Post by Isles of Nixon on Feb 29, 2008 21:49:50 GMT -5
I address you tonight to unveil the look of the New UPP. The inspiration came from Tony Blair, who unveiled the New Labour Party in 1997 and that paved the way for his rise to Prime Minister. When I joined the UPP, I could feel eyebrows being raised all over the islands - a Nixon joining a progressive party - surely something must be wrong. But that's what makes the UPP so special - we openly embrace those with different political philosophies with the bedrock of our foundation being that the Islands can always strive to do better than it is.
I cam to this decision to join the party because of a conversation I had with ACN Chairman Estayland when I first joined the region. While we both share the same OOC politics, when I joined the UPP but then stated I had voted for him in July, he was flabbergasted. He couldn't understand how a UPP member could vote for an ACN candidate and that's why I felt that I had made the right decision to join the IPP. Our party was not run by someone so bent on 100% loyalty that voting for someone else actually shocked him. I can only imagine how shocked he was when his deputy and eventual successor publicly endorsed me for my election and subsequent re-election.
This party of ours is entering a new phase. We have always provided our region with a certain amount of progress and that will never change but we will also embark on the path of pragmatism. With the ACN on the right and the Radical Party on the left, we are now the party of moderation. Even the ACN agrees that we need to work on some aspects of our region, for that is the only way we can survive. Our conservative Founder Grub has even made concessions on the issue of progress. We do not seek change for the sake of it nor do we seek rapid change which would force us to get largely ahead of ourselves. We believe in the spirit of bipartisanship for the betterment of our region.
Currently, I'm spearheading an initiative with ACN Chairman TwoBagger which would impose a moratorium on negative campaigning in our Senate elections. For too long our campaigns have turned nasty. They did in July, November and January and we will ensure that it does not rear its ugly head in future contests. Partisan politics is necessary and healthy for us in the polis but the sniping is not what our founding fathers had in mind. You will find in this new spirit of bipartisanship an alliance with the ACN on many issues. It does not mean we will agree on everything or even a majority of issues but there will be some which may surprise you.
The UPP will work with the ACN to finally get the inter party debates off the ground. For too long they have tried to work but something always took over like the treason in the Islands but we have to and we will get them back on track. I propose tonight to the ACN a series of party to party debates between the two parties on issues that affect our region the most. These will occur on the boards and not happen live in a chatroom - this way folks can read them at anytime and not worry about missing them. Each week will highlight a new issue and it will continue until we are all out of issues. If the ACN agrees, we can iron out all of the details and begin shortly after the March elections.
We do not believe as some do that we are right and everyone else is wrong. We believe in working together to find pragmatic solutions to the problems we face in the Islands for we do not live in an ideal world. Islanders have a choice, they can vote with their hearts or they can vote with their brains. Voting with one's heart is noble but regret and disappointment will inevitably follow. Sometimes it does not feel right voting with your brain but in the end, you will feel content. The UPP provides you with the choice to vote with your brain - to realize that the only way to accomplish great things for our region is to open your arms to the wonders of pragmatism. That does not mean your will always be satisfied with the final product - after all, compromise is needed but when all is said and done, you can rest easy knowing that you put the interests of the Islands before your personal interests and I ask you, is there any better feeling?
The UPP stands firm in its principles that progress is necessary to ensure that not only does our region survive, but that it remains a bastion and an example for all regions in the NationStates community.
The era of bipartisan cooperation has begun!
I cam to this decision to join the party because of a conversation I had with ACN Chairman Estayland when I first joined the region. While we both share the same OOC politics, when I joined the UPP but then stated I had voted for him in July, he was flabbergasted. He couldn't understand how a UPP member could vote for an ACN candidate and that's why I felt that I had made the right decision to join the IPP. Our party was not run by someone so bent on 100% loyalty that voting for someone else actually shocked him. I can only imagine how shocked he was when his deputy and eventual successor publicly endorsed me for my election and subsequent re-election.
This party of ours is entering a new phase. We have always provided our region with a certain amount of progress and that will never change but we will also embark on the path of pragmatism. With the ACN on the right and the Radical Party on the left, we are now the party of moderation. Even the ACN agrees that we need to work on some aspects of our region, for that is the only way we can survive. Our conservative Founder Grub has even made concessions on the issue of progress. We do not seek change for the sake of it nor do we seek rapid change which would force us to get largely ahead of ourselves. We believe in the spirit of bipartisanship for the betterment of our region.
Currently, I'm spearheading an initiative with ACN Chairman TwoBagger which would impose a moratorium on negative campaigning in our Senate elections. For too long our campaigns have turned nasty. They did in July, November and January and we will ensure that it does not rear its ugly head in future contests. Partisan politics is necessary and healthy for us in the polis but the sniping is not what our founding fathers had in mind. You will find in this new spirit of bipartisanship an alliance with the ACN on many issues. It does not mean we will agree on everything or even a majority of issues but there will be some which may surprise you.
The UPP will work with the ACN to finally get the inter party debates off the ground. For too long they have tried to work but something always took over like the treason in the Islands but we have to and we will get them back on track. I propose tonight to the ACN a series of party to party debates between the two parties on issues that affect our region the most. These will occur on the boards and not happen live in a chatroom - this way folks can read them at anytime and not worry about missing them. Each week will highlight a new issue and it will continue until we are all out of issues. If the ACN agrees, we can iron out all of the details and begin shortly after the March elections.
We do not believe as some do that we are right and everyone else is wrong. We believe in working together to find pragmatic solutions to the problems we face in the Islands for we do not live in an ideal world. Islanders have a choice, they can vote with their hearts or they can vote with their brains. Voting with one's heart is noble but regret and disappointment will inevitably follow. Sometimes it does not feel right voting with your brain but in the end, you will feel content. The UPP provides you with the choice to vote with your brain - to realize that the only way to accomplish great things for our region is to open your arms to the wonders of pragmatism. That does not mean your will always be satisfied with the final product - after all, compromise is needed but when all is said and done, you can rest easy knowing that you put the interests of the Islands before your personal interests and I ask you, is there any better feeling?
The UPP stands firm in its principles that progress is necessary to ensure that not only does our region survive, but that it remains a bastion and an example for all regions in the NationStates community.
The era of bipartisan cooperation has begun!
