonde rich alpha bitch during her high school life, yet despite that, she was consistently voted student body president due to popularity, charisma, and family connections. Has joined the Green Party to cover for her families mining company and to force out competitors.
>Hard Mode

>>6327824
I’ll support this too. Maybe we can even create a false flag incident in town to drum up support for our campaign. Trick the local pizza place to host a kid sleepover and then raid it with our supporters

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>>6327824
This is fun, supporting but I'm also going to make my own candidate for fun.

>>6327808
>Jebediah Buford Meade Jr
>59
>Male
>Banker, Car Dealership Owner, Landlord, Rockefeller Foundation member
>Harvard Business School, MBA
>Republican
>Lives on the outskirts, on a private walled estate surrounded by woods. Don't want no nosy types poking their heads around.
>Jebediah Meade is a big man. Not as big as his father, the rich old man of business and dubious political connections, but his presence casts a large shadow over every room, even without the fact of him being one of the richest men in town. His has been a life of privilege, and he wishes for nothing but the maintenance of that life, at the expense of everyone else. He is widely reviled through town, but money talks, and he's hoping that it'll get him the Mayoral nomination. Why does he even want to be Mayor? He doesn't, not in the way most people want it, but it's a title and he'll be damned if he won't get it anyway. He's gotten everything else he's ever wanted, and there'll be hell to pay if Jebediah doesn't get what he wants.
>Hard

>>6328000

I like Jeb and if it's an option he should be an ancillary antagonist third candidate that we also have to destroy or try to recruit as our vice mayor LOL

>>6328004
This. Jeb sounds like a better foil than a protag for this.

>>6327808
>Name.
Detlef "Deadlift" Warmuth
>Age. (Must be 18+)
19
>Sex.
Male
>Occupation. (Can have multiple)
Small Business Owner; General Contractor and small scale construction jobs
>Education.
High School Dropout
>Political party. (Democrat, Republican or Independent?)
Independent (Far-Right)
>Do you live near the center of town or on the outskirts?
Outskirts
>Physical description and additional character information. (Optional)
Young, fit, with a strong back and square jaw, with long black hair on the top of his head but shaved down to skin on the sides. He offers vitriolic mockery of the other candidates and speaks from the cuff, winning support from the lower class hard working Whites.
He campaigns on an ambitious platform of rebuilding rundown segments of town which threatens many of the settled vested interests in town.
>Difficulty
Hard, except only the powerful are happy. But they're very, very powerful and can sway the population with control of the narrative.

+1 Craig Theodore Cramblin
Truly our political school of thought will be swimming.

>>6327813
Jack Ciattarelli did not win last night, so there will be no free max roll.

Craig Theodore Cramblin wins with 60% of the vote. A prelude of what’s to come, perhaps? Locking in the answers.

>>6328252

Ramblin' Cramblin don't need no max roll, he's got disarming rizz and a porcupine lapel pin.

Obviously, the porcupine is the most American animal as it practices judicious self-defense just as the founding fathers intended

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Your name is Craig Theodore Cramblin and, for as long as you can remember in your adult life, you’ve sold exotic fish (and insects depending on who you are). You don’t remember what caused you to get into this odd business, but it’s what you do and have been doing for decades. The people of Whispering Oaks see you as…well, they certainly can’t forget you any time soon. You stick out like a sore thumb in an otherwise generic southern town. Despite the peculiar business which you run, you managed to stay afloat these years simply due to the spectacle of what you’re offering.

You are a card carrying member of the Libertarian Party. From the moment you were able to, you’ve been voting LP every single time, with few exceptions. They’re the only party not run by a cabal of satanic pedophiles, after all. This cabal runs deep. It’s not just in the White House or even just in the federal government…now it’s slithered its way into your very own town! You’re the only one who can defeat this evil, but there’s just one problem…

You’re the only libertarian in Whispering Oaks. No, literally. Everyone else is registered as either a Democrat, Republican or an Independent. You checked. Multiple times. They don’t even notice the heavy weight of oppression that city hall has put on their shoulders. Your job—your mission—is to make them notice that weight and rally them to do something about it.

The woman who’s standing in your way? Katherine Hubbard. Mayor of Whispering Oaks. Four years ago, she won a third term unopposed, being nominated by both the city’s Democratic and Republican parties, and now she intends on doing it again. If this isn’t a clear as day example of the duopoly’s sham, then you don’t know what is. The local newspapers don’t even cover the upcoming election because they believe there’s nothing to discuss. And why would they? Under her leadership, Whispering Oaks has grown immensely, not just artificially but in terms of happiness, safety and overall quality of life as well with little signs of that stopping. Most citizens don’t realize the cost of this growth, but you do. Your very freedoms are at stake if she wins another term. The cabal will fully close their grip around the town if that happens.

You’re going to run for mayor. You know it. Hell, you’ve got the paperwork signed at home just waiting to be submitted. The question now is how quickly you’ll get started. It should be noted that the first thing you’d need to do is collect 50 signatures to even get on the ballot, because otherwise your campaign is DOA.

(1/2)

File: CDAF6A03-DB19-47E8-B3E1-C(...).png (2.26 MB, 1024x1536)

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>Let’s be cautious about this. I won’t announce my candidacy right away. I need to find out just how open to voting for me the people of Whispering Oaks would be. What do they call it, an exploratory committee? You can make one of those with just one person, right?
>Let’s not waste a single moment on this. I’m going to announce my campaign immediately! Do I make a post on Facebook? Do I gather a rally outside town hall? It doesn’t matter. Let’s get this started post haste! Everything else will fall into place once people are given a real alternative to the status quo.

(2/2)

>>6328654
>Let's not waste a single moment on this

My specific pitch would be to announce the campaign with a launch party and petition signing at the fish store. Ad in the paper and posts online, send invites to groups you see as sympathetic, like the local NRA chapter. Put flyers up at the local college if there is one. Pay for catering, pay a party planner to make it nice and make the invites appealing. Let's try to start by getting 50-80 people in a room, where we can talk to them, and leverage that Cramblin Charm to kick things off. If the fish don't bite... Heh, we can find some other bait and try again (^:

>>6328670
This is a good call, best to lean into our business and go on from there.

>>6328670
+1. DEATH TO TAXES

>>6328670
+1

>>6328730

Only thing we got going for us (other than Cramblin Rizz and that swaggy lapel pin and the faggy but honestly kinda cool suit)

I think our campaign mascot should be a beta fish, except SECRETLY it's a scorpion but only super donors are made aware of that (^:

>>6328803
+1

>>6328654
+1 to this. We're running eitehr way. We know our core message: Death to Taxes, Freedom for Small Business! Focus on eprsoanl charisma to attract attention.

Our next order of business should be learning what the community itself may find frustrating or annoying about Hubbard and her reign though. We know why WE'RE against her, but why are they? Or what could lead them to see the truth of her badness?

>>6328882
I suspect they AREN'T against her, and it will be more like your second question implies: we'll have to identify what could lose her their support. Then we have to either just lie to them super fucking hard about her doing whatever that is, or win the lottery and capitalize on some disaster.

