Alyssa Jones won't say if she'll endorse Roman Chatskovy

Former senator says she admires CNS candidate, but won't say if she'll endorse

GRASSADELLIA CITY -- Roman Chatskovy is "gifted," "talented," and "a common sense leader," says former Senator Alyssa Jones. But despite all the glowing compliments she lavished on him, Jones won't say if she'll endorse the Conservative senate candidate.

In an appearance on the STAR network, Jones was asked by host Joel Gussin if she would endorse Chatskovy, who is challenging incumbent Senator Shay Robertson (NAT).

Jones quickly side-stepped the question, saying she admires Chatskovy's leadership in the National Assembly and his hard work for the people of Libney, the suburban electorate Mr. Chatskovy represents, which lies southwest of Grassadellia City.

"I don't think he would want my endorsement anyway," Jones said, when pressed. "I lost my last election, so an endorsement from me would be somewhat of a negative thing for him," Jones said.

Political commentators were quick to point out that unlike the deeply conservative Jones, who is a devout Evangelical Christian, Mr. Chatskovy is pro-choice and much more socially moderate than many voters in the Conservative party.

A spokeswoman for the former senator said Mrs. Jones - who is married to prominent mega-church pastor Darren Jones - is "strongly pro-life" and "votes and makes political decisions with her conscience and her heart."

The Chatskovy campaign did not respond to request for comment.

Mr. Chatskovy is running for the senate seat currently held by Shay Robertson, the former senate minority leader.

Damoign is a heavily liberal state; the Nationalist party swept elections in Damoign in 2012. But moderate, fiscally conservative but socially liberal Conservatives have done well in the state.

Most prominent among Damoign's CNS community is former governor and Grassadellia City Mayor Sid Hoffa, who is running for president.

Damoign has been fertile ground for more conservative candidates as well. Jones won her Senate seat in 2008, and Mercer Diego - also a deeply conservative Evangelical Christian (and a mega-church pastor himself) - won the lieutenant governorship in 2008.

Diego came close to winning the governorship in 2012, but fell short to Nationalist Rod Penora.

And Assembly Majority Leader Brandon O'Malley hails from southwest Damoign, which is more conservative-leaning than the rest of the state.

Chatskovy, the 39-year-old bachelor assemblyman who is known in Mavocke and Damoign for his youthful good looks and peak physical fitness, trails Robertson in name recognition but has been a formidable fundraiser, having raised about $3 million so far, after only entering the race a month ago.

Robertson's last financial report showed him having $1.7 million in cash on hand. As the former minority leader, he is expected to have access to many donors, strengthening his campaign war chest.

However, the senior senator from Damoign has some pitfalls. Many Nationalists blame him for the party's losses in 2008 and 2010, and his adversarial personality has alienated many in his own party.

The Conservative Senate Campaign Committee hopes to capitalize on Robertson's unpopularity as the Conservative party seeks to regain some seats in the upper chamber, where they are solidly in the minority.

Kellan Kastol praises Sadiq Khan

Mayor of Grassadellia's largest metropolis lavishes London's new mayor with acclaim

GRASSADELLIA CITY -- The mayor of one of the world's largest cities has spoken highly of the newly-elected mayor of another major world city.

Sadiq Khan was elected Mayor of London less than three weeks ago, but his election has garnered international attention because Mr. Khan is the first minority mayor of London. He is also a Muslim.

A member of the centre-left Labour Party, Mr. Khan defeated the Conservative candidate, Zac Goldsmith, by a margin of 1,310,143 votes to Mr. Goldsmith's 994,614.

It was an historic moment in British politics, and also a controversial one, given Mr. Khan's religion.

Allegations of racism and xenophobia tainted the race, but Mr. Khan, an MP and solicitor, emerged victorious in what many political analysts are calling a rebuke of Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron's government.

Grassadellia City Mayor Kellan Kastol said Sadiq Khan is an inspiration to young Muslim children all over the world.

"Sadiq is living proof that anyone, even if they are from a humble background, can overcome intolerance and xenophobia and achieve great success if they are willing to work hard and stay true to their beliefs," Kastol said in a press conference.

