Draft - Freedom POTUS?

[Avenger Assembled]

Note that this is decidedly not canon until we get some discussion of this. 

 

The former governor of Oklahoma, JT (Josiah Thomas) Cahill was elected President of the United States in 2016. A big, beefy guy in his mid-fifties whose brown hair has been a dye job for about a decade now, he loves fried chicken, barbecue, and Oklahoma-style chili almost as much as he loved "the Yewnited States of America." Cahill’s southern-fried good ol’boy exterior disguises a steel-trap mind on the inside. (He makes much of his deep roots in the Oklahoma Panhandle and rarely dwells on his 4.0 average at Yale.) His wife Rachel is from Oklahoma’s Comanche country on the other side of the state and ten years his junior, a short, slim woman with raven-dark hair who speaks both English and Comanche fluently. Their three daughters Jaybee, Jaycee, and Jaydee (16, 14, and 12) are the apples of their daddy’s eye.

 

A beloved professor of political science and American government at Oklahoma Panhandle State University before turning to politics, Cahill ran as an outsider promising to bring change to Washington after years of rule by political insiders. In general, he’s a conservative who wants to cut taxes and un-American regulations, build up the military, and bring back morality and decency to the public square.

 

President Cahill is a vigorous champion of and defender of superheroes, seeing them as “one of the many blessings of living in the greatest nation on Earth - America.” He engineered public funding for Sooner (Oklahoma's officially sponsored superhero and a friendly rival of the Barnstormers) while serving as Governor - and would be happy to see more federal money sunk into supporting America’s superheroes. During the 2016 campaign, he openly flirted with reversing decades of policy and establishing a US government-funded team. 

 

He’s less interested in non-American superheroes but he’s “not gonna make an enemy out of a lady who could throw the White House into Saturn faster’n a cow could jump over the Moon!”

[Raveled]

I think this is a best-case scenario of Trump.

[Avenger Assembled]

The idea here, at least in theory, is that this gives you a US President who is not necessarily someone heroes will like but who will nonetheless not be antagonistic towards them. 

[Avenger Assembled]

(His full name comes from the Presidents in the West Wing, 2012, and Escape from LA - i.e., the best, middling, and worst fictional Presidents from one recent poll)

[KnightDisciple]

12 minutes ago, Avenger Assembled said:

The idea here, at least in theory, is that this gives you a US President who is not necessarily someone heroes will like but who will nonetheless not be antagonistic towards them. 

 

I'm confused why heroes would actively dislike him? Beyond "he's a conservative"? I mean, if we're going to start having nitty-gritty "here's non-superhero-related policy the POTUS of our make-believe world is passing", fair enough I guess, but he seems more like the sort of POTUS who some heroes might roll their eyes at a bit but otherwise is a decent guy, and who's genuinely friendly and helpful. 

 

Unless the angle is more about the US government-led super-team, playing off of past discussions bandied about where such a team serves as a sort of "antagonistic heroes" sort of group (aka different methods and attitudes, but ultimately actually on the side of good)?

Or maybe, maybe something playing off the "less interested in non-American heroes" (which I presume to mean more those who don't regularly operate in the USA?

 

I'm not trying to diss this, I'm just trying to figure out why "heroes" won't like him specifically?

 

Also, who or what is "Oklahoma's Sooner", beyond an amazing college athletics program? :-p

[Avenger Assembled]

Well, I think it's uncontroversial to say that a majority of PCs don't share Cahill's political views, KD - but they might appreciate his vigorous support of superheroing.

 

I thought something like this was more interesting than electing someone who most of the PCs on the site would agree with politically. That's one reason why I'm using the picture of John Goodman as Glen Allen Walken - he was a West Wing character who did _not_ agree with most of the characters on most issues, but who wasn't their enemy or a bad guy personally either.

 

(And I assumed that the Oklahoma Sooner is whatever state-sponsored hero does disaster relief in the place where the wind goes sweeping down the plain!) 

