The Syndicate

Epignosis wrote:There should be a Donald Stump role.

Who says there isn't?

Role PMs going out soon.

I sent this in the PM's that were sent to everyone who signed up but I'm posting it here for redundancy and so any potential replacement players can see our timeline. Sorry to make you wait another day for the game but it is what it is.

9:00 p.m. EST tonight- Roles will be sent out
4:30 p.m. EST Friday- Day 0 will start
4:30 p.m. EST Saturday- Day 1 will start

Due to a lot of evening commitments in the next two weeks, I have to have day and night phases end at a slightly awkward time of day. Hopefully this won't be too much of a burden on anyone.

Also, remember that Dom is going to be the MOD for this game. If you have game-related questions, feel free to ask me. If problems arise between you and another player, please go to Dom first.

S~V~S wrote:Oh unless you are already full? I am the 16th yes, but there are15 players?

Yes, the game is now full at 15 players. Can I keep you on board as a replacement if one is needed?

Hello again everyone. Happy Friday. Good to have you. Can you believe we are now just two weeks away from what, essentially, will be the coronation of Hillary Clinton?

As if that's not depressing enough, look what just happened in Congress today. Ted Cruz and the House Freedom Caucus challenged several states' electoral ballots in a final attempt to trigger additional investigations into the obvious voter fraud that occurred on and after Election Day. When these objections required a conference to decide a course of action, congressional republicans buckled like a belt.

Despite having a majority in both chambers, they put their tails between their legs and chose to accept the electoral college results. After repeated challenges, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell all but chastised Senator Cruz and told him to stand down or risk being censured by his own party. Can you believe that? Where is the honor? Where is the respect for your country in all this? Congressional republicans have basically told the American people, 'no, we're not going to resist Hillary and the Democrats anymore.'

Well I've got news for you. They darn well better find their fight, because in two weeks Hillary is going to start completely re-shaping America and not for the better. Barack Obama has paved the way for her to use executive orders to do as much as she wants rather than go through Congress. Mitch McConnell should know this. Does he really think that by not allowing Senator Cruz to challenge the electoral count that Hillary will miraculously decide that she's going to work with Congress? Do you really think that Hillary Clinton cares about compromise? No! The Democrats have been waiting for this moment. It's going to keep their base fired up to see her in a fight with Congress.

If they back down on anything else, then I just don't know what's going to happen to this country. The Supreme Court got cold feet when it declined to hear any cases pertaining to recounts and the five brave governors who refused to certify the electoral results in their states. So we know the Judicial Branch can no longer be trusted to uphold the Constitution. We sure as heck know that the Executive Branch will continue to hurt hard-working Americans at every turn, so it's up to Congress.

I really don't see what Congress has to lose. Democrats have lost over 1,000 seats in federal, state, and local government since Barack Obama took over. Conservative principles are driving this country. The Republican Party has a very real chance to gain Senate seats in 2018. With all this conservative support, now is the time to push back and hold the Obama-Clinton agenda accountable. Doing anything else emboldens the Democrats and weakens the resolve of those supporting Republican congressmen and women as well as senators. Republicans in Congress have a choice. They can either stand up for the principles this country was founded on or they can roll over and get primaried out by conservatives who will.

Of course, that's not to say that Hillary Clinton's presidency will be a picnic. She's got China building more artificial islands in the South China sea and threatening the rights of neighboring countries; Barack Obama's sanctions against Russia for the DNC hack has all but started a new Cold War, what with Vladimir Putin increasing military presence near the Russia's borders with the Baltic states, Ukraine, and now even Poland; and rumors of chemical weapons being an option again by Bashar Assad in Syria. Clearly, Obama has weakened America's position in the world and Hillary Clinton seems to be no threat to them either. Even WikiLeaks isn't afraid of her, promising once again to release emails from a Clinton campaign member on Inauguration Day.

We've got to take a break. When we get back, we're going to take some calls and talk about MSNBC's Chris Matthews and whether or not he should be suspended for crossing the lines of journalistic integrity by chumming it up with the Clinton's at their New Year's Eve party.

I've only got one more pre-game post left in the tank. The Inauguration Day post will be the start of the game/Day 0.

And just you wait! I've been slowly developing an open-ended series of Heist games. I made up a town for it and am in the process of coming up with a map of the town and bullet-point backgrounds for a population of 1,000+ citizens, all of whom may be used as roles as the series rolls on.

You might think this means I have no life but I do. So really it just means I'm crazy.

Heh. Heh. Heh. Greetings to all you music lovers, thrill seekers, and conversationalists across the fruited plains on this, this most unprecedented and awe-inspiring Monday. Rush Limbaugh here behind the golden EIB microphone. Today was the day that Democrats expected to see the electoral college electors cast their votes in their respective states and make the election results official. That is normally what happens but, ladies and gentlemen, today we are seeing a twist that should give us hope that Republicans around the country are not going to simply roll over and let Hillary Clinton do whatever she wants.

I have here, in my formerly nicotine-stained fingers, a report detailing the amount of protests, petitions, and actions by elected officials on what the Democrat Party expected to be a day of confirmation and celebration for their side. Not only are Republican protests at state capitols peaceful, orderly, and litter-free, something the Left never manages to pull off by the way, but dozens of paper and online petitions have been signed, sealed, and delivered, requesting further recounts nationwide to ensure the validity of the election results.

All that in and of itself would not be enough to faze Democrats because they are used to ignoring the voices of Americans who value the things this country was founded on. No, what's got Democrats really ticked off today is the fact that five governors have announced that they will not sign the official electoral college documents today to make their states' electors' votes official. That's right folks, five Republican governors in states that appear to have gone to Hillary Clinton on election night are taking a stand and demanding further scrutiny.

Rick Scott of Florida, Paul LePage of Maine, Brian Sandoval of Nevada, Chris Christie of New Jersey, and Susana Martinez of New Meh-hee-co are the five refusing to sign and certify the electoral votes. PMSNBC already lashed out at Chris Christie for his refusal to sign because of his state's historical margins for Democrat Party candidates but, as is usually the case, they are missing the point. This is Chris Christie sending democrats one last 'up-yours' after the Bridgegate witch hunt. He knows damn well his state sided with Hillary even if there was any fraud at work but he's making a statement.

As a fallback crutch, the Huffington Puffington Post is already theorizing that some or all of these Republican governors are doing this to angle themselves for future election gains, suggesting that, since none of them are able to run for a third term, that this is all a play for recognition for eventual runs at other offices, whether it be a House or Senate seat or perhaps to put them in discussion for 2020. This just shows you how the liberal mind works, folks. Rather than come to terms with the fact that these governors are shocked and appalled by the unapologetic attempts to commit election fraud, they believe- and want you to believe- these governors must be up to something more nefarious.

And of course, the internet is on fire with members of the New Castrati today. 'Mithter Limbaugh! Mithter Limbaugh! How can you- how can you not condemn theeth governorth if you believe in the Conthtitution? Theeth governorth are breaking the law Mithter Limbaugh. It'th their conthtitutional duty to thign thothe paperth. They jutht have to!' Which goes to show you that these low-information Democrat nitwits don't understand the constitution. Under free and fair elections, there would be no reason for them not to sign and certify these electoral votes as is spelled out in federal election law. But, when the process is rightfully called into question, then the normal order of things does not apply.

Look, this is not rocket science. The election was corrupt; to what extent, we don't know. But this response is not political. It is natural and just and right. And this whole election saga is far from over. Don't doubt me.