Kastol met Khan recently at a climate change conference in London.

He described Khan as "the real deal."

"I had the privilege of meeting Sadiq and sharing our stories with each other and our ideas. He really is a genuine person with the heart of a leader, someone who wants to help those around him, those living in poverty and difficult circumstances."

Kastol also hailed Mr. Khan as a "hero of the working class" and a "champion of fairness and equality."

Kastol is serving in his second term as mayor of Grassadellia's largest city.

Officially an Independent, Mr. Kastol, who at 39 is the youngest mayor in the city's history, has been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate, or a potential future federal senator or governor of Damoign.

Wildly popular among Grassadellia Cityites, Kastol was openly courted by both major political parties in an effort to persuade him to run for Damoign governor. He declined, however, choosing to remain in his current post.

Grassadellian conservatives split on Donald Trump

Some support US presidential candidate, others adamantly opposed

MAVOCKE -- Just like their Republican counterparts in the US, Grassadellian conservatives are split on the candidacy of controversial US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Since outspoken, former East Deschire Senator Nancy Lindselli endorsed Trump back in March, other conservative Grassadellian politicians have come forward to lend their support to the billionaire businessman, who is known for his abrasive demeanor and vulgar insults aimed at women, Hispanics and Muslims, among others.

Monomi Senator Cathy De Beers is the most recent to voice her support for Mr. Trump. In an appearance on the political TV program Inside Mavocke on Sunday, De Beers admitted Trump "lacks eloquence," but said he is "unapologetic in his fight against the establishment."

"I think people are rallying around Donald because they see someone who is not afraid to say what he thinks. He doesn't sugar-coat his words with politically correct terms, he doesn't care what the party establishment thinks. He just says what's on his mind and says, 'this is what I'm going to do' and people like that candor," said De Beers.

Nadine Pietrasaelis, the provocative Conservative senator from New Portsmouth, said she'd vote for Trump, if given the chance.

"Hillary Clinton is just as corrupt as the Afghan government," Pietrasaelis said in a speech to fellow Conservatives I'm Grantham, New Portsmouth last week. "And Bernie Sanders' ideas are pipe dreams, they'll never happen."

"Donald Trump is the only one of the bunch that will defend the world from Islamic terrorism and jumpstart the US economy, which directly impacts our economy here. And he supports the right to gun ownership and common sense immigration control, which are values we share as conservatives in this country," said Pietrasaelis.

Tanner Zannie (pronounced "Zane-ee"), MP for the seat of Black Forest in Onakiah and among the most inflammatory members of the Assembly, has been arguably the most vocal Trump surrogate in Grassadellia.

"Two words for you: Islamic terrorism. Donald Trump is not afraid of it, he's not afraid of political correctness, he's the only candidate willing to use whatever means necessary to take out ISIS and those who hate America and the West," Zannie said.

Mr. Zannie added that Grassadellia should help America "bomb the hell out of Raqqa" to eliminate ISIS, the terror group that has seized power and created its own 'caliphate' in parts of Syria and Iraq. The city of Raqqa, Syria is the makeshift capital of ISIS' territory.

Zannie's comments were swiftly condemned by many politicians and outside groups, including Muslims United, the nation's largest pro-Islam organization.

"Assemblyman Zannie's comments illustrate the blatant ignorance and disrespect many Conservative members of Grassadellia's government possess in the modern fight against terrorism," the group said in a written statement.

Allison McGint, leader of the NAT in the National Assembly, called Zannie's comments 'hurtful' and 'unbelievably simplistic.'

Still, it's conservatives like Zannie - both those affiliated with the Conservative Party of Grassadellia and those belonging to minor parties - that most identify with Donald Trump.

They're out-numbered, however, by pragmatic conservatives, who take offense to Trump's divisive rhetoric and general rudeness. Many are also concerned Mr. Trump's economic and foreign policies would wreak havoc on the world economy and security.

Remmington Senator Mark Eisinger, who is deeply conservative on many issues but also strongly libertarian, says Trump's proposed ban on Muslims is among the most concerning idea Trump has pushed.

