Democratic Socialist Assembly

President Ellison Edwards is a president like no other. I mean this in the most literal sense; he is the first president in Alinnian history to serve a one-year term.

Last August, the Alinnian people switched the script by electing a majority of Republican candidates to the Sentinel for the first time in nearly two decades. Then-Senator Edwards campaigned on a platform of change himself, promising Alinnians that he would change the foundation on which our republic sits -- but for the better. Whether that be the case is for you to decide.

No one can argue that the Edwards administration has ushered in many sweeping changes to Alinnian democracy. Alinnians may have noticed that political advertisements have flooded their TV airways much earlier than usual. Through an executive order in March, President Edwards nullified a longstanding statute establishing a time prohibition on campaigning and legal electioneering. That means that political candidates and their campaigns now have free reign to determine the best time to begin campaigning to voters. Notice a new Alinnian flag flying around federal buildings? That's because President Edwards and the Republican-led Sentinel approved a change to the flag in late March as well.

The Sentinel has undergone a structural transformation as well. One popular campaign point for then-President Gabriella Sindevir was that Republican leaders were unwilling to expand the composition of the Sentinel. Then-Minority Leader Brella Onscoliere awkwardly positioned herself by stating "check back with us when the population reaches 5 million." However, when Sentinel expansion came to a vote in February, the legislation, spearheaded by now-Majority Leader Brella Onscoliere herself, passed nearly unanimously (17-3). Come July, the Sentinel will have ten more members; one new Senator per district. Now, there are three classes of senators within the Sentinel, each up for re-election at different times within a syncopated election cycle.

This legislation also lengthened the overall tenure of the president. Instead of serving a six-month term, the president shall now serve a twelve-month term. Republicans in the Sentinel roared in support for this statute to be applied to the current executive, and they pushed this change, the Keth-Manchell Amendment, through in a party-line vote. Now, a president like no other has a chance to see how the public feels about his agenda in real-time.

President Edwards has endorsed a rather ambitious platform ahead of the December general election. Retrospectively speaking, it strays away from the positions which many former presidents have taken on domestic issues. This "Edwards Agenda" calls for a "50% tax rate, a decrease in the government subsidization of healthcare, a decrease in the size of government by at least 6%, a boost in law enforcement funding, a reimposition of restrictions on some recreational drug use, and placing in the top 80% in the world in freedom from taxation". More importantly, he has endorsed a slate of new Senatorial candidates for the June midterms which wholeheartedly back his agenda.

"President Edwards has been delivering on his promises since day one," proclaimed Sentinel hopeful Republican Esma Ovrane, "and it is important we as a legislative body are there to support this effort to revitalize the country." Ovrane is in a closely-watched, intense race against former president Gabriella Sindevir for the new seat in Midrivers. Midrivers has voted Republican for the last few years, but the latest polls have Sindevir leading 53-47.

The question is: do Alinnian voters support the ambitious agenda that Edwards and his candidates have? Polls released on May 13th show that 51% of Alinnians approve of the president; that's a six-point drop from polls taken on March 3rd. Additionally, Vice President Chesterfield is now Alinn's most disliked VP, coming in with a historic 40% approval rate. 52% of Alinnians also disapprove of the Sentinel's performance. If there is one thing the Edwards administration should keep in mind, it is that the Alinnian electorate is consistently changing. It is one of the most fluid democracies in the world. Republicans cannot afford to stumble in the upcoming elections, especially since these are new seats being created in the Sentinel. They only need to win four of these ten seats to retain their majority, but will be again quickly placed on the defense again in December.

"We are confident that the path we are taking as a party will be successful for the nation, and nearly one year of this presidency has shown that," President Edwards commented when asked about his party's prospects in June.

On the other side awaits Senator Cristiano LeBlanc, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president. Senator LeBlanc has not technically yet clinched the nomination; however, Concordian philanthropist Jeremiah Ovalle dropped out of the race earlier last week, citing improbable poll numbers as the reason. Senator LeBlanc is no stranger to federal elections; he has served as the Junior Senator from Rivers' Bend for nearly 16 years. Additionally, he nearly won the Democratic nomination in July 2020, but eventually conceded an intense race against Sindevir and became one of her biggest surrogates. In a twist of fate, former President Sindevir has endorsed Senator LeBlanc in his current bid for president against President Edwards.

In opposition to the Edwards administration, Senator LeBlanc's campaign has released "The People's Agenda," which has also been endorsed by the entire slate of Democratic candidates in the June election. LeBlanc and the Democratic candidates are campaigning on a platform which calls for a "progressive tax system, meeting energy demand through the research of renewable energy forms, boosting the manufacturing sector, restoring political freedom, streamlining the delivery of government services, ranking in the top 40% of world in employment, and ranking in the top 3% of the economy index." This platform, endorsed by Democrats around the nation, may also be considered ambitious in its own regard. It takes one more step to the left on positions on which that Democrats have usually campaigned. But it can be argued that this platform is in response to a rather conservative Republican agenda.

"President Edwards has certainly changed this republic... but God forbid one states that it has been for the better. The poor have become poorer, the government has become more corrupt, and the republic no longer truly fulfills its promise: serving the great people of this country." -- Senator Cristiano LeBlanc

LeBlanc and Edwards have until December to plead their respective cases to the Alinnian public, but both need to consider the June midterms as a litmus test for their platforms. Whichever candidate is able to play his cards right after June will likely be President in January.