BILL O'REILLY: Welcome back to the Factor, ladies and gentlemen. Joining me now to discuss the ongoing recount in Florida is FoxNews contributor and longtime friend of the Factor, Juan Williams. Juan, good to see you.

JUAN WILLIAMS: Thank you, Bill.

BILL: So let me ask you this. Democrats are out there saying the election is over and Senator Cruz's pursuit of multiple recounts has been a waste of time and money. Isn't that hypocritical of them, considering that the Senator's efforts, in many ways, mirror the efforts of Al Gore in 2000?

JUAN: I don't think it's hypocritical because the circumstances are different this election.

BILL: But why isn't it hypocritical? In 2000, you had an election that came down to one state which required a recount. This year you have the same thing.

JUAN: But it's not the same, Bill. In 2000, Al Gore led by a much slimmer margin in the popular vote and there were reports in several Florida counties of voter confusion and confusion when it came to counting the votes. This year, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by almost three million and there was no reported confusion with voting or counting the votes. The initial recount was automatic because of the margin.

BILL: Okay, hanging chads notwithstanding, how is it different this year? Why should Senator Cruz give up in light of the attempted election fraud in Wisconsin? If anything, doesn't that make this election more deserving of widespread recounts? How do we know what happened in Wisconsin wasn't part of something bigger?

JUAN: Well, as I understand it, there are just two ways any additional foul play can be identified. First, someone would have to report something. Second, the FEC finds evidence of a larger conspiracy. It's been almost a month and no other reports of election fraud have come out. Several of the recounts are already over and the vote tallies have been confirmed. The evidence is mounting that Wisconsin was an isolated incident.

BILL: An isolated incident spread across three counties involving over a dozen individuals. But let's switch gears here. Assuming Hillary Clinton hangs on to her election night victory and is inaugurated next month, Wikileaks is saying they've got more emails to release, this time from someone within the Clinton campaign. Should she be nervous? After all, the DNC email leaks this summer caused quite an upheaval. Debbie Wasserman Schultz got fired and America learned that the Democratic primaries simply projected the illusion of choice.

JUAN: That's an exaggeration on the primaries, Bill, but I don't think Wikileaks is going to have Hillary Clinton jumping at shadows. The DNC leaks were embarrassing for the Democratic Party but nothing in them contained the magic bullet that's been sought after for so long by Republicans. Clinton herself is very careful-

BILL: Except with her government email account.

JUAN: -and I doubt they're going to bother with this until Wikileaks actually produces something. They're too busy working on selecting Cabinet positions to bother with the Wikileaks hype machine.

BILL: It makes you wonder though. If Wikileaks had dirt on Hillary Clinton, why not release it during the election? Could this point to Julian Assange playing favorites during the campaign?

JUAN: *laughs* I think Julian Assange has made it pretty clear over the last few years that he is no fan of the United State government, the Democratic Party, or Hillary Clinton. We've heard reports of different broadcast networks sitting on unsavory audio clips of Donald Trump for month before his death. Why didn't they put those clips out there ahead of the convention or during the primaries?

BILL: Well, they sat on them because, while they didn't like Trump, they loved the thought of him being the Republican candidate. But you raise a good point. Perhaps Wikileaks, much like the broadcast networks are waiting for a more opportunistic moment to bring whatever revelations they're sitting on to light.

Don't you go anywhere. The Factor will return after this commercial break. Juan will stay with us to talk about Russia's increased posturing in the Baltics and the Ukraine. We've also got Pinheads and Patriots coming up, as well as the Word of the Day. You won't want to miss that.

GLENN: Before the break, I read to you a letter that I wrote a few weeks ago, pledging my support to whoever won the presidential election, so long as doing so would not compromise any of my principles. I still believe that something has to change in America to bring us together in a fundamental and constructive way. We have grown so divided between the news media, social media, and all the internet bubble echo chambers that allow us to consume only the things that we want to hear- both sides mind you. It's all poisoned our hearts and clouded our minds and prevents us from agreeing on our common humanity, which the Founding Fathers worked so hard to declare and protect in the Constitution. We need to get back to treating each other like people and not just caricatures holding onto ideas and ideologies.

PAT: I sense a 'but' coming.

STU: So do I.

GLENN: Despite-

STU: That's another word for but.

GLENN: Despite my every intention to promote a return to civility and working for the real common interest of the citizens in this country, it would be unconscionable for me to begin this process immediately, given what we have seen in the last two days.

PAT: You're just mad your candidate didn't win, right?

STU: Yeah, he's being, what have they said? Bitter sore loser? On the wrong side of history?

PAT: Sounds about right. Don't forget misogynist though. That's been applied to everyone upset with the election results too.

GLENN: Isn't it funny how quickly the Left has transformed from a state of panic at the possible crumbling of their party's hold on regions of the country to an air of 'Oh, we got this. You're just jealous.' in less than 24 hours? It's amazing how quickly they have moved from having a serious discussion about their party's health and message to proclaiming that America has spoken and those Republicans in Congress better not get in the way of Hillary Clinton's agenda? How quickly have they put on their blinders to a massive attempt at voter fraud in the state of Wisconsin by deeming it an 'honest mistake?'

STU: No, I'm pretty sure you're just jealous that Cruz lost. Textbook conservative hypocrisy.

*laughter*

PAT: But seriously though, how can liberals ignore the fact that in one day of re-counting in Wisconsin, around 25,000 misapplied absentee votes were uncovered?

GLENN: And not only that. Not only that, but the same tactic of sending out unamended ballots happened in North Carolina.

STU: Which isn't as egregious-looking because Cruz won by a significant margin.

GLENN: But now you have to wonder about how many more votes Ted should have in North Carolina. And it doesn't stop there. Several states refused to change the ballot from Donald Trump to Ted Cruz. How do we know the vote counts in Delaware, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Oregon are accurate?

STU: Well, I mean, Minnesota is the only close state in that list with both early and absentee voting. You could argue for Nevada to be examined, but who's to say enough votes could be found to flip that state. There's already going to be automatic recounts in Florida and Pennsylvania, so-

GLENN: Pennsylvania I'm not concerned with because it does not hold early voting. I've heard of nothing out of Pennsylvania to suggest any Trump absentee ballots were sent out because I'm pretty sure their absentee ballots weren't printed until after Ted Cruz took over. It's possible but unlikely that Pennsylvania flips in a recount.

PAT: Florida and Minnesota are much more likely. Ted only lost by 1,176 votes in Florida and 1,342 votes in Minnesota, so any funny business in either state could have been enough to alter the outcome. But Florida is the only one of those two that could reverse the electoral college results.

GLENN: You know what, though? Believe me, I want Ted Cruz as my next President. If they do the recounts and Hillary Clinton still comes out as the winner, so be it. But as of right now, seeing what we've seen out of Wisconsin, and knowing what lengths some of these liberal states went to to prevent replacing Donald Trump on the ballot, I cannot put any faith in these election results. None.

What happened in Wisconsin should serve as a wake-up call to America. Every state, I think, should hold a re-count in light of all this. The fact that Ted Cruz had to file a federal lawsuit to force states like Minnesota to perform a recount is shameful. If you care about the sanctity, validity, and impartiality of elections in this country, you should be outraged. Regardless of the outcomes, any state obstructing with the ballot change effort and any individuals involved in efforts to misapply votes for the Republican nominee should be investigated and punished to the fullest extent of the law.

STU: Which will totally happen, because the Justice Department under Obama has been a shining example of non-partisan behavior.