"Donald Trump says he is a conservative, but he advocates a ban on Muslims that is completely unconstitutional by US standards and Grassadellian standards," Eisinger said in an interview with the GBC's Ian McCullough.

Eisinger likes Trump's foreign policy philosophy of staying out of other countries and focusing on domestic security rather than nation-building. But Trump's "careless disregard for basic civil rights" is a deal-breaker for the Remmington senator.

Others have been more stinging in their criticism.

Armana Senator Chuck Danbury, a moderate Conservative who is known for his military service and foreign policy expertise, lambasted Trump's military proposals as "elementary and astonishingly naïve."

Veroche Senator Niles Gilcrest, also a moderate, said Trump is invoking racial divisions to prey on the fears of Caucasian Americans.

"From my vantage point, as an outsider looking in, it appears that Donald Trump is using racial differences deliberately in an effort to inflame and motivate the white majority," Gilcrest said in a GBC interview.

Harvannah Governor George Garesby, a popular moderate Conservative who is facing a tight re-election race, announced on Twitter that he would not welcome investment in his state by Trump's companies.

"There is no room in Harvannah for the ignorant and hurtful ideas and rhetoric perpetuated by Mr. Trump," Garesby tweeted, hashtag #notwelcomeinhvn.

But the Conservative Party's most visible figure, centrist POG Governor Donna Almone, who is running for president, has been careful in her criticism of Mr. Trump.

She's been quick to condemn his proposed Muslim immigration ban and his call to withdraw US troops from the Korean peninsula, but she has been reluctant to question Trump's fitness for the presidency.

"I don't know Donald Trump, so I can't really give too much of an opinion about him. I've never met him, I've never met with his staff or his advisors. But from what little I know about him, I can make a few observations," Almone told the GBC's Katie McClintock.

"He's very knowledgeable about business. He's very candid. He's very open and honest with what he's thinking. He doesn't adhere to political correctness like most politicians do. He's very unconventional and very much a unique person and candidate. His campaign is causing so much controversy because of his unconventional policy ideas and his big personality and his uncanny ability to motivate middle class votes," said Almone.

She continued, "I also know that many of his comments seem to be very offensive, very hurtful to a lot of people, very close-minded and misinformed. I don't agree with him on immigration, I don't agree on him with his foreign policy platform of isolationism and withdrawing America from the international stage. And I think his tone, his general tone and comments that he makes are impolite, and I think if I were an American voter, I would expect not only an explanation of his remarks but also an apology for some of the insults he's hurled at certain people and groups," said Almone.

Almone added that she is offended at Trump's treatment of women.

Sources close to Almone say the POG governor - worried she may have to work with Mr. Trump if both she and he win Grassadellia and America's presidential elections, respectively - is attempting a difficult balancing act on Trump: condemning his most offensive comments, while also giving the US presidential contender room to apologize and make amends.

Her campaign said she would be willing to sit down with the Trump and discuss her concerns about his campaign.

"Governor Almone would be more than willing to sit down with Mr. Trump and discuss issues of mutual Grassadellian-American interest. If invited to meet with him, Governor Almone would welcome the chance to have an open dialogue where both parties could exchange concerns freely and have an opportunity to clarify past comments and policy ideas," a written press release from the Almone campaign said.

The Trump campaign did not respond to repeated requests for comment from GNN NEWS.

For now, the split on the controversial Donald Trump seems to mirror the divide among US conservatives - some are rallying around Trump, many are reluctantly supporting him because he is the 'lesser of two evils' in comparison to the centre-left candidate, Hillary Clinton of the Democratic Party. And some US conservatives are refusing to support his candidacy.

Trump opponents have unified on social media, causing the hashtag #nevertrump on Twitter and Facebook to explode in frequency.

It's unclear what effect, if any, Donald Trump will have on the Grassadellian election, which will take place just two weeks after the US election.

Political analysts will be watching closely to see if the US campaign influences the results of the Grassadellian election.

One thing leaders in both the CNS and NAT parties agree on: Trump should not define the Grassadellian election.

"Certainly he's relevant and his incendiary campaign needs to be addressed," Alden Gilbert, deputy chair of the Nationalist Party told GNN. "But Donald Trump is an American, and the Grassadellian election is Grassadellia's, not Donald Trump's."