My long term plan is to manipulate or induce Katherine Hubbard to sexually harass or assault Craig Cramblin by fondling him or making an untoward remark. Ideally both.

How will we arrange circumstances so that she does such a thing without being able to perceive our wicked ministrations?

I have no fucking clue.

Jumping straight into it wins 100% of the vote. Locking in.

>>6328891
>honeypot our opponent
Unbelievable charismamaxxing will be required. Might be more effective with a staffer or someone, though? We have transparent motive, and she'll be wary of an opponent.

>>6329224
Yeah I think it will be extremely difficult, but it is my top scheme, albeit the dumbest. I have also considered assassination with two fat tailed scorpions or pufferfish. That's an extreme contingency though. I want to believe that Craig is, in his heart, not a violent man.

Rolled 21 (1d100)

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>>6329226
Craig might not be up to assassinating anyone, but there's someone in town with plenty of money who may...

You’ve decided: you won’t waste a moment’s notice. The longer you wait, the more that the child fucking, goat worshipping elites in Washington can tighten their grip on Whispering Oaks. You need to act now!

You go on your phone, into the town Facebook group, and begin writing up your post announcing an event at “Cramblin’s Exotic Fish” (creative name, right?) where you’ll be hosting a launch party and petition signing (you never specify what petitions or what you’ll be signing) at noon tomorrow.

The very next day, you’re standing in front of a podium that had been hastily set up outside your store. In front of you on the sidewalk and into the parking lot is 40, maybe 50 people, most if not all of whom came out here purely for curiosity’s sake. Your podium lacks a microphone and any sort of decorum. It’s literally just a block of wood that raises up to your ribs. If you’re inclined, you might see this as an analogy for your candidacy in general, but right now you’re too focused on keeping your composure.

“Ahem! Thank you all for coming!”

Due to the fact you lack a microphone, you’re basically yelling to the crowd.

“Today, I wanna make a special announcement to you all. I’ve thought about it long and hard, and I believe that this great town needs new leadership. There are people in Whispering Oaks who do not approve of Mayor Hubbard or would like to see somebody else take charge. I intend on giving those people a voice. That is why I am announcing my candidacy for mayor! I hope that y’all will support me in this quest to bring accountability to town hall and keep them in check. Thank you all for coming!”

The reactions are mixed. Some are humored by your announcement. Others sigh in annoyance that their time had been wasted on this. The crowd starts to thin out, but you still get to work shaking hands and collecting signatures for your petition.

By the end of the day, you’ve collected…21 signatures! That’s not enough to get on the ballot. It’s not even half. But it’s progress, and you weren’t exactly expecting to get all your signatures signed in one day. You still have plenty of time left to get the remaining 29 signatures, so you put out a post on Facebook announcing your campaign there and request that anybody who wants to help you get on the ballot meet you at your shop and call a buddy who works with your local NRA chapter to help you get some of them on board with your candidacy. You make a mental note later on to work on some actual advertising: posters, flyers, social media videos, newspaper articles, etc. Maybe even get on a local talk show if you get enough momentum?

(1/2)

As you pack up the podium and see out the last of the crowd, you come to the realization that…you don’t actually have a platform prepared. YOU know why you’re running for mayor: to take down the tyrannical dictator Katherine Hubbard…but you’re practical enough to understand that THEY won’t see her as that, nor will they vote for you if you don’t have a plan for the town. You need to think of something, Craig. This pedophile in office needs to go down, but you still need to pretend like your problem with her stems from some petty differences in policy.

>Write-in ideas for your mayoral platform. Some key issues in Whispering Oaks are:

>Economic Revival vs. Corporate Dependence. How do you bring jobs into Whispering Oaks without selling out to big corporations? Will you support aggressive recruitment of new factories and distribution centers, support small, homegrown businesses & entrepreneurs, or something else?
>Downtown Revitalization & Housing. What kind of character do you believe Whispering Oaks should have? The older residents tend to believe that we should preserve the towns character, but younger folk tend to want cafes, apartments and an active nightlife.
>Infrastructure & Environmental Neglect. Water contamination, collapsing roads, sewage leaks…there’s always a risk of the town’s older infrastructures breaking apart to its own detriment. Nothing bad has happened aside from a few minor incidents over the years, but a mayor would still need to address this. A more pressing issue is the current cleanup process of the old industrial mill outside of town, in the middle of the woods.
>Crime, Drugs, & Public Safety. Often one of the most emotionally charged issues in small towns. Drug abuse, delinquents smashing mail boxes and stealing packages, these things are still present in Whispering Oaks, even if the police have been cracking down on crime in the active parts of town. Will you take a more rehabilitative approach or lean into law & order?
>Education & Youth Flight. One issue that the mayor hasn’t been able to address is the fact that the young people in this town leave for the big city the first chance they get and rarely come back. This means that, year by year, the town has slowly become more populated by old people without fresh, young faces. Some people think that this isn’t an issue that CAN be addressed by one mayor. Are you any different?
>Identity & Cultural Direction. From confederate monuments to church influence to “outsiders changing the town,” there’s a local culture war in Whispering Oaks as well, mainly divided by age. The older folk call for tradition, order and faith while the younger folk call for inclusivity and modernization. How can you balance both sides of this topic? Or will you take a solid stance?

>Keep in mind that you are a registered libertarian. This won’t matter much to most of the residents, but it doesn’t hurt to remain consistent.

(2/2)

>>6329509
Why wouldn't Craig specify that he needs 50 people to sign a petition for him to be on the ballot?

>>6329510

>Take a moderate stance on business: big business and small business are both good for Whispering Oaks, and we should try to support both with lower taxes, expedited permitting, and limited local regulations.
>Lean into redevelopment of downtown, again offering favorable conditions for business interests attempting to build new properties and small business operatives looking to open their first coffee shops or salons.
>Claim to be interested in handling the Mill cleanup by using it as an opportunity to hire local business firms capable of doing the work, and that while you want to lower regulations to unleash local businesses, you are interested in finding a private agency to partner with the city in revamping local infrastructure.

I'm not really sure on other issues. I do think we should consider using AI, blatant lies, and emotionally charged material to convince both young and old people - especially the ones that don't vote currently and have historically been apolitical - that there are serious problems only we can address. We want to grab an unactivated electorate of people that are not aware enough of politics to know how Hubbard has improved their lives, and make them believe she hasn't before they figure out otherwise.

Does WO downtown have an organization in charge of supporting and coordinating development? Many larger cities have them now as they try to resurrect their downtowns, nonprofits that are partially funded by the city but which also collect dues from businesses located in their district. If not, we should propose founding one and get a short list of people for the board. If there is one, we should schedule a meeting with their president. Since we live in the city, it's possible our fish store is already paying dues, if it's also located downtown.

>>6329510
>Economic Revival vs. Corporate Dependence
We're a small-tow n eccentric and entrepreneur. We should encourage more of this. Rally the cause of local businesses and community organizations with a populist, anti-corporate bent! The big corpos are all in league with Moloch, anyway. This should be our MAIN issue, I think. It resonates with right and left right now.