*laughter*

WOLF BLITZER: More dramatic and shocking developments now at the top of the hour. Good evening or good morning to those of you still with us at this hour. As has been the case all night long, almost as soon as good news emerges for Hillary Clinton and her supporters, something comes along and strips away any sense of momentum.

At 2:30 a.m. Eastern Time tonight, Hillary Clinton was declared the winner in Pennsylvania, capturing 20 electoral votes and putting her ahead of Texas Senator Ted Cruz. About seven minutes ago, election officials in Wisconsin confirmed that several polling stations in at least two counties had inaccurately reported an as-of-yet unspecified number of early-vote ballots for Donald Trump as third party or write-in votes instead of counting them as votes for Republican nominee Ted Cruz. After the death of Donald Trump, several states refused to replace Mr. Trump's name on the ballot, and in some states, including North Carolina and Wisconsin, early voting and absentee ballots listing Mr. Trump as the Republican nominee were distributed in violation of legislation passed in those states to revise the ballots for Election Day.

CNN has now confirmed that both the Wisconsin Elections Commission and the Federal Elections Commission will soon declare a full recount of all votes in Wisconsin to begin sometime later today. As that is the case, CNN is rescinding its projection of a Hillary Clinton win in Wisconsin. Hillary Clinton's lead in Wisconsin was last sitting at around 3,000 votes, so it will be interesting to see if these miscounted votes had any impact on that prior projection.

We want to go live now to Sara Murray at Ted Cruz's campaign headquarters tonight. Sara, has the campaign made any comments on this development?

SARA MURRAY: Nothing so far, Wolf. Some of the supporters of Ted Cruz here tonight reacted to the news with hostility and anger. Words like corruption, cheating, and fixed were overheard but there was also a bit of positivity in the mix. Some see this as a chance for Senator Cruz to, perhaps, add to his state and electoral college totals. The Cruz campaign made one very vague statement, asking for patience while election officials sort out the issues at play in Wisconsin and any others that may turn up in light of what has happened in Wisconsin, but they have not directly addressed the issue itself.

WOLF BLITZER: Thank you Sara. Now we're going to go to Jeff Zeleny at the Clinton campaign headquarters in New York. Jeff, we've been asking you all night but here we go again- what is the mood like there right now?

JEFF ZELENY: Wolf, this is the first time where I've seen concern turn into panic in the eyes of the people gathered here today. The Blue Wall was cracked in Michigan and now it's possible for Wisconsin to fall away from Hillary Clinton. She can't win a majority of states. Ted Cruz has a chance at winning if Florida swings his way. Everyone at this event here in New York came in expecting Hillary Clinton to run away with this election. That confidence has fled the room. With Florida as close as it is, there is no certainty anymore and it's starting to show in the faces and emotions of Clinton supporters here and online.

WOLF BLITZER: Thank you Jeff. Now we want to show you the latest picture on our electoral map. Wisconsin has been returned to the color yellow and who knows how long it will stay that way. Also still too close to call are Florida and Minnesota. Minnesota would be another shock to that so-called Blue Wall but with Ted Cruz at 246 electoral votes and Hillary Clinton at 243 electoral votes, the results in Minnesota and Wisconsin will not determine the election. As of right now, all eyes are on Florida. John King, what are we seeing there?
JOHN KING: Wolf, we're at about 98% reporting but the lead is literally flipping back and forth as these last few precincts report their tallies. Right now, Ted Cruz is up by 127 votes. A few minutes ago, Hillary Clinton was up by about 55. It's hard to pinpoint where these votes are coming from. Our big board here is showing most counties at 99% reporting and we can't go down to the township and borough level. Without that information, we're simply just flying blind at this point, completely at the mercy of the votes that trickle in.

WOLF BLITZER: Not very encouraging news for either campaign. Jake, Dana- what are your thoughts as this Election Night winds down to an uncertain conclusion?

JAKE TAPPER: Certainly not the way Hillary Clinton and her team wanted the night to go. Blue states have flipped red, Ted Cruz put up a serious challenge in states that, in the minds of Democrats, should have been easy wins, and there's a vote-counting controversy. If she wins, many on the right will undoubtedly question the legitimacy of her presidency even though she is winning the popular vote right now by 750,000 votes. That number will probably go up as California's tallies continue to stream in.

DANA BASH: Not only that, Wolf, but if Hillary Clinton wins, she'll have to deal with Republican majorities in the House and Senate. If Ted Cruz comes out on top, the deck is stacked for Republicans to do just about anything they want.

WOLF BLITZER: Interesting thoughts for both sides of the aisle. Stick with CNN as we continue to inch closer to what is bound to be one of the most dramatic conclusions in US election history.

WOLF BLITZER: It's 1:00 in the morning on the East Coast. The election is not yet over but CNN has a critical key race alert to bring to you. Let's get to that right now.

CNN can now project that, after much speculation, Ted Cruz will win the state of Michigan. In a stunning upset, Michigan and its 16 electoral votes will go to Ted Cruz. This news comes less than 30 minutes after Wisconsin was called for Hillary Clinton by a very tight margin. Ted Cruz is currently leading in Michigan by 31,000 votes, a lead that our sources suggest cannot be overcome.

We want to go live now to Jeff Zeleny at the Clinton campaign headquarters in Brooklyn. Jeff, this race has gone farther into the night than most people considered it would. What is going on there right now with this new development.

JEFF ZELENY: Wolf, about an hour ago the mood here changed in a big way. It was a number of factors, though, leading up to it. Ohio going to Cruz was a disappointment but no one seemed too worried. North Carolina really took the air out of the room though. When that state was called and the margin continued to grow against Secretary Clinton, I saw a number of people look visibly worried. That abated slightly when Virginia was finally called for Hillary Clinton, but even then it was more of a nervous sigh of relief than a triumph. Wisconsin was expected to be a win for Clinton, so her win there was more reassuring, as if things were returning to a sort of normalcy that everyone came into the night believing in.

WOLF BLITZER: And what of Cruz's win in Michigan? That state was also a part of the so-called Blue Wall in the Mid-West.

JEFF ZELENY: Michigan going to Cruz seems to be a development that Clinton supporters here at campaign HQ were not prepared to deal with. Michigan leaning toward Cruz for much of the last few hours certainly helped soften the blow but it's still a shock to a lot of people that this reliably blue state flipped red for someone like Ted Cruz. One staffer I just spoke with said it's a real blow to the Democratic Party's pride to lose Michigan like this or at all really.

WOLF BLITZER: Is there any talk of Hillary Clinton possibly losing this race now that a win in Michigan opens a very real pathway for Cruz to win the presidency?

JEFF ZELENY: I'm sure the Clinton campaign staff are thinking about it but I think it's too early yet here for that to sink in with most of the Clinton supporters in the crowd.

WOLF BLITZER: Thank you Jeff. We'll check back in with you as this night draws to a close. Jake, I want to get your thoughts here. What is the magnitude of Ted Cruz winning in Michigan?

JAKE TAPPER: Well, like you said, Wolf, this opens up a path for Ted Cruz to win tonight. Coming into Election Day, none of the polls suggested that any part of the Blue Wall might be in jeopardy. That's just one part of it, really. Hillary Clinton has spent most of the night trailing Ted Cruz. Every time she has nudged ahead, Ted Cruz has won a state in short order and reclaimed the lead.

WOLF BLITZER: Let's look at the electoral map here for a second to show the viewers what we're talking about.
WOLF BLITZER: As you can see, Ted Cruz currently leads Hillary Clinton 246 electoral votes to 233. Each of the three remaining states in yellow- Florida, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania- all of these states are seeing razor thin margins. Florida was expected to be a battleground but not Minnesota or Pennsylvania. The very notion that the Blue Wall has been pierced by Republicans has to be sending shock waves throughout the Democratic Party right now.