 

If this is too specific for people's tastes, we certainly don't have to do it (trust me, the _last_ thing I want is a political argument here or anywhere else on the site) - this was just an idea I had in response to some of the ideas for an alternate political history for the World of Freedom.

 

 

 

 

[Raveled]

Wasn't Gizmo building a vaguely-antagonizing US patriotic team? Certainly either they or an AEGIS official would be a stand-in for any thread that requires the federal govt to show up. I just don't particularly see a need to have a name for the POTUS in Freedom-verse.

[KnightDisciple]

1 hour ago, Avenger Assembled said:

Well, I think it's uncontroversial to say that a majority of PCs don't share Cahill's political views, KD - but they might appreciate his vigorous support of superheroing.

 

I thought something like this was more interesting than electing someone who most of the PCs on the site would agree with politically. That's one reason why I'm using the picture of John Goodman as Glen Allen Walken - he was a West Wing character who did _not_ agree with most of the characters on most issues, but who wasn't their enemy or a bad guy personally either.

 

(And I assumed that the Oklahoma Sooner is whatever state-sponsored hero does disaster relief in the place where the wind goes sweeping down the plain!) 

 

If this is too specific for people's tastes, we certainly don't have to do it (trust me, the _last_ thing I want is a political argument here or anywhere else on the site) - this was just an idea I had in response to some of the ideas for an alternate political history for the World of Freedom.

 

I actually like the idea overall, I just got leery at the comment about "the PCs sure won't like him", because I'd rather see the focus be on "he's a folksy leader who also strongly supports heroes!" than "oh he's totes a conservative just not the Worst Evil One Ever".

 

There's loads of dynamics available just in someone who's not just pro-hero, but starting to push for state-sponsored heroes, I think. I'd rather mostly keep liberal/conservative dynamics in the background, but I'm also speaking, frankly, as someone who's likely more conservative, at least in degrees, than a decent chunk of the board. I don't really come here for politics.

(Or if I do it's for wacky Space Politics with Empress Janeway in the mix!)

 

As for Sooner, maybe they're a recent entrant on the "field", and there's been bits of friction with the Barnstormers, in particular Stormchaser? (STORY SEED!)

Edited May 16, 2017 by KnightDisciple

[Heritage]

He seems fine to me as a president for this sort of campaign; on the one hand, I too don't want to see our fun hobby to turn into a political debate, but on the other, I like putting a face and character to the position. I'm happy that my characters wouldn't exactly agree on him, which feels more realistic than 'everybody loves him' or 'everybody hates him'.

[The Sailor]

Reading this over, he seems alright, but how about instead of him being Republican, he's more of a centrist Independent who managed to upset the establishment. Sort of in the vein of Jesse Ventura when he became Governor in Minnesota (and before he went one flew over the koo-koo's nest in terms of conspiracy theories).

 

He seems the type capable of working with both sides, perhaps by making him an (I) he's in the perfect position.

[Raveled]

An Independent would be creating history. Are we willing to do that?

[The Sailor]

It is our playground.

 

I could get behind a slightly more right Bernie Sanders type.

[KnightDisciple]

I'll again say I'm leery of using real-life labels too strongly. Vague generalities about non-hero-related policies/stances is fine. I just don't want to focus on it, especially since I don't want to assume all PCs have all the same political beliefs (same with the Players). 

 

I will say again I like the dynamics of a POTUS who's really gung-ho on the whole "superhero" thing. 

And I like the idea of him subtly pushing for government teams. More heroes is good, my friends! 

 

Him being a bit...brash...could prove interesting. I mean, why don't the heroes want the USA's money? Isn't more resources for hero-ing a good thing?

 

Plus, I'm with Heritage, I like having a name and a face for an important character like this. 

[The Sailor]

Well at least Endeavor will have a post-school job in AEGIS that's well funded...

[Heritage]

I'm with KD on the 'no real world parties' idea. Hollywood disaster films have shown you can have a believable POTUS without them; you just have the Secretary of State say, "The party backs me on this" or the like. All elected officials worry about being reelected, and you can have a 'conservative' on either side of the aisle, none of which takes away from potential storyhooks.  