>Infrastructure & Environmental Neglect
Show that Libertarian ethic: raise funds for local projects through voluntary means, and make the case that taxes and state/federal intervention are unnecessary oppression. We good people of Whispering Oaks can handle our own affairs!

>Crime, Drugs, & Public Safety
Decriminalize all drugs in small amounts, but crack down HARD with neighborhood watches, private security, and a well-armed citizenry on anyone breaking, entering, stealing, r littering on private property!

>Identity & Cultural Direction
Good old protestant work ethic made our town great, and no GLOBALISTS (ie. SATANISTS, also PAPISTS, but the voters don't need to know that, yet) can take that away.

>Education & Youth Flight
By being a beacon of independence, freedom, and small-town Main Street Capitalism, we can make Whispering oaks a place people want to stay.

>Downtown Revitalization & Housing
Let the market decide.

>>6329510
>>6329526
+1 to meeting with the local business association ASAP, as >>6329524 said, too.

>>6329517
No clue.

>>6329510
>Infrastructure & Environmental Neglect.
>Crime, Drugs, & Public Safety.
>Education & Youth Flight
We're going to Make Whispering Oaks Great Again!

>>6329738
You’re supposed to add in your own policies for those topics…

>>6329764
Like I said, Make Whispering Oaks Great Again! We can let the media and public fill in the details.

>>6329764
>>6329776
Fucking KEK

>>6329776
Spoken like a true populist. You know what you’re doing.

>>6329526
There doesn’t seem to be a consensus so I’ll just pick this one since it covers the most issues if nobody’s got a problem with that.

>>6330129
I sure don't, kek.

I’ll get to writing tomorrow since today’s been busy, so expect a later update. My apologies.

You spend a few minutes jotting down your thoughts on your notes app, then spend a few more minutes turning them into something filtered and palatable for the average person in this town until you feel like you have something concrete and semi-electable. It’s still just a bunch of gibberish on a notes app, but at least it’s something to work with and you now feel confident that you won’t just be running in “blind” opposition to Hubbard in the eyes of the public.

You will rally the cause of empowering local businesses and community organizations while still maintaining an anti-corporate agenda.

You will raise funds for local infrastructure and environmental projects through voluntary means, not through taxation (translate: theft). In fact, you’ll actually advocate your case that taxation and intervention from the state or federal government is nothing short of oppression, plain and simple. No need to sugarcoat it. Whispering Oaks can handle their own business!

You’ll decriminalize every single recreational drug. Every. Single. One. To balance that out, you’ll promise to crack down and be tough on crime, albeit in an unconventional way: neighborhood watches, private security and a well-armed populace.

You’ll take the side of the old people who don’t want outsiders moving in just to try and change the way the town is. This is Whispering Oaks, damnit! It may not be perfect, but you’d settle for nothing less.

You’ll free up the markets, letting them fix the issue of a stagnant downtown and a potential future shortage of households without needing to lift a finger.

You’ll highlight your accomplishments once it’s all said and done, and surely the young folk will think twice before wanting to move out! It’s a good plan. A great plan. Most importantly, it’s your plan. It’s not something that anybody else in town would think to come up with, for better or for worse.

With that out of the way and a sales pitch established, it’s time to continue gathering signatures! You still need to reach that magic number of 50, and the day’s still young, so you-

Your phone suddenly makes a sound. It’s a Facebook notification. Oh goody! It must be somebody interested in signing your petition! You open up Facebook and check your messages, only to see…Mayor Hubbard? The hell does this ugly skank want with you?

You open up the message and see what she wants.

[Hello, Mr. Cramblin! I tried reaching out to a personal e-mail, but it seems that you do not have one, so I am messaging you on Facebook. I have heard that you are attempting to gather signatures to enter the ballot for mayor this year. I would love to have a chat over some coffee when you can find the time!]

(1/2)

What? She wants to talk to you? You know that Ms. Hubbard is a pedophile, a satanist and a downright corrupt elite, so she can’t be up to anything good, right? But perhaps there’s something you can get out of this meet-up.

>Accept the offer. Provide a place and time to discuss your mayoral campaign against her.
>Reject her offer. Tell her that you’re not interested in meeting up.
>Ignore her.
>Write-in.

(2/2)

>>6331044

>Write-in
Accept her offer but hide a tascam audio recorder on us, tape it to our torso or under our bicep or something to record the meeting.

She will likely attempt to talk us out of running, we should use the opportunity to gather information on her though. Know thy enemy.

>>6331049
+1

>>6331049
Support. Got to start playing dirty early, only fair against someone as horrid and corrupt as her.

>>6331049
With unanimous agreement, I’ll lock this answer in.

Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>6331564
Woo! maybe?

>>6331564
>>6331642
Praying this means we get a Grab Em By The Pussy or something out of her

You begin typing your response.

[Greetings, Ms. Mayor. I would love if we could sit down and talk. We can meet up tomorrow at noon at the Starbucks if that works for you.]

You’re compelled to write something passive-aggressive, but you stop yourself before those thoughts can make their way into your thumbs.

The rest of the day and early the next day go by uneventfully. You do however manage to add an additional 10 signatures to your petition, bringing you to 31/50! You’re past the halfway point!

That aside, with the clock reaching noon, you lock up the shop, get in your car and drive to the local Starbucks, but not before secretly attaching an audio recorder to your chest inside of your suit jacket. You know how these reptilians elites play dirty, so you’ll take as few chances as possible with her. You’d wear a body cam and have somebody sitting a decent ways away as witness too if you could, but you do not own a body cam and have nobody who you think would be down with your little schemes.

You pull into the parking lot and already you see the mayor sitting outside with a drink, and all by herself too. She notices and waves you over, calmly smiling.

You walk over. Cautiously. Carefully. Your eyes peeled for any potential threats until you’re sat down across from her, facing down your sworn enemy.

“Hey there, Craig.”

She extends her arm out. You shake her hand. You feel a tinge of disgust with yourself, as if you just made a deal with the devil before any other words could be spoken.

“You wanna grab a coffee first? I don’t mind waiting,” she asks.

“No, it’s fine. I already had my coffee this morning.” You leave out the part where you’re suspecting poison to be at play. The baristas here are probably in cahoots with this bitch.

“Your loss.”

She takes a sip of the drink in her hand before she rests it on the table and adjusts her grey pantsuit before she leans forward, hands on the table. You’re leaned back, arms crossed, trying to look calm and casual.

“So I’ve heard that you’re running for mayor. That’s a big deal, you know? Have you gotten the signatures you need yet? What is it, fifty, right?”

“Why are you so curious?”

Hubbard chuckles before realizing you’re serious.

“Hey, loosen up, Craig. I ain’t trying to start problems with you,” she says.

“You wanted to talk me out of running, right?”

“Oh, no, not at all! If you wanna run, I won’t stop you. I just…”

She takes another sip of coffee, then she wipes her mouth with a napkin.

“…I was just hoping I could learn why. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but most people I’ve talked to don’t got many complaints. Why is it exactly you’re trying to run against me?”

And so the game of wit begins. You make the first move, Mr. Cramblin. Just don’t blunder in the opening.