JAKE TAPPER: Not only that, Wolf, but Ted Cruz has already won 27 states. At this stage, Hillary Clinton cannot do what almost all US Presidents have done- win at least half of all states in the nation. Only three men ever became president despite winning a minority of states- John Quincy Adams won in 1824 with seven out of 24 states in an election that was determined by the House of Representatives. Over a century later, John F. Kennedy won in 1960 with 22 states to Richard Nixon's 26. Then Jimmy Carter won in 1976 with 23 states to Gerald Ford's 27. Democrats may have flipped the Senate seat from Illinois and New Hampshire but all of these other facts are making this something of a terrifying election for the DNC, even if Hillary Clinton holds on to win.

WOLF BLITZER: Time for another break but from this point on the path to the White House is clear. Ted Cruz can win the election if he takes Florida or both Minnesota and Pennsylvania. Hillary Clinton must win Florida and one of those other states to keep a Democrat in the White House for the next four years. Stay with us for all the latest election updates.

WOLF BLITZER: Midnight is approaching and with it will come the final poll closing of Election Day. Alaska is about to close in a few seconds so let's get ready for a CNN projection right now.
WOLF BLITZER: CNN is projecting that Ted Cruz will win Alaska. Alaska, with its three electoral votes, will go to Ted Cruz, further extending his lead over Hillary Clinton. Senator Cruz picked up the states of Iowa and North Carolina within the last hour, bringing him up to 230 electoral votes. Hillary Clinton saw wins called in Colorado, Nevada, and Virginia in the last hour, bringing her total to 223 electoral votes. This leaves just five states left to call: Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. We'll talk to John King in a minute but first an update on the Senate races with Dana Bash.

DANA BASH: Wolf, there's not a lot of new information to report and what we have isn't surprising. Democrats will retain their Senate seats in California, Hawaii, and Oregon. Republicans will hold on to Idaho and Iowa. Iowa was one of those states that Democrats had hoped to be competitive in but it just didn't come out that way.

WOLF BLITZER: And where do we stand right now on the Senate makeup?

DANA BASH: With these last few races called, Republicans are up to 47 seats, Democrats are up to 42 seats, and there are two Independents who were not up for reelection this year. With those Independents still likely to caucus with the Democrats, that puts us at 47-44 in favor of Republicans.

WOLF BLITZER: What races are still out there and what do we know about them?

DANA BASH: There are nine races left to call, one of which is the Louisiana Senate race. Their so-called jungle primary is pretty well over, with one Democrat and one Republican making it to the run-off election a few weeks from now. The Republican is favored in that race, so we could consider that a seat that is penciled in for Republicans to retain.

WOLF BLITZER: Making it 48-44.

DANA BASH: Democrats are expecting to win in Colorado and Washington, and they're favored to win in Nevada. That would make it 48-47. Republicans should keep a hold of both Alaska and Missouri. That would give them 50 votes, assuming a win in the Louisiana run-off. If Ted Cruz pulls of a shocker and wins tonight, it's game over in the Senate. The Republicans will keep the majority.

That would force Democrats to flip New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin just to tie the Senate at 50 a piece to clinch a majority if Hillary Clinton wins. New Hampshire and Pennsylvania are very tight but it looks like Wisconsin is heading in the wrong direction for Democrats to be hopeful tonight.

WOLF BLITZER: Thanks you Dana. John King, let's talk about some of these last few states. What are we seeing and what areas have yet to report?

JOHN KING: Wolf, the story tonight in these remaining states, as well as some of the states we've already called, is rural voter turnout. While overall voter turnout seems to be lighter than recent elections, several rural towns, townships, and counties are reporting record turnout.

WOLF BLITZER: And that turnout likely benefited Cruz moreso than Clinton?

JOHN KING: Overwhelmingly so. Look at these margins in rural parts of North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia. Here's Cruz up by 50%, here by 60%, and here by 55%. It's easy to dismiss these small communities and regions individually because they don't contribute many votes on their own. But as we've seen tonight, Wolf, when turnout is as consistently high and as lopsided as we're seeing, it adds up in a big way. The Clinton campaign hoped to be competitive in Ohio and North Carolina but look what happened. Cruz wins by over 100,000 votes in North Carolina and walks away with Ohio, getting over 300,000 more votes there than Clinton. This rural turnout is also why it took so long for Virginia to be called. Clinton is winning now by 120,000 votes but it took a lot longer than the campaign wanted. They viewed Virginia as more of a chip shot. They were wrong.

WOLF BLITZER: Alright. We're going to take a break but when we return, we will come back to John King and discuss these final five states as Election Day bleeds into Wednesday.

WOLF BLITZER: A key race alert coming in now ahead of the 11:00 closings. CNN can now project that Ted Cruz will win Ohio. His lead over Hillary Clinton has grown substantial enough that she cannot come back and win there in Ohio. The Clinton campaign thought they had a message that resonated with many Ohioans but votes certainly suggest otherwise tonight. This is a very important win for Ted Cruz and this has to start raising some concerns inside the Clinton campaign, especially as close as the race seems to be neck-and-neck in both Michigan and Pennsylvania right now. Right Jake?

JAKE TAPPER: Yeah, Wolf. I mean, tonight has certainly not gone the way a lot of people expected. Polling showed a wider lead for Hillary Clinton heading into to Election Day and it just seems like the polls were off by a considerable bit. Whether it’s people changing their minds or pollsters missing a segment of the voting population, something went wrong and the confidence of the Clinton campaign and her supporters has to be strained right now.

Like John King told us earlier, if one or more of the so-called Blue Wall states don’t continue their streak of voting Democrat, it opens up a real path for Ted Cruz to obtain the presidency. At that point, Brooklyn, we have a problem.

WOLF BLITZER: Polls are about to close in five western states, including California, with its 55 electoral votes. We’re getting ready to make some major projections. Let’s get ready for that right now.

And CNN projects Hillary Clinton will win four of those western states. Clinton will carry the state of California with its 55 electoral votes. That’s a huge win for Hillary Clinton in California. She will also carry Hawaii with its four electoral votes. Hawaii, Hillary Clinton wins in Hawaii. CNN also projects that Secretary Clinton will carry Oregon and its seven electoral votes. Another solid win expected there in Oregon. Another win projected for Hillary Clinton in the state of Washington. Washington, with its 12 electoral votes, will go to Hillary Clinton.

Ted Cruz will win in Idaho, claiming its four electoral votes. Another win projected for Cruz in North Dakota. North Dakota, with three electoral votes, was already leaning heavily in favor of Cruz but no projection until just now as a few final polling stations close for the night.
WOLF BLITZER: Alright, let’s look at our electoral map now. Hillary Clinton still finds herself trailing Ted Cruz in the electoral college 206 votes to 195. That late win in Ohio keeping Cruz in the lead and also pushing him past the 200 electoral vote mark. He is now just 64 electoral votes away from becoming the next President of the United States. Dana Bash- perhaps some concern now creeping in for the Clinton campaign.

DANA BASH: Not only that, Wolf, but Democrats in general have got to feeling a little nervous right now as we look at these Senate races. The House was safe. The Republicans were all but guaranteed to retain the House in this election. Democrats had really hoped, though, to be competitive in these Senate races. Several Republican seats were viewed at vulnerable. These were seats won in the 2010 backlash against the Affordable Care Act among other things.