Conservative Party Deputy Director Mark Andrews had similar comments, telling the STAR Network that Donald Trump is "uniquely and distinctly American."

"It's always fascinating to watch what's happening in US politics, but it's important to draw a line between US politics and Grassadellian politics. Each country has its own leaders, its own unique issues and its own ideas to deal with those issues. Donald Trump is not affiliated with the Conservative campaign in this country," Andrews said.

Still no clear front-runner in Ansleigha primary race

Only one of eight candidates has dropped out

KOEURN, Ansleigha – It’s the primary race everyone is watching this election cycle – seven candidates, no clear front-runner, and a skirmish between the liberal and moderate wings of the centre-left Nationalist Party.

The race for the NAT nomination for governor is vastly different from the past two gubernatorial elections in Ansleigha in 2010 and 2012, when Nationalist Elliott Androlov, a young, up-and-coming leader in the NAT, ran unopposed in each contest.

Androlov lost both the 2010 special election and the 2012 rematch to Conservative Dale Lindstrom, at the time, the Gowlinson County district attorney.

Now working in the private sector, Androlov declined to run for governor a third time in 2016.

His declination opened the floodgates on the NAT side. A record eight major candidates entered the race (only seven remain). The large field of candidates has party leaders worried that, without a clear front-runner, a bloody primary battle will only damage the eventual NAT nominee and ensure a third Lindstrom term.

One-time front-runner Mark Haller, a state senator and lawyer from southeast Koeurn, remains the preferred choice of most party leaders. However, some within the leadership have lost confidence in Haller as his front-runner status has been erased.

The latest poll conducted in the race by the Koeurn Daily Courier showed Churchtown Mayor Paul Biddington and Carlinegan businessman Russ Hawley at the top of the field, tied with 15% each. Haller trailed them closely, with 14 percent, while state Rep. Jon Erickson of Kollandon and outspoken AnsEnergy owner and CEO Rosamond Burkes rounded out the top five, both with 13 percent.

Progressive Koeurn City Councilman Paris Westerman garnered 11% support in the poll, Pete Coble, an executive with Sudsill Oil Co., captured 10% and businessman Bill Seiffert of Gilliam lagged in last place with nine percent.

(Since the poll was conducted, Mr. Erickson announced he would end his campaign for governor and instead run for attorney general, where he will challenge CNS incumbent Richard Tierlot, who is seeking his third but second full term).

Mr. Biddington and Mr. Hawley sought to portray the latest poll results as confirmation that they are the strongest candidates to take on Dale Lindstrom. But with 15% support, the two top-poll-getters are hardly front runners. Their lead is statistically insignificant and tenuous at best.

The two men could not be more different in their ideology. Biddington is a hard-line liberal hailing from the state’s most liberal city. He called for war crimes charges against former President Dan Byelle, he spear-headed an effort to remove references to God and Christianity from the architecture of the Churchtown City Hall building, and under his leadership, Churchtown became among the first cities in the nation to implement a tax on plastic bags at grocery stores in an effort to cut down on pollution.

Hawley, on the other hand, is a moderate, business-friendly, pro-coal, low-taxes advocate. He built his agricultural tech business, AgriTech, from the ground up, and argues that low taxes and a business-friendly climate are key to Ansleigha’s economic strength. He supports alternative energy but wants to protect the coal industry, which is the lifeblood of southwest Ansleigha’s mountainous coal country. Hawley opposes a $15 minimum wage and a worker’s bill of rights, saying they would harm businesses, but he does support mandatory sick leave and maternity leave.

Mark Haller is notably more liberal than Mr. Hawley, but Haller’s policies are not as far left as Mr. Biddington’s, despite the fact that he and Biddington are good personal friends. Haller supports raising the minimum wage, but incrementally and only on some businesses. He wants to all but prohibit smoking tobacco at all government facilities, including schools and universities. He opposes legalizing marijuana, but wants to create a citizen’s commission to oversee police conduct to combat police brutality, which he argues disproportionately affects minority communities.