(1/2)

>Be honest with her. You know what kind of person she is, and she most likely knows that you know too.
>Don’t do that, actually. Deflect. Lie. Conceal. Whatever gets her off your case.
>Time to stall. You know what? Maybe you could go for another coffee.
>Never mind. This whole idea was stupid. You just need to get out of here before you give her any ammunition.
>Write-in.

>Roll a 1d20 with your vote.

(2/2)

>>6331645
>>6331642
Nothing that crazy, unfortunately. That’s what this roll is for.

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>6331953
>"I'm worried that you aren't doing enough to address the youth. Youngsters are all moving out of town 'cause there's less different here than from everywhere else, and more and more every year. Whispering Oaks has got to stand on its own feet in the years to come, and the best way to do that is to give folks the means to stand on their own. Our town doesn't need a tax-crutch. It needs a giving-foundation."
This should throw that conniving demon worshipping pedophile WITCH off of our trail.

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>6331953

>Write-in
>Lie "Well, with all do respect, I believe I'm just as capable as you are of making Whispering Oaks a swell place to live. What's more, I think this town is ready for something different, some fresh ideas that can take us to the next level. You say you don't get many complaints, right? With my vision and business skills, I think there'll be less than no complaints, and double the praise for city hall. Maybe I'm afflicted by the optimism of a first foray into politics. Maybe I'm being cocky. But I tell you what, Hubbard, nobody knows how to get the fish biting like Craig Cramblin. I know that once I have my signatures collected, this campaign will take off like a rocket. You sure you're just curious? It's ok to be afraid of a little competition. That's what it's all about, anyways, right? The free market? Democracy? Letting us all make our case and allowing the very best to come out on top, you know. Big fish eat the little fish. Big ideas replace the small ones." Smile all friendly.

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>6331953
>No complaints but a gradual decline, with all our young folks leaving, is just palliative care for our tpwn, keeping us comfortable while we die off. Maybe you don't see it, maybe you don't care. I do.

Seems like the vague consensus is that we’ll tell her our reason for running is the decline in Whispering Oaks’ young folk and population. Not because she has horns sticking out of her head or anything, no ma’am.

>>6332311
Maybe we could hint rhat we see the problems... ALL the problems. Then squint.

Rolled 9 (1d10)

Rolling for petition signatures.

>You rolled 14/20.

You pause for a moment. You look around, as if trying to find any sort of men in sunglasses and black & white suits watching you, then turn to look at Hubbard, your eyes staring her up and down in suspicion. You try to maintain a calm, normal expression. The type of expression you’d give to somebody who isn’t clearly hiding her horns and hooves.

“I think you’ve done a fine job keeping the town afloat, Ms. Hubbard. I do…but I don’t think you’ve done enough.”

“What exactly are you goin’ after here, Craig?”

You lean forward on the table, locking your hands together. Hubbard leans back, hands still rested on the edge of the table.

“I’m saying that you’ve done good in treating the symptoms, but you haven’t done enough to cure them. Our young folk are still leaving in droves. Sure, our population’s gone up, but most of them are retirees, ain’t they? This ain’t good for growing the town in the long run, Ms. Hubbard. This ain’t nothing but palliative care for our town, keeping us comfy while we slowly die off. The folks here haven’t noticed it yet, but I do.”

This seems to stun the mayor for a moment, who can’t do anything except blink her eyes and move her lips. She clearly wasn’t expecting that.

“Well…I can’t say I was expecting that.”

She takes a sip of her coffee. You readjust your tie, unsure if you were too intense or not.

“You’re right, though. There is a lotta brain drain goin’ on in Whispering Oaks, and I plan on addressing that more directly in my next term. You saw my website, right? I put my whole plan there.”

…you didn’t, naturally. But you can pretend. Being an entrepreneur businessman such as yourself, you learn how to bullshit successfully very quickly.

“Of course I did. I just don’t think your policies are gonna do the town much good in gettin’ young blood back in here. That’s why I’m running against you. And no, I don’t think you’d be able to convince me otherwise.”

“Right, well…I’m sorry that we couldn’t come to some sort of understanding.”

Hubbard gets up and out of her chair and extends her hand across the table. You shake it.

“I’d best get going. Good luck, Mr. Cramblin.”

With that, your meeting with the mayor concludes in a draw. You survived the elite cabal’s scheming this time, though it remains to be seen if they’ll take you seriously or not. For your own safety and chances at winning, you hope not. Your victory, and indeed your very survival, depends on you being seen as just a joke candidate that the elite shouldn’t spend too much money on. Mayor Hubbard exits stage right, and so do you.

It’s the next day and you’re now at 40 signatures, meaning you only need 10 more to get on the ballot! You thought that you’d have to pull some big strings to get this far, but it’s going better than you could’ve anticipated, it seems.

(1/2)

A question now arises in your mind. You’re only a stone’s toss away from that magic number 50. Do you even still need to work for those remaining ten? Perhaps it would be better just to start campaigning and let the rest of the signatures float in…

>Keep focusing on the ballot initiative. No amount of campaigning will matter if you end up coming short. Since when do write-in campaigns ever work?
>Switch focus to campaigning. At the rate you’re going, you’ll get the remaining 10 signatures easily. Time is scarce, so you need to hit the campaign trail now!
>Write-in.

(2/2)

File: IMG_6707.gif (214 KB, 220x220)

214 KB GIF

>>6332777

>>6332778
>Switch focus to campaigning. At the rate you’re going, you’ll get the remaining 10 signatures easily. Time is scarce, so you need to hit the campaign trail now!
At each event, we can collect signatures. I'm still in favor of trying to arrange a meet-up with the local business development council or chamber of commerce or whatever Whispering Oaks has.

>>6332783
Most auspicious.

>>6332778
>>Keep focusing on the ballot initiative. No amount of campaigning will matter if you end up coming short. Since when do write-in campaigns ever work?

You have to have the gravel in the tank before you start adding fish....

>>6332778
>Keep focusing on the ballot initiative. No amount of campaigning will matter if you end up coming short. Since when do write-in campaigns ever work?
There's a 90% chance campaigning would be fine but I don't want to risk it.

>>6332778
>Keep focusing on the ballot initiative. No amount of campaigning will matter if you end up coming short. Since when do write-in campaigns ever work?
Can't let the fine print mess us up.

>Keep focusing on the ballot initiative.
Locking this in. Apologies for the delay. I’ve been out of the house all day and I’m tired so I’ll get to writing tomorrow, which means the update should be out the day after that.

>>6333531
Standing by!

>>6333531
No worries this was probably the goverment's fault anyways.

You shake your head as if to get the thought of skipping ahead in the process out of your brain. You’re playing with snakes right now. You can’t let your guard down for a moment and just assume that they’re gonna LET you get ahead! As much as you wanna jump straight into the fun part of this whole campaigning stuff, you can’t afford to get lazy and end up coming shy of the 50 signatures needed to get on the ballot. You’ll continue focusing on getting those last 10 names on your petition.

The rest of the day goes by uneventfully. So does the former half of the day after that. Your suspicion seems to be proving itself correct. You need to work for those last ten signatures, lest your campaign is dead on arrival.