WOLF BLITZER: And that does not appear to be the case tonight.

DANA BASH: Right. The chances of flipping the Senate are growing worse and worse for the Democrats as these results come in. Some of these races they hoped to have a real shot at flipping- Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio- all of these potential flips have instead been retained by the Republicans.

WOLF BLITZER: What races are still out there that could flip the Senate?

DANA BASH: Republicans had 54 seats heading into the night. The Democrats had 44 plus the two Independents that caucus with the Democrats. They needed five to gain true majority with those Independents in tow. If Hillary Clinton holds on to win, then they only need to pick up four seats to tie the Senate and gain majority status by virtue of a Democratic Vice President.

So far, they have flipped one seat- Illinois. That was probably going to be the easiest for them to take away from the Republicans. That means they still need to flip three seats if Hillary Clinton wins or four seats if Ted Cruz wins. Three more flips might be possible but four might be a stretch. Iowa is on the verge of being called for Republican Chuck Grassley. That only leaves four states left where Democrats have any real chance of winning. Missouri is still counting votes but Republican Roy Blunt has been holding onto a 40,000 vote lead for a while now.

If not Missouri, then they have to flip all three of New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and have Hillary Clinton win the presidency. All three of those states have razor thin margins right now in these Senate races.

WOLF BLITZER: Thank you Dana. Indeed, on this election night, it seems that nothing is guaranteed.

WOLF BLITZER: We’re only seconds away from the top of the hour. Four states are closing. Right now, we are able to make two projections. CNN projects that Ted Cruz will win the state of Montana and its three electoral votes. Another important win for Ted Cruz in Montana. He gets those three electoral votes. Every electoral vote will count tonight.

CNN also projects Ted Cruz will win the state of Utah. Utah, with its six electoral votes and heavily conservative Mormon population deliver a win for Ted Cruz. When Donald Trump was the Republican nominee, polls suggested this state might be competitive for Hillary Clinton but when Ted Cruz took over as the nominee and Independent candidate Evan McMullin dropped out of the race, Utah became an almost shoe-in for Ted Cruz. Six more electoral votes for Ted Cruz from Utah.

And now for a key race alert. Too close to call in two of these states closing. In Iowa with its six electoral votes, too early to call. No projection there. In Nevada, six electoral votes, too early to call there as well. No projection.

Now let’s update you with the all-important electoral college map. Where it stands right now, you can see Ted Cruz maintains the lead that he obtained this past hour. He has 144 electoral votes compared to Hillary Clinton’s 108. That’s a 55 vote surge in the last hour for Senator Ted Cruz, while Hillary Clinton has only gained four this hour.
WOLF BLITZER: Here is another key race update right now. Let’s see where the votes stand. In Florida, 92% of the votes are in. Ted Cruz hold about a 10,000 vote lead there in the state of Florida over Hillary Clinton. Eight percent of votes yet to be counted there. In North Carolina, 81% of the vote is in. Cruz maintains an impressive 125,000 vote lead over Hillary Clinton. Fifteen electoral votes at stake there.

In Ohio, 67% of the vote is in. Ted Cruz holding a very impressive almost 250,000 vote lead over Hillary Clinton. Eighteen electoral votes at stake in the Buckeye State. In Virginia, some good news for Hillary Clinton. Almost 85% of the vote is in. Hillary Clinton now edging ahead of Ted Cruz by 30,000 votes in the home state of her running mate, Tim Kaine. Thirteen electoral votes in play there in Virginia. Hillary Clinton ahead there.

Let’s go to Georgia right now. In the state of Georgia, almost half the vote is in. Ted Cruz is up- here too he has an impressive lead. A 400,000 vote lead over Hillary Clinton right now in Georgia for its key 16 electoral votes. In Colorado, just over half the vote is in. Hillary Clinton has a lead of about 81,000 votes over Ted Cruz in the state of Colorado. In Michigan, a quarter of the vote is in. Cruz is still maintaining a lead of almost 26,000 votes over Hillary Clinton right now. Twenty-four percent of the vote is in. Sixteen electoral votes there in Michigan.

More votes coming in. Take a look at Wisconsin. With 28% of the vote in, Cruz is leading by about 15,000 votes in Wisconsin. Ten electoral votes at stake there. In Pennsylvania, a third of the vote is in. Hillary Clinton is off to an impressive lead. A near 200,000 vote lead over Ted Cruz. Twenty electoral votes in Pennsylvania. Votes beginning to come in in Arizona. Ted Cruz has a lead of about 1,800 votes over Hillary Clinton. Eleven electoral votes in Arizona.

Now let’s look nationwide at the popular vote. Where we stand right now, Ted Cruz is ahead nationally by 873,000 votes. Nationwide, that’s the popular vote with an estimated 44% of all votes counted so far. Back over to the electoral votes and you see once again that Ted Cruz is ahead 144 to 108 over Hillary Clinton. Two hundred seventy, we got to remind you, that’s the magic number it takes to win the White House.

I want to go live now to Jeff Zeleny at the Clinton campaign headquarters in New York. Jeff, what is the mood out there right now as it appears that Ted Cruz is putting up a much stronger fight than expected?

JEFF ZELENY: Thanks, Wolf. It’s still a very positive atmosphere here at Clinton HQ. At the start of the night, obviously, there was more of a party atmosphere. But now, the mood has shifted slightly but no one here is troubled by the latest projections. The middle of the country- the heartland- that is core Republican territory. Most of those states are smaller in population, so it’s taking less time for them to count their votes and the margins are so heavily in favor of Republicans that you guys can make those calls sooner.

WOLF BLITZER: So Cruz’s lead in the popular vote and the electoral vote aren’t a concern? What about the somewhat surprising close races in the battleground states like Florida, Virginia, and even surprise races in states like Wisconsin and Michigan?

JEFF ZELENY: No, because the Clinton campaign knew there were going to be a lot of close states that could take a while to sort out. One staffer I spoke to said that they told people at the start of the night that the central and mountain time zone states were going to see a surge for Cruz’s numbers. At 11:00 p.m., it’s going to be the opposite. You’ll have the West Coast closing and all of those states- California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii- those will all go to Secretary Clinton and they believe we’ll see these margins start flipping the other way.

WOLF BLITZER: Thanks Jeff. We’ll check in with you again later. Now we want to move to Sara Murray in Texas at Ted Cruz’s campaign headquarters tonight for reaction and insight from the Republican side of this contest.

FZ. wrote:Hi guys, thanks for the warm welcome. Missed you all
If I decide to join, us there a way to know when the game starts without having to check this thread regularly?

The game doesn't have a set start date but I will send out role PMs when we reach 15 players. That will state the start date and time as well as how long the Day 0 intro phase will last.

FZ. wrote:Hi
My last game was the 2015 championship game. It's been a while, and I'm thinking of trying out a small simple game. Would this one qualify?

While the build-up to this game is extensive, the setup is simple (as Heists should be). Narrative elements aside, this should be a good game to slip back into the habit with.

WOLF BLITZER: Polling in 14 states including two huge ones- Texas and New York- as well as in several other states closing right now. We’re getting ready to make some projections.

Alright, take a look at this. We project that Hillary Clinton will carry her home state of New York. That’s 29 electoral votes. Hillary Clinton will win New York state. That’s the deceased Donald Trump’s home state as well. Hillary Clinton takes the Empire State.