[The Sailor]

I'm with Heri on that one. Might help in separating OOC personal politics from the game.

Edited May 17, 2017 by Sailor

[Avenger Assembled]

All right, well, there's definitely no reason we need to hear about Cahill's party (notice that I left it deliberately vague) - we do actually have a possible alternative candidate for an independent POTUS, so I'll toss that around along with the idea of President Cahill. 

[angrydurf]

I like it.  Neutral enough portrayal not to be overtly political while acknowledging that the political climate is pretty important for long running superhero stories (What exactly does truth justice and the american way mean today after all).  As for lables I think saying conservative and not being willing ot say republican would pretty much be a cop out.  Having him be pro-super and republican makes it clear it's  not a matter of "Evil Conservatives!" or "My Liberal Wish Fulfillment!".   I don't see how having a name and face adds alot to the setting without making anything more overtly political than would otherwise be allowed.

[KnightDisciple]

10 hours ago, angrydurf said:

I like it.  Neutral enough portrayal not to be overtly political while acknowledging that the political climate is pretty important for long running superhero stories (What exactly does truth justice and the american way mean today after all).  As for lables I think saying conservative and not being willing ot say republican would pretty much be a cop out.  Having him be pro-super and republican makes it clear it's  not a matter of "Evil Conservatives!" or "My Liberal Wish Fulfillment!".   I don't see how having a name and face adds alot to the setting without making anything more overtly political than would otherwise be allowed.

 

I think some of the reactions we saw in chat lead me to think just not mentioning parties would be better.

 

That said, the world of Freedom City is pretty radically different, so the labels we have in the real world would be less useful anyway. 

[Exaccus]

I like the idea. That might provide more definition to where heroes stand on certain issues. maybe something of a Generational divide even. more rough edges to be worn smooth.

 

Dreadnought is a socialist for example (i think im using that word right) Though it doesn't directly affect him it will affect his relationship with stateside heroes he might otherwise be utterly neutral or even friendly too on a professional curtsy basis into more Complicated things and also force him to question if his political views have any place in his heroing or not.

Edited May 17, 2017 by Exaccus

[The Sailor]

Endeavor might understand the focus on building a national team. After all I do plan on having her get into AEGIS (the training is also a good excuse for an upgrade/redesign). Endeavor is a bit eclectic, so she's rather neutral. If he cuts funding to science or education she may have to write a letter and poke a few congresscritters.

 

Torpedo Lass still has her Navy roots, and he is the president. So she respects the man to a point, she'll judge him on his policies. His views on defense she agrees with, but thinks treating heroes as a deterrent might lead to a new form of arms race.

 

Aviatrix didn't vote for the guy, but she didn't necessarily hate him. She just thought her candidate could do the job better. like TL, she'll judge him on his policies, and as long as a national team doesn't lead to registration or some form of meta-draft, she's okay with the plan.

Edited May 17, 2017 by Sailor

[TheAbsurdist]

See.

 

In my headcanon the Presidents of the United States of America are a pan dimensional band.

 

We all need Peaches.

Edited May 18, 2017 by TheAbsurdist

[KnightDisciple]

Stepping around who did or didn't vote for him, if you stop and think, it's kind of understandable that we'd get a POTUS who looks more seriously at a government-run super-team.

 

I mean, consider that in the last 10-15 years, Earth has been assaulted by/under threat by:

-The Terminus, several times

-The Grue, at least once probably a couple of times

-Hell

-ArchEvil

-Gorgon

-Curator

-Communion

 

And every time, supers won the day by the skin of their teeth. Seems reasonable to want to try and leverage that more proactively, right?

 

Point is, there's room for saying "I'm not sure about this but it's not completely bonkers", which means threads that feature this story point are more interesting! 

[The Sailor]

Well, as long as AEGIS gets some nice new toys, and some supers to boot in their membership...

 

We Overwatch Now.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xco_LrRLYN4

Edited May 18, 2017 by Sailor