You have a few ways you think you can get those last few names, and indeed some further aid for your campaign should you wish for it. The question is if you’ll be approaching any of them at this time, and if so, which ones?

>The local NRA chapter, of course. You have many friends there already, so this is the most natural decision of the bunch. Not to mention that you’re more intensely supportive of gun rights than Hubbard.
>The local business development council. They’re pro-Hubbard thanks to her actions that made the town more inviting for businesses, but it wouldn’t hurt to try and cut into a piece of her base of supporters.
>You don’t need either of them right now. You’ll just stick to gathering interested individuals around town and build yourself up a genuine grassroots candidacy.
>Write-in. This includes anything else you wanna do while collecting the last signatures needed.

>Roll 1d10 with your vote.

Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>6334400
>The local NRA chapter, of course. You have many friends there already, so this is the most natural decision of the bunch. Not to mention that you’re more intensely supportive of gun rights than Hubbard.
We've got to lean into our strengths.

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>6334400

>The local NRA chapter, of course. You have many friends there already, so this is the most natural decision of the bunch. Not to mention that you’re more intensely supportive of gun rights than Hubbard.

Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>6334400
>The local business development council. They’re pro-Hubbard thanks to her actions that made the town more inviting for businesses, but it wouldn’t hurt to try and cut into a piece of her base of supporters.

Locking in the local NRA chapter.

You’ve decided to hit up the local NRA chapter at the gun range. After all, why wouldn’t you play into your strengths? You’re already well-connected with these people and certainly more passionately pro-2A than Hubbard is. If you can’t get them to help you out on a policy level, you can damn well call in a few favors on a personal one. There’s no way this could fail!

>Rolled 4/10.

You call up one of your buddies at the local NRA chapter, who just so happens to be a high ranking member. He’s a fat, hairy man that looks closer to a bear than a human being, but he’s been good to you. He’s your way into getting that sweet, sweet gun lobby endorsement.

The phone picks up after a what felt like a minute of ringing.

“Bobby! Took you long enough.”

“Hey, Craig.”

“Hey. You got any free time in your schedule? I wanna sit down and talk some. Just you and I, man! I’ll even pay.”

There’s silence over the phone for a moment, then Bobby responds.

“Is this ‘bout your, uh…mayoral campaign? I’m sorry, man, but…well, me and the guys talked, and we can’t endorse you or nothing.”

“What?! Why?! What, did Hubbard offer you something?”

“Nah, nah, it’s nothing like that. We ain’t endorsing her either. We’re staying neutral in this…for now, at least.”

You audibly guffaw at this revelation. Don’t these dumbasses know that you’re CLEARLY the better choice for the NRA? Hubbard is an agent for the elite, for Christ’s sake! If the government gets the chance, they’ll rip the constitution in half and make up their own arbitrary rules. If not even they can see this, then you really are fighting a one-man battle.

“…but if it’s any consolation, I know a few buddies who wouldn’t mind considering voting for ya.”

You silently collect yourself from your little mental tantrum.

“Yeah? Well, it ain’t what I was hoping for, but I guess anything’s better than nothing. I actually need a few more names on my petition ‘till I can get on the ballot…”

“Ah, I see. Alright. You send me the papers and I’ll get you some names, alright?”

And so it was that by the next day, you had collected an additional four names to your ballot petition and little else…so that was a bust. Sure, you’re probably able to get a sizable portion of the NRA chapter on your side with enough elbow grease, but you REALLY wanted that official endorsement.

With that checked off the list, that leaves you with one question to naturally follow up on: do you stop here? You doubt you’d get very far with the local business development council all things considered, but it ain’t like you have anything else to do while focusing solely on getting on the ballot. There’s also other organizations in town you could reach out to, though your memory fails to recall them right this moment. Nothing a little Googling can’t solve.

(1/2)

>Try the local business development council. You already know you won’t get anywhere with them, but it’s worth an attempt at cutting into the mayor’s base of support.
>Try something else. There’s gotta be at least one organization in town that would consider endorsing you! (Write-ins preferred.)
>Scratch this whole approach. You’re only six names away. You’re just gonna reach out to more individuals like you’ve been doing.

>Roll 1d10 with your vote.

(2/2)

Rolled 2 (1d10)

>>6335454
>Try something else. There’s gotta be at least one organization in town that would consider endorsing you!

Write-in:
>If the NRA isn't going to have your back, your fellow aquarists might! You know many of the vendors that attend the local conventions for reptiles, fish, and exotic pets, being one yourself. There's also your prized VIP customers that are aware of your secret bug supply. You're going to reach out to as many of the exotic and fish tank hobbyists as you know. They may not back you for your politics, exactly, so much a show of support for a member of their niche community, but if you can get on the ballot you can bring them around later!

>>6335454
>Try something else. There’s gotta be at least one organization in town that would consider endorsing you!
Hmm... who likes the libertarian platform outside of gun clubs? I know, bars! Why don't we try to get the local drunk den to put out an endorsement for less town taxes? That could get us bipartisan support and an in with not only the onery youth, but also disgruntled old divorcees. Our current quote "mayor" unquote would never lower herself to meeting up with her fun-loving, freedom-savoring constituents. They'll never anticipate it.

Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>6335464
I'm a retard and forgot to roll, actually

Rolled 5 (1d10)

>>6335454
>Try the local business development council. You already know you won’t get anywhere with them, but it’s worth an attempt at cutting into the mayor’s base of support.
Who dares wins

Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>6335454
>>6335463 +1

>>6335543
We can try them once we have the signatures to show we're serious, and already represent a trade.

>>6335464
Seems like we’ll be courting the alcoholic vote. Locking this in.

>>6335930
>alcoholic vote
Huh? I count two votes for the aquarium and exotic pet trade community, one for the bars, and one for the BDC. Am I confused?

>>6335973
No, I was the confused one. I mis-assigned the +1 vote. You’re right.

Well, the local NRA chapter may be wimping out on this one, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of options. Sure, few of them may be as organized and as official as them, but you already have a few ideas for who might be sympathetic to your candidacy, or at least enough to get you onto the ballot. If the NRA won’t have your back, you know that your fellow aquarists might! You know personally many of the vendors that attend the regular conventions for reptiles, fish, exotic pets and more, because you yourself are one. Not only that, but there’s your VIP customers. The only ones who know of your secret supply of bug pets. The exotic fish enthusiasts of Whispering Oaks are probably going to be the absolutely, objectively most sympathetic demographic in town, even if their numbers may be incredibly small. If you can’t get them to back you for your policies or for being an outsider, then they might at least support you as one of the few who appreciate the value and beauty of a rare fish or lizard.

>Rolled 5/10.

You begin reaching out to people. Through e-mails, through Facebook, through wherever you know you can reach out to your fellow aquarists, customers and exotic pet vendors. You have a lot of conversations, some more fruitful than others. Most of the people in this small but active demographic react positively and add their names to the petition.

You now have 49/50 signatures!