Mr. Erickson lacks the name recognition that many of his former opponents have. He also lacks deep pockets or strong connections with donors. Those reasons may have played into his decision to leave the governor’s race and run for attorney general instead. For his part, Erickson says he made the decision because he concluded winning the NAT primary would be difficult.

Additionally, Mr. Erickson told Ansleigha Public Radio last week that his campaign staff believe Tierlot would be easier to beat in a general election than Lindstrom.

A handsome state representative from Kollandon in central Ansleigha, at age 35, Erickson will likely be the youngest candidate for statewide office on the November ballot, assuming he wins the NAT primary for attorney general, something that is all but guaranteed since the party had no viable candidate before Erickson.

Mr. Erickson is an Iraq War veteran, and leverages his combat experience when speaking with voters, comparing his battlefield stories with battling “politics of fear” in Rawlingsworth, the state capitol.

With Erickson out of the governor’s race now, the candidate pursued most by the media – and the most unpredictable candidate – is Rosamond Burkes. Age 67, Ms. Burkes is the owner and CEO of AnsEnergy, a coal power company based in rural Chadwick County, about 40 miles northwest of Rawlingsworth.

Burkes is an unusual candidate. With a brash, tell-it-like-it-is personality, she’s been criticized for controversial comments and insults she’s hurled at her opponents and others. In a press conference earlier this week, Mark Haller referred to her as the “female version of Donald Trump.” Burkes is well-known for her passionate, angry rants that often contain many expletives.

In addition to her colourful personality, Ms. Burkes is a strange candidate because of her seemingly contradicting policy positions.

As the owner of a major coal company, she is strongly supportive of the coal industry and has strongly opposed regulations on coal producers in the past. In a 2006 interview with the Daily Courier, Burkes famously said she didn’t “give a damn” about the environment. “I care about money, about jobs, about powering this country, about the economy. I don’t have time for the earthy-earthy, hippy, pussy, wimps and their save-the-world s**t,” she said.

Burkes has also opposed fair trade and has been the target of labour groups’ grievances for her handling of workers’ rights cases involving her employees.

At the same time, while she holds pro-business and pro-coal positions, the fiery spinster (she never married, telling the GBC’s Ian Duncan in a 1999 interview.

“I don’t need a god-damned man), holds positions on the far left.

She’s staunchly pro-choice. She frequently rails against the political class in Rawlingsworth and Mavocke. She angrily vowed to take care of veterans, after alleged poor conditions and treatment at a veterans hospital in Koeurn. And contradicting her anti-environment remarks, Ms. Burkes is a conservationist. She’s donated millions of dollars to help save endangered species and to help protect millions of acres of old-growth forest in Ansleigha and neighboring Lial.

Burkes has been a magnet for media attention, with her rousing speeches and large campaign rallies. But she’s struggled to win over the party’s most liberal voters. She polls well with young voters, but struggles with seniors and upper-income, educated Nationalists.

Then there’s Koeurn City Councilman Paris Westerman, the goofy-looking professor who is known for his trademark bow tie. Westerman entered the race late, but his chances would have been slim had he been the first candidate in the race. With solidly liberal policies, he plays well with the liberal base of the party, including with college students and educated voters.

But his wonkish style and overly-intellectual personality put him at a disadvantage compared to other candidates who excel in communicating and identifying with average voters.

Pete Coble is one of those politicians. Folksy and down-to-earth, Mr. Coble has a knack for winning over blue-collar voters, primarily in coal country. Unfortunately, his campaign has failed to gain traction elsewhere across the state.

The same can be said of Bill Seiffert, the researcher and businessman from Gilliam. Educated and accomplished, Mr. Seiffert is attractive to a certain niche of voters but struggles to reach beyond educated white voters in northern Ansleigha.

With such a wide field of candidates, NAT party leaders are increasingly anxious, fearing a divisive primary would all but hand the general election to Dale Lindstrom, who faces one nominal primary challenger, inventor Bill Taitenaugh from Ebendale.

Dr. Kerry Rudgley, chair of Dulkalow University’s Edinough School of Government, rates the 2016 Ansleigha gubernatorial race as “CNS favored.”