Ted Cruz, we project, will win Kansas with its six electoral votes, Nebraska with its five electoral votes, and Wyoming with its three electoral votes. Ted Cruz wins those three. Ted Cruz wins another state. He will carry South Dakota with its three electoral votes. Ted Cruz could carry some more states.

Let’s take a look right now at the states where it’s too early right now to make a projection. In yellow, these are the states where the polls are closed but it is too early or too close yet to make a projection. Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Texas- that’s Ted Cruz’s home state, and Wisconsin. No projections yet for these states.
WOLF BLITZER: In the race for 270 electoral votes, you can see on our electoral map that Hillary Clinton leads Ted Cruz right now by 15 electoral votes. Hillary Clinton on top by 15 right now and the first to break the 100-electoral vote mark. Hillary Clinton now in triple digits with Ted Cruz trailing by 15. Remember, 270- that’s the number you need to be elected President of the United States. You can see on the map, all the blue states mark those states won by Hillary Clinton. The red states are states won by Ted Cruz. The yellow states- all the yellow states are states where the polls are closed but it is still too early or too close to make a projection at this time. Jake, what are your thoughts? Big win for Hillary Clinton in New York, is it not?

JAKE TAPPER: Right, Wolf, it is a big win because of the 29 electoral votes. Perhaps not as significant of a symbolic win without Donald Trump on the ticket. Before his death, his campaign team felt that they had a shot at winning, not so much with Manhattan, which is predominantly democrat, but by building support in the upstate counties. Whether that ever materialized for the Trump campaign is irrelevant now, with Clinton winning.

WOLF BLITZER: And now let’s talk to Dana Bash about these all-important Senate races. Dana, what can you tell us?

DANA BASH: While there have been plenty of projections for the presidency, Wolf, the numbers coming in have not led us to many projections in the Senate as of now. Democrats will easily hold their seats in four states- Connecticut, Maryland, New York, and Vermont, while Republicans have secured enough votes so far to only hold one of their seats. James Lankford looks to be a lock in the Oklahoma race.

WOLF BLITZER: None of those results, Dana, very surprising.

DANA BASH: Not at all. In fact, most of these Senate races should not be very competitive. The ones that will be are mostly in states where votes are already being counted: Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, and perhaps Arizona and Nevada later tonight.

WOLF BLITZER: Thank you Dana. Now we’re going to come over here and take a look at some of these undecided races with John King.

WOLF BLITZER: Were getting ready for 16 states- 16 states- and the District of Columbia are going to be closing all polling stations right at the top of the hour, including Florida. All the polling stations will be closing in Florida. That is emerging as a critically important state. Pennsylvania closing right now.

And look at all these wins we're predicting for Hillary Clinton right now. She wins her home state of Illinois- that's where she was born. Hillary Clinton wins in Illinois with its 20 electoral votes. A win for Hillary Clinton in New Jersey. Governor Chris Christie is the governor there but guess what? Hillary Clinton is the winner in New Jersey with 14 electoral votes. Hillary Clinton wins in New Jersey.

In Massachussetts another 11 electoral votes we project will go to Hillary Clinton in Massachussetts. Another win for Hillary Clinton in Massachussetts. Three more wins coming in for Hillary Clinton right now. In Rhode Island, Rhode Island with four electoral votes. Hillary Clinton carries Rhode Island with its four electoral votes. Delaware, with its three electoral votes- they will all go to Hillary Clinton. Another win there. And the District of Columbia, which can vote in presidential contests. Three electoral votes- three electoral votes go to Clinton.

Ted Cruz also has some projected wins. Three specifically, Ted Cruz will carry Tennessee with 11 electoral votes. Ted Cruz will also carry Mississippi with six electoral votes. And also Cruz will take Alabama and its nine electoral votes. Not as many wins for Cruz to tout early, with Clinton taking the lion's share at the top of the hour.

We have a key race alert right now. Too close to call- too early to call I should say in Florida. Right now we cannot make a projection. Twenty-nine electoral votes at stake. Too early to call in Florida. Too early to call in Pennsylvania, with 20 electoral votes. CNN cannot make a projection in Pennsylvania. Also in New Hampshire, no projections there. Too early to call in New Hampshire right there, too early to call in New Hampshire.

We're going to throw that up now with the rest of our projections from earlier. Right now Hillary Clinton takes the lead 65 votes to 50. Hillary Clinton leading Ted Cruz early tonight by 15 electoral votes as most of the polling places on the east coast are now closed. You see that 270 electoral votes are needed to win the White House. Hillary Clinton taking an early lead tonight in that direction.
WOLF BLITZER: You can see on our map that the blue states, the states highlighted in blue, are projected wins for Hillary Clinton. The red states project wins for Ted Cruz. All the yellow states you can see are closed but too close or too early to call. No projections now, that's where it stands on our electoral map.

Jake, these states like Florida and North Carolina and Pennsylvania and Ohio, they will decide- presumably- what's going on. Your take?

JAKE TAPPER: Well, Pennsylvania, we still haven't heard anything. We know in North Carolina, democrats are suspecting that this race could go down to the wire, possibly not even being called tonight. And then you look at Florida. That's a race that could be decided by one or two percentage points. As we've been saying all night, the Cruz campaign and the Republican National Commitee says that there is no real path to the presidency for Ted Cruz without the state of Florida. That's why both candidates have spent so many days and so many millions of dollars there recently leading up to today.

WOLF BLITZER: So no surprises as of yet but the night is still young. Election nights usually have one or two captivating storylines that develop, so we'll see if one emerges within the hour or, perhaps later in the night. Let's go now to Dana Bash and talk demographics.

Though he hated to admit age was getting to him, Charles Koch found himself retiring earlier and earlier in the evenings lately. Sure, he was 81 years old, but heading to bed at 8:30 just felt wrong to him. He put on his house slippers, got out of his easy chair, and had almost reached his bedroom when a phone rang in the living room.

The chime puzzled him for a moment. It wasn’t the house phone, nor was it his cell phone. He paused for a moment and it came to him. It was the other phone. He had almost forgotten about it but he walked over to a bookshelf and pulled out a copy of Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. He opened it and picked up the secret cell phone that had been hiding inside its hollowed-out pages for almost two months.

“How are things?” he spoke into the phone with a grin.

“After a week in a medically induced coma and two weeks of feeling like a truck ran over my face, I’m finally able to get around coherently,” replied a strained voice on the other end. “I decided to get caught up on national events and I find out that Kushner is dead, the Russian’s are being blamed for the DNC hack, the Chicago Cubs made the World Series but seem to be choking, and now Megyn Kelly is talking to Jeff Roe about Ted’s abysmal outlook. So you tell me, Charles, how the hell are things?”

“Now Jeb,” Charled demurred, “don’t be such a pessimist. You did your job well and it’s up to Ted now to seal the deal.”

“He’s polling worse than Donald was.”

“Yes but remember that the polling is extremely flawed this year. We pay very smart people great sums of money to analyze these sorts of things.”

“So you think Ted still has a chance?”

“It’s possible, though unlikely. There was certainly enough margin for error early in the campaign or we wouldn’t have approached you about, well, you know.”

“You don’t sound very concerned about Ted losing. I thought you said this election was vital?”

“It is,” Charles said, “but it’s also a sacrifice that we were willing to make.”

“Sacrifice?” Jeb bellowed. “After all that I’ve been through, you’re telling me you’re fine with losing the election?”

“Your loyalty to the party is admirable but you’ve got things backwards. You see, Jeb, there are benefits to Ted winning and there are benefits to Ted losing. Getting Donald out of the race was the main objective. He would have been the end of the party. On the one hand, it was a thankless task to try to right the ship and win the election in such a short period of time. On the other hand, letting Ted try and fail gives us ammunition in putting this whole Tea Party thing to bed.”