You look at your list of names, a combination of physical signings and digital type. 49 people in Whispering Oaks have decided that they want you on the ballot for mayor. Out of a town of roughly 10,000, that might not sound like much…and indeed it isn’t. And even if you consider that the town would be lucky to see even a 50% turnout rate, 49 is still nothing, but they’re your 49. They saw you. They considered you worth having on the ballot.

That just leaves one name left until you’re ready to officially begin the campaigning. That’s when you realize: you haven’t signed your own name on it! Easy! That’s fifty!

…

You pause. Surely it can’t be that simple, right? You don’t remember the specific laws or anything, but it’s just common sense that they wouldn’t let you put your own name on your own ballot petition. Or is it?

>Sign your name and submit the ballot petition.
>Don’t sign your name and find somebody else.

>>6336311
>Don’t sign your name and find somebody else.
Nah, we ain't that desperate.

>>6336311
>Sign your name and submit the ballot petition.
Fuck the system. No more time to waste!

>>6336311
>>Don’t sign your name and find somebody else.
Might be bad to go for the former in a legal context

>Don’t sign your name and find somebody else.
Locking this in.

File: EA5448CA-97CE-4D58-A8D2-1(...).png (2.1 MB, 1024x1536)

2.1 MB PNG

No, this is a bad idea. You don’t want to sign your name on this only for Hubbard and her sycophants to disqualify you once the deadline is passed. That seems exactly like something she would do, right? You already promised yourself that you wouldn’t take any shortcuts. You’re gonna cover all of your bases every step of the way. Keep your enemies honest. No foul play can stop you if you stop the foul play first…and once you’ve ensured that the elites can’t rat fuck you off the ballot, you just need to become too big to rig!

You scratch the idea entirely. You know somebody who you might be able to get to sign this, anyways.

“Chet! You in there?”

You’re standing outside a trailer in an old trailer park on the edge of town. And by edge of town, that’s meant literally. You checked the property and municipal lines just to be safe before showing up, and half of the trailer park is actually outside Whispering Oaks. Thankfully, Chet’s trailer lies on the right side for you to ask for this little favor.

Ah, Chet. You met him in your freshman year of college, which was a funny coincidence considering you two were probably the only people at the time from Whispering Oaks who were attending that big city school. You were studying business management. He was taking pre-med. Look where that got him…

A hallowed out face peeks through the door window before it creaks open and he steps out. He’s a skinny, unkempt, mess of a man, someone who’s hardly recognizable from the handsome sophomore you knew back in the day. His shirt is stained and dirty and his teeth have gotten more yellow since you’ve last seen him.

“Whaddaya want, man? You only come ‘round here when yer askin’ a favor,” he speaks in a voice that is both deeper and more masculine than his appearance would suggest. He stands slouched, but grounded.

“Not even a “hi,” Chet?” You’re standing straight, hands in your pocket. You’d be lying if you said your bond has stood the test of time, especially after your lifestyles diverged as greatly as they have.

“Look, if you ain’t got nothing for me, I’m headin’ back inside…”

Chet tries to turn his back to you, but you grab his wrist before he can fully do so. With your other hand, you pull out something from your pocket and hold it in front of him, a naughty smirk curling your lips unwarranted. Chet looks at the bag, then at you.

“Come on man, you know I don’t smoke that weak shit no more.”

“How ‘bout for old time sake, then?”

Chet pauses for a moment, considering his options.

“Alright, fine…but leave yer phone in the mailbox. Yer watch, too. The fed’s watchin’ us through them now, too.”

(1/2)

Did I mention that he’s crazy? Luckily for you, he’s the same kind of crazy as you are. Not only did you two become close as the only two Whispering Oaks boys in college, but also because you both are rightfully skeptical of the government and the satanic cabal that’s been running it since 1733. If he was as political as you are, there would be two registered Libertarians in Whispering Oaks.

You do as he says and drop your phone and your watch into the mailbox before stepping inside the trailer. The place is just as much of a mess on the inside as it is on the outside. You’ve often wondered where it all went wrong for this guy, but you stopped thinking that lately. No point worrying over a lost cause at this point.

“So…what is it you want from me, man?”

He sits down and hunches over a chair next to a table after having taken the bag out of your hand and begins messing with the contents.

“Your name. That’s all.”

“The hell you mean by that?” he asks, not looking away from his work.

You pull out the clipboard from inside your suit and slap it on the table next to where Chet is rolling up torn Bible verses with the contents of your plastic bag. He takes a passing look at the clipboard, then returns to rolling up a bud before the clipboard suddenly grabs his attention and he snaps towards it.

“The hell is this? You tryna put me in a database?”

“Nah, not quite…I’m runnin’ for mayor.”

Chet nearly falls out of his seat when you say that, especially when it’s communicated as nonchalantly as you had done.

“Yer what?!”

“You heard me. I’m runnin’ for mayor.”

“Are you insane, man?! Shit, you must be insane. You tryna get the elite’s attention now?!”

“You told me before that Hubbard’s a pawn for the elites. I agree. Ain’t it only right that somebody try to depose her, then? C’mon, man…I just need one more name on that.”

“Yeah, but…”

Chet pauses for a moment, silent. The next thing you know, he’s handing you one of the rolled up buds.

“Ah, fuck it. Take this and I’ll consider it.”

>Smoke with Chet.
>Turn him down.
>Write-in.

(2/2)

>>6337580
>Smoke with Chet.
We're a registered Libertarian. It is our constitutional right to inhale or inject any substance under the sky.

>>6337580
>Accept the doob

Not sure I even support Craig anymore, disappointed to see how he treats the only other cat in town that sees the big picture. Can we offer him a job on the campaign? Or are we totally broke?

>>6337587
You have money, yes. Enough to toss Chet a few Jacksons, at least.

>>6337580
>Smoke with Chet.

>>6337580
>Smoke with Chet.

>>6337587
+1, give our old bro an in. Or and out from this pit.

Seems like we’re going to partake in some less than legal substances. Locking in.

You pause for a moment, considering your options. At the end of the day, you did knowingly buy this bag of goodies with the intention of smoking it up with your old pal, didn’t you? This sudden moment of hesitation is pointless, so you snuff it out before it can last any longer in your mind.

You grab the blunt from Chet’s hand while he sticks his own into his mouth and retrieves a lighter. A moment later, both of your rolls are lit up, the greens inside burning up slowly for you to savor the taste of.

“Ack!”

You cough and wheeze after your first inhale. It’s been a while since you last smoked anything, and your rustiness is especially obvious when compared to Chet, who’s taking it back with ease.

“Phew…so? Don’t tell me we gotta smoke this whole bag ‘fore me to win you over?”

“Naw, I just needed to see if you were still legit. Finish that one an’ I’ll sign yer thing.”

You breathe a sigh of relief before forcing the rest of the joint down your throat one cough at a time. This batch is gross. It tastes bitter and it smells like a skunk, but you manage to get it all done after some time. You recline in your seat (which you hadn’t even noticed that you are sat in until now) and release a deep sigh.

“Agh…there. You happy now? C’mon man, just sign the petition already. We both want the same thing, don’t we?”

Chet looks towards you, his eyes squinted.

“Do we?”