“I thought you liked the Tea Party?”

“Oh, I like their passion and ability to organize, but the rhetoric and ideology alienate too many voters. If Ted loses as badly as the polls suggest, then we so-called establishment types can push them into the back seat and use them to organize and impassion but not lead.”

“How long have you been playing them, Charles?”

“Since the beginning, Jeb. Since the beginning. Think of it- the next president is all but certain to face a new recession and all kinds of global unrest. If that were to befall Hillary, it would make her all the more beatable in 2020. Picture it- Bush-Kasich 2020. We could resurrect your brother’s compassionate conservative bit.”

“Indeed,” Jeb pondered. “Tell me one thing, Charles. Why did you have Kushner killed.”

“To wrap things up in a nice, neat bow. What did you think we were going to do with him?”

“I don’t know. Brainwash him? Make him believe that he killed Donald and admit to it all.”

“Brainwashing? Who do you think we are, Jeb? The KGB? A mystery, a confession letter, and a body. The American people eat this sort of thing up. Besides, Ivanka didn’t have to die. That was your call.”

“She was too smart. I felt like she was on to me at least two or three times a day.”

“What was that?” Charles asked.

“What?” replied Jeb.

“I heard a click. Are you on a secure line?”

“I assume so, Charles. I’m at the facility you set up.”

“Never assume, Jeb. This conversation is over.”

CHRIS: Welcome back to Hardball. Joining us now to weigh in is Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Good evening, Senator. Thank you for joining us.

BERNIE: It's good to be here.

CHRIS: Now Senator, I want to ask you right off the bat. You and Senator Elizabeth Warren have been hitting the campaign trail hard since the first debate. Ted Cruz has been the republican candidate for a full 30 days now. We've had two presidential debates and a vice presidential debate. What's the response been on the ground? What are you hearing?

BERNIE: Well, obviously we're hearing one side of the argument but it's encouraging.

CHRIS: In what way Senator? Are you out there talking to the Clinton faithful or are you and Senator Warren shoring up support for those progressives who were left feeling turned off by your loss in the primary.

BERNIE: Well, Chris, we have been targeting progressives, sure, but as I understand it, there are more and more people becoming receptive to the urgency of this election. Regardless of their feelings about Secretary Clinton, I think people- young people, educated people, and what have you- they're seeing not just the need for a political revolution but also, in a more practical sense, just what the stakes really are in this election.

CHRIS: I'd say you're right about that, Senator. We've been looking at the latest polling data and, while Ted Cruz has firmed up some support in states that lean slightly red thanks to Evan McMullin dropping out and supporting the hard-right Cruz, Secretary Clinton's numbers have also been getting a considerable boost. What do you attribute this to? Has something shifted in the ground game or is Ted Cruz somehow a worse candidate for the Republican Party than Donald Trump?

BERNIE: Let me just say this. Donald Trump carried his campaign on rhetoric and soundbites. Senator Cruz is articulating his plans in much greater detail and I think that has highlighted the stark difference between the republican and progressive visions. The people are taking notice.

CHRIS: Has Wikileak's recent claim to have damaging information pertaining to Secretary Clinton's campaign caused any concerns with the people you're meeting? Could this be an October surprise that the campaign isn't prepared for?

BERNIE: As I understand it, the Wikileaks people have been talking about this since the summer. The so-called October surprise is something you cannot plan for. If you could, it wouldn't be much of a surprise, right?

CHRIS: Right, but given that the DNC email leaks from earlier in the year caused a minor schism in the party, are voters nervous about another scandal?

BERNIE: Well, look. The DNC leaks are old news. What we need to do is focus on the differences between what this country might look like in four years depending on who wins. It seems to be working because Senator Cruz has no plan take on income and wealth inequality, providing paid family and medical leave, and making public colleges and universities more affordable, if not tuition-free. Democrats and progressives have plans for these issues that are problems now, rather than circling back to long-decided issues like Senator Cruz has done.

CHRIS: Senator I'm going to have to cut this short. We've got breaking news coming in. Thank you for joining us. I hope we can talk to you again soon.

BERNIE: Thank you, Chris.

CHRIS: Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news unfolding as we speak- MSNBC news sources have confirmed that federal authorities have conducted a raid in a remote part of Eastern Tennessee. After more than a month on the run, it appears that Donald and Ivanka Trump's suspected killer, Jared Kushner, has been located. Details are sketchy right now but we will try to confirm as much as possible as the night goes on.

This game is going to fill up before I'm done with my pre-game content, isn't it?

Greetings to all you music lovers, thrill seekers, and conversationalists across the fruited plains. It is I, Rush Limbaugh- now documented to be almost always right 99.78% of the time- here once again, sitting behind the golden EIB microphone, with what ought to be one hell of a show today. We’ve got sound bites galore for you after our first break but first I want to share my thoughts on last night’s debate.

Mr. Snerdley, did you watch the debate?

*pause*

And what did you think?

*pause*

Didn’t Ted Cruz wipe the floor with her?

*pause*

More than that, Cruz’s performance was a thing of beauty! It was an utter shellacking and repudiation of everything the Clintons and liberals stand for. I don’t see how any thinking person could credibly argue that Clinton won that debate. What’s that?

*pause*

Well of course the media is reporting that she won big. What did I just say? No thinking person can credibly argue that she won. These media types are all brainless sheep. They just read what’s on the teleprompter. If they didn’t have someone feeding them words to say they would be sitting there sobbing on live TV, blabbering about how they don’t know what just happened. What’s that?

*pause*

Who cares what the CNN flash poll said? How many conservatives watch CNN for that poll to even be accurate anyway? Cruz won and anyone who’s being intellectually honest will admit it. The media is just trying to maintain control on the low-information voters of the world. That’s why the moderator kept interrupting Cruz last night. I mean- somebody go back and count how many times Lester Holt interrupted each candidate. I’m willing to bet that the margin is three or four to one. I don’t know if Holt was trying to get his name out there, he does work for the flailing NBC News. Maybe he’s hoping a competing network noticed him and will save him from that sinking ship.

Anyway, folks, last night’s debate was the moment conservatives have been waiting for. Ted Cruz made it abundantly clear that this election is no longer about speculation and personality. Rather, it is about specifics and policy. And he brought that to the debate in a big way. I have here, in my formerly nicotine-stained fingers, a transcript of the debate and we’re going to go through some of Cruz’s best lines. I know what you’re thinking- yes there were a lot of them but this is a three-hour show, folks. Do not fear. I am a radio professional and we have got everything covered for you.

The topics last night were the economy, trade, the federal deficit, race relations, the war on terror, foreign policy, and potential conflicts of interest. Did you notice how, during that final segment, the moderator kept circling back to Ted Cruz’s wife and her connections to Goldman Sachs. I think the moderator must have mentioned it seven or eight times in a span of two minutes. Talk about your sad attempts to demonize someone.

So what if Cruz’s wife is a successful investment manager? That’s his wife. It’s not like Ted was taking solicitations from foreign governments while running the State Department. What this was, in my professional opinion, was an attempt to rejuvenate the Occupy Wall Street crowd into voting for Hillary. We all know she’s been struggling with support from Millennials so they’re playing the Evil Corporations card on Hillary’s behalf. It’s cheap and it will get picked up by all the left-wing professors indoctrinating college students. Hell, it may even play well to recent college graduates who are struggling to find a good job in the Obama economy. If they haven’t found good jobs, they’re probably still apt to blame rich people for their problems.