“C’mon, Chet…you’re probably the only person in this town who sees the real picture.”

Chet inhales deep. He’s already halfway through his second blunt.

“Well, if nothin’ else, I’m a man of my word.”

He picks up the pen attached to the clipboard and scribbles his name down on the bottom of the paper. With that signature, you’ve officially gotten all fifty names required to be on the ballot! A smirk crosses your lips when he hands the clipboard back to you and you check the writing. All good, it seems.

“I appreciate you, Chet. I really do.”

You tuck the clipboard back into your suit with a satisfied expression on your face, but as you do so, a thought enters your consciousness: why stop at just the signature? This man is the only person you know who truly understands what’s at stake this election, even if he needs some encouragement. You’re not swimming in gold or anything, but you reckon that you have enough money to pay Chet here for his time. It would be very beneficial to have a genuine ally on your campaign team, as well as having a campaign team in the first place. The question is what kind of role you plan on giving to him, and if you can even convince the junkie in the first place.

>Write-in any specific jobs you want to assign to Chet for the campaign and role 1d100+10, since you decided to smoke with him.

>>6338604
Before I answer, can you tell me more about Chet, what Craig knows? Is he active or 'good' at social media, maybe has a meme page or something? Any education or notable skills/talents? He's very... Salt of the Earth, and might honestly be able to help you relate to more voters. He represents an electorate that is historically ignored, people that are suspicious, disaffected, 'low information', etc, and that vague group has been much more influential upon activation by populist candidates this past decade.

Rolled 26 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>6338610
+1

>>6338604
From what I've seen so far, I'd like to at least have him on-staff as an advisor. If he's good with a gun, maybe our security head on paper? If he's media savvy, that could be handy for outreach, instead, though...

>>6338619
My concern is that, if we give him a very public facing job, will that damage our credibility or cause problems with him getting into arguments with strangers? If we give him an administrative job, can we expect that he will just get stoned and be disorganized about it all to a disastrous degree?

If Chet is unreliable, disorganized, and antisocial, then I think hiring him for security (he hangs with us so I'm assuming he can shoot a gun and owns one) is smart. If he's only antisocial but can be organized and reliable, I think we just have him help us as a secretary/fixer/coordinator. If he lacks those qualities but can be charming, we maybe let him do some social media and pay him to canvas for us, lean on the optics of being a successful businessman that is friendly and respectful towards unsuccessful and poverty line people similar to Chet. Not that I think either of them give a rat fuck about poor, disaffected, mostly apolitical normies, but it's worth pointing out that Trump and Mamdani (and other recent populists) have broken past the two party blockade by activating this exact electorate of people that have never gotten anything out of the establishment, that feel resentful of the Clintons, Bushes, and Hubbards of this world, that can be convinced to actually show up and vote for once if exposed to someone that feels authentic, dynamic, or at least novel. If Craig has a prayer of winning, I think it genuinely will be hinging on his ability to get people exactly like Chet to give a shit.

>>6338610
>Social media.
He’s got zero social media presence that you know of, probably in part due to the fact that the trailer park he lives in has shit service at best.
>Education.
He nearly graduated pre-med, but he was expelled for exactly what one would expect. He’s smart, but just doesn’t apply himself and is also slightly unhinged.
>Skills/talents.
From what you remember in your college days, Chet can be very charming when he’s trying to be and when he looks half decent (which is rarely, if ever). He’s a quick learner and adaptable. Despite his lanky appearance, he’s never lost a street fight, of which you know he’s had his fair share.

>>6338660
Ok we can work with this!

Let's ask him to be our Field Organizer/Bodyguard. His main and public role will be to manage recruiting volunteers and coordinating our ground game of canvassing the city or having a presence at events. We won't be open about the security thing, because he isn't licensed for it (we're libertarians so that'd be tyrannical), but we will still have him come along with us when we make our occasional dips into the Lion's Den - Chet is, after all, the only one aware that we may be contending directly with satanic pedophiles that will silence us using violence if it should prove convenient for them....

How do other anons feel about this?

We will want a campaign manager, press secretary, and fundraising director soon, but I suspect we should look for people with more specific bonafides when we iron that out. Chet is intelligent, social, and above all REAL enough for Field Manager. He is the only other person in town in a position to sell new people on why Craig should be mayor, and making sure theyre energized enough about it to convince even more people.

>>6338662
I am >>6338619, and I can back that.

>>6338660
Thanks for clarifying, QM.

Gonna keep this open until tomorrow, since I obviously won’t have the time to write today. Happy Halloween, y’all.

>>6338662
Seems like we’re going with this one. Locking in.

>>6339123
I hope you had a good Turkeyday, OP.

You stand there for a moment’s thought, stroking your chin with Chet growing increasingly confused and weirded out by your sudden quietness.

“Yo, buddy, you there? You ain’t gon’ pass out after one bud, are ya?”

That seems to snap you out of your trance. Just in time too, since you just realized what role you want Chet here to have in your campaign.

“Yeah, nah, I’m fine. Hey, listen…I could use an extra pair of hands on this operation. I know you could use some money, too. I, er…you think you’d be down to join my campaign? I was thinkin’ you could by my field organizer. You’d be my bodyguard too, though I reckon we’d need to keep that off recor-“

>Rolled 36/100

“Hell no,” Chet says confidently and with haste. You pause for a second, guffawing in surprise. You weren’t expecting him to turn you down that quickly.

“Why not? You don’t wanna see these kid fuckers go down?!”

“That ain’t it, man…too risky for me, Craig. Too high profile. I can’t do it. I’m sure you understand, right?”

“Did you miss the part where I said there was money involved?” You sit down next to Chet, throwing a hand over his shoulder and pulling him in towards you.

“Name your price. You know I got the money for it. Ain’t it ‘bout time we do somethin’ instead of just lettin’ these elites run us over?”

Chet brushes your arm off of him and stands up, gently snuffing the tip of his bud against the ash tray on the table.

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t, alright?! Damn! Look, I know you might think I’m in the dumps, and yer right…but that don’t mean I wanna go and put a target on my back just for some small town mayor election. I wish you luck, man, but I can’t risk my neck that easily.”

Now it’s your turn to stand up. “Seriously? You’re just gonna leave me hangin’ like that? If not for a chance at doin’ some change, then for some extra dough?” You ask not with any anger, but disappointment.

“Yeah,” Chet responds nonchalantly. “If you got nothing else to beg from me, I think you’d best get outta here. Lotta work to do, right?”

“So that’s how it is,” you sigh. You can’t blame him for finding this offer risky, but you didn’t expect him to turn it down that quickly. With seemingly nothing else to do, you make yourself scarce from the trailer and step outside, taking in the spring air as the mosquito net door swings shut behind you. You loosen your tie. It feels tighter around your neck now, for one reason or another.

(1/2)

On the drive home, you try to drive the thoughts of what you did wrong or how you could’ve convinced Chet better out of your mind, but it’s not until you’re sitting at home after a long day that you’re able to do just that and start thinking about the next important thing. Chet might not be willing to join your cause, but certainly there must be some people who are, right? You need a campaign team. The question is how you’ll assemble one now that the only person on the same page as you has dipped out.

>Put out advertisements urging people to apply for your campaign. Let them come to you as a natural filtering method.
>Reach out to particular individuals you think would make for some good co-workers on your team. Only the best will do.
>Scratch that, you don’t need anybody. This is a small town, anyways. How hard could it be campaigning on your own?
>Write-in.

(2/2)

>>6340729

Damn man... I know we chose hard mode but we're 100 posts deep and we just barely got on the ballot... Turned down by the NRA, literally brushed off by Chet, too fucking stupid to hire anyone onto the campaign before meeting with the current mayor about it... We gotta stop spinning our wheels out here.

>Reach out to particular individuals
I say we go back to the exotic pet/aquarist community. People that get into his hobby tend to have a lot of money, and solid administrative skills (it is fucking hard managing big fish tanks and terrariums). Surely Craig knows some people with the kinds of bonafides and backgrounds that'd make for a good crew.

Once we have a basic staff I think we need to reach out to national libertarian organizations and state level libertarian politicians (or ones amenable to libertarian politics) to secure grants and funding to help level up the campaign. We need to spend money on a think tank consultant that can pitch us a couple of tentpole policies that will connect with voters and make us visible, after that.

>>6340739
I agree with this. I think we can pull this off but we'll need some strong, or rich, support.

>>6340729
>Reach out to particular individuals you think would make for some good co-workers on your team. Only the best will do.
>>6340739 +1, Turn to the hobby, then our fellow AnCapPops!

>>6340739
Seems like we’re doing this one. Locking in.

This update will take a minute to be written, I reckon. Apologies for the wait.

>>6341500
No worries, see you soon!

Finished sooner than anticipated. Will be posted tomorrow.

When the NRA didn’t have your back, your fellow exotic pet owners and aquarists of Whispering Oaks did. It’s only reasonable that after Chet leaves you hanging as well, they might help you out once again. A community this niche needs to stick together and help one another out, after all. Not to mention that, with how difficult it can be to manage a fish tank or a terrarium, the people in this hobby not only have more money than your usual local, but also at least a modicum of administrative or management skill.

After having a snack and watching an episode of your current show (making sure not to accidentally watch a full season), you begin the long process of searching for qualified candidates for your campaign team. You start with your contacts, of whom a portion fit within your pre-established criteria. You spend some time writing roughly the same text message to each of them. “Hey! I’m running for mayor and want you to join my campaign. Email me if you’re interested,” paraphrasing. If you had already established with one of these individuals of your campaign, you only include the last two points.

The next point of business is to reach out to people within your niche of the town who aren’t in your contacts, and that is mainly executed through a little-known website called Facebook. You drop direct messages into the accounts that you find inside both the exotic pets and the aquarist groups for Whispering Oaks whom you hadn’t already through text, asking them the same thing while attaching your e-mail so they know where to go.

It’s not long after you start this entire lengthy process that you begin to lose track of time. Seconds turn into minutes, and those minutes turn into hours, and the next thing you know, when you finally remember to check the time…

“Shit…”

It’s 1:02 in the morning. That’s roughly four hours past your self-designated bedtime. A sudden bout of exhaustion smashes into you like a wave out at sea, as if the mere sight of the time has took all of the energy out of you and reminded your body of its circadian rhythm. Your work is not done, but your day certainly is. Without going through the motions of your bedtime routine, you climb under the sheets and pass out.

Luckily for you, the day after is a weekend, which means you don’t open up shop today, which means that after having some breakfast, you can immediately return to your work reaching out to potential co-workers for your campaign. With your fellow niche hobbyists having been solicited (and some of them having already e-mailed responses overnight), the next step in this process is to weed out the prospective candidates once their responses begin to file in. Had you more resources at your disposal, you would’ve scheduled in-person interviews, but instead you’ll have to make do with interviewing the interested parties through e-mail.

(1/3)

Your questions are basically the same as any other generic interview, in part due to the haste and lack of preparation of which you are carrying this out. “Why do you want this job?” “What is your experience?” “Are you a satanist?” Turns out that this helps eliminate enough of your prospects that, by the end of the day, you have four people lined up and ready to work! (How you’ll pay them is yet to be figured out.)

>Campaign Manager: You! Your trust issues don’t allow you to hand this precious position over to anyone else. You will command your campaign with an iron fist, lest the elites squash you at the first sign of disorder.

>Communications/Digital Lead: Aiden Mitchell! Aiden is studying business administration in the big city, but he’s taking an off-year, apparently due to drama on campus. With nothing better to do while staying with his parents, Mr. Mitchell has been selected to handle the campaign’s social media presence, press releases, your (eventual) website and basic graphic design for advertising.

>Field Organizer: Shania Brown! Probably your most valuable asset, information-wise. Shania was actually the campaign manager of Mayor Hubbard’s first election! Fortunately for you, the two of them had a very messy falling out, and now she’s willing to spite Hubbard by aiding your campaign. You chose this specific role because she has experience working in charity events in town, specifically in managing the other volunteers. She will handle volunteer management, door knocking, phone banking and community events.

>Finance/Donor Coordinator: Joe Prescott! Joe is a small business owner, just like you, so he knows a thing or two about this stuff. He was coincidentally one of the first people to sign their names on your ballot petition! He believes that town hall has gotten too big for the well being of Whispering Oaks and he thinks that you would be a good alternative to Hubbard’s middling moderatism, saying that even if you don’t win, you’ll at least be applying pressure on Hubbard to consider shrinking the government or at least not expanding it further. He will handle the scheduling of fundraising events and track contributions.

>Treasurer/Compliance Officer: Paul Wellman! He’s actually your lawyer, but he’s agreed to handle the filing of campaign finance reports and ensure that all legal requirements are met so long as you pay his regular fee. He’s not an aquarist—he doesn’t even own a pet—but he’s solid.

With four people on your payroll, and other future volunteers in your sights, you can now say that you have a comprehensive campaign team! Give yourself a pat on the back, Craig. You can check that off of your to-do list, finally.

But that doesn’t mean you’re ready to get kicked off yet, does it? A team of workers is one thing, a platform is one thing, but you need something else: money. As it stands, you’ll be paying for this entire campaign out of your own pocket.

(2/3)

You need sponsors. You need people who, for one reason or another, are willing to fund your campaign to oust Hubbard. You won’t find any particularly wealthy benefactors here in Whispering Oaks. At least, no wealthier than your generic upper class retiree. No, you need people with money. People with influence.

Your next order of business? Hit up the big leagues. The national libertarian party. Any sympathetic politicians in your state. Businessmen and women who could see you as a potential stock worth investing in. You need to convince people to give you their hard-earned money in return for not having a goat worshipping whore for the elites in the town hall.

>Everyone roll 3d20.

(3/3)

Rolled 10, 12, 16 = 38 (3d20)

>>6341967
The key to catching fish... Is patience...

Rolled 13, 12, 11 = 36 (3d20)

>>6341967

Rolled 9, 1, 13 = 23 (3d20)

>>6341967

>13, 12, 16
Not bad. Locking in.