Cruz won the debate but overall the structure was a bit of a dud. Lester Holt tip-toed around the issues of national defense and only focused on police brutality instead of addressing terrorism that Obama has imported. Not even once did the recent pipe bombings and mall attack get raised by the moderator or Hillary. But boy did they dwell on the racial protests going on in North Carolina. I mean, why should the media address the rampant election fraud going on in this country, with states sending out absentee ballots with Trump on them or out-right refusing to amend the ballots before early voting begins, when they can continue to perpetuate the myth that cop-on-minority violence is raging like a wildfire?

It’s all about the narrative, folks. Control the narrative and you stack the deck. They’re trying like hell to stack the deck for Hillary but Ted Cruz and his knowledge of and passion for the constitution and what is right for this country will change hearts and minds as we get closer to election day. Don’t doubt me.

GLENN: Fear not. I have returned from battling a cold and boy do we have a lot to talk about today. Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, and the future of this great nation of ours. All this and more, starting right now.
GLENN: Hello America. This is probably the most excitement I have felt on a Tuesday in a long time. Long time. And in saying that, I mean no disrespect to the late Donald Trump, who was laid to rest yesterday. It’s always difficult to navigate these sorts of situations when something extraordinary happens, only to be followed up by something somber. Pat and Stu talked about the extraordinary yesterday and caught some flak for it, right guys?

PAT: Yeah, a few hard-core Trump supporters took issue with us being excited about Ted Cruz getting named as the new Republican candidate.

Laughter

GLENN: You downplay that so well.

STU: I know, right? No, we got plenty of hate mail and angry calls in the latter half of yesterday’s show. It was pretty crazy.

PAT: Perhaps we should have toned down our excitement about Cruz a little more.

GLENN: I can’t blame you for being excited. When I heard the news on Saturday I jumped out of bed, threw my hands in the air, screamed in jubilation, and promptly fell to the floor coughing. But for that split second, I felt energized in a way that is hard to describe. I feel it again now that I’m healthy but I’m trying to temper it better than you guys did because I really don’t want to deal with angry Trump supporters today.

STU: And there seem to be plenty of them out there. Several of these so-called alt-right websites went absolutely nuts about this decision. Some people feel that the RNC is stabbing them in the back by picking Ted Cruz because of what he said at the convention.

GLENN: That I can understand. Many of Trump’s supporters would have voted for any Republican picked to replace Trump, so the vocal minority here, I think, are just working their way through the stages of grief and denial. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. Because look- there were plenty of Republicans and conservatives who thought Trump was a mistake, present company included. We talked about how not voting for Trump doesn’t equate to turning your back on America and how Hillary Clinton getting elected as a result of people not voting for Trump is an ethical outcome of the election, despite setting up the country for four more years of failure and misery. So right now, there’s a small contingent of America that is thinking the same thing about not voting for Ted Cruz.

PAT: You’re talking about die-hard Trump supporters, right?

GLENN: Yes.

PAT: Okay, because lots of media sources are reporting that having Cruz at the top of the ticket may now chase away moderates and establishment Republicans.

GLENN: Well of course they’re saying that. They can’t stand Ted because he speaks truth. They hate him and they want to convince as many people as possible that the Republican Party is still sinking. Did you hear Ted’s speech on Saturday?

STU: I thought it was amazing.

PAT: Yeah, me too.

GLENN: I got chills listening to that speech and it wasn’t because I was sick. That was one of the best political speeches I have ever heard. Right up there with the best of Reagan and Kennedy. Everybody loves to praise Obama for being a great public speaker, and yes, he can craft a pretty speech, but Ted- when he’s speaking, you know that it is coming from deep inside him. He actually believes what he says. It’s founded on a thorough understanding of the constitutional principles of our country and a deep love for this nation. He is going to make a fantastic president.

STU: So you think that he can overcome all the obstacles in front of him- Donald Trump’s weak poll numbers, the RNC directing funds away from the presidential race, throwing a campaign team together with under two months left before Election Day- and win?

GLENN: Without a doubt. We’re two weeks away from the first presidential debate, right? Hillary can lock herself in a bunker for the next two weeks for debate prep and she will still- mark my words- get steamrolled by Ted Cruz.

PAT: Wow. That’s a strong prediction.

GLENN: I believe it. And when the American people hear what Ted Cruz has to say, their eyes will be opened and the differences between the Democrats’ vision for America and a true constitutional conservative vision for America will be so clear and evident, that I think Ted Cruz will flip states that will surprise you. It’s going to be a landslide victory.

STU: If he does win, it will certainly go down as one of the greatest political accomplishments of all time.

GLENN: I think he’ll win in grand fashion. Donald Trump, to give him credit, tapped into the collective anger of the American people. He made them aware of just how angry they were and what they were angry about. Ted Cruz will give them a plan for fixing what has gone wrong; he’ll give them a sense of direction.

PAT: Hillary won’t be able to coast along like she has been, that’s for sure. If she isn’t ready for the debate, they’re going to have to haul her away in an SUV again like they did on Sunday.

GLENN: I can’t believe you just said that. I agree, but wow. We’re going to take a break but that is next on our list. Hillary Clinton collapses at a 9/11 ceremony and the media collectively yawns. This and other ways liberal journalists are doing everything they can to brainwash the electorate into an assumptive Clinton victory. Don’t go far.

PLAYERS

1. Long Con
2. TheFloyd73
3. Quin
4. Jackofhearts2005
5. MacDougall
6. Epignosis
7. DrWilgy
8. thellama73
9. FZ.
10. Scotty
11. notsawyer540
12. DFaraday
13. Elohcin
14. Metalmarsh89
15. S~V~S



RULES AND WHATNOT

GAMEPLAY
1) Day periods last 48 hours. Night periods last 24 hours, but all PMs must be sent to the host within 23 hours so night posts can be written in a timely fashion.
2) Day 0 will last 24 hours but may be extended to 48 if not everyone has checked in/read their role PM.
3) Votes in the poll are the only votes that count. It's helpful but not mandatory that you declare your vote in the thread in a way that stands out to the host.
4) All votes are changeable.
5) A tied lynch will result in no lynch. Votes matter.
6) Standard alignment wincons are in effect.
7) Dead is dead; you don't get to come back from that. Dead players will have their BTSC right removed.
8) Roles will be revealed upon death.
9) All players get to vote via PM for game MVP at the end of the game.
10) This game is closed setup.

RULES
1)Respect your fellow players, your host, and your MOD.
1a) Don't be an asshat.
1b) Don't get butthurt.
2) If youfeel like another player is out of line or making/taking things personally, contact the MOD- Dom.
3) No BTSC regarding the game outside of the game thread(s). Players are told in their rolecard if they have BTSC. If you don't have it, don't engage in it. Violating this rule will result in a modkill.
4) No editing or deleting posts.
5) Self-voting is not permitted.
6) Double-targeting is not allowed.
7) Info-dumping and role-claiming are forbidden.
8) Off-topic posts should be in OT Green.
9) Dead players are to post in Dead Red.
10) Non-Players should post in Non-Player Blue. We'll have a spectator chat if you're really interested in game details.
11) This is the host's color. Do not post in this color.
12) Participation is mandatory. Anyone who misses two votes AND fails to post during that time will be automatically replaced. If no replacements are available, a modkill may occur. If you sign up, please play. If you can't play, request replacement.
Other rules may be added as necessary. I haven't hosted a game in about five years, so please bear with me.