Feature You'd Most Like to See

[CraigInTwinCities]

I'd like to see more ways to raise campaign funds so I can spend at a level that keeps me competitive. Mailings, online fundraising, etc. As it stands, it's very hard to even stay above water, let alone run a nationwide ad that runs in all 50 states. Usually I have to keep ads miniscule, targeting 2-3 swing states, and small ones at that, or my campaign runs out of funds QUICKLY.

I'd like to see ALL the candidates included.

I'd like debates to be played out a bit more... almost like a minigame or something.

I'd like to see special events distributed a bit more evenly. In six campaigns, I've been invited to appear on the O'Reilly Factor once... and no other special events before or since in all six campaigns.

I'd like to see a tutorial for newbies.

[ElectricMonk]

As a Republican (Thompson) I offered Gore—the man who was winning the Democratic primaries with 2230 delegates pledged or ahead—my VP slot plus 14 PIPs and he accepted.

Oddly without any PIP offered he had a -37% chance, while the losers on the Democratic side (Obama and Clinton) both had a -39% chance of accepting.

Something a little odd there.

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@CraigInTwinCities

Try Clark/Bayh 2008's 2008 scenario if you want more realistic ads and fund-raising.

It's a little easier, as well.

[ElectricMonk]

So I have my Thompson/Gore ticket (snerk) and pulling Gore out of his won Democratic race puts Clinton at 1700, Obama at 1000 and Biden at like 600.

Eventually it works out to roughly Clinton 2000, Obama 1400, Biden 600. Biden throws his support to Obama which is marginally enough to edge out Clinton and the last three primaries don't change anything.

So Clinton—at 60% popularity—drops out because she can't win despite being the choice of most Democratic voters.

Obama gets the nod and picks Warner for VP.

I then crush them. The only states in play were New England ones, and DC. I stick Gore in DC and otherwise play through.

With 13 million still in the bank (I wasn't paying attention to how many days left my ads had)… well. See below. This was on hard by the by, using the included 2008 scenario. I'll point out I won DC. The place that usually goes Democratic by 70-90%.

Also for whatever reason counting went on until 5 am, the longest I've ever had.

Obviously this was because Gore accepted my VP slot, and then the unpopular Obama (~37% post-Biden) won over the popular Clinton in the Dem. primaries which translated directly into low vote % for him. A fairly unique series of events.

With 146 points I was only 5 below Washington. 538 Electoral Votes and 71.9% (84,289,738) of the vote.

Regardless this seems rather unlikely.

[CamelN]

After I lock up a nomination I should be able to add the cash from the primaries to my general election fund. I raised a ton of money hoping it would go to the 75 million and it just dissapeared. That is not cool

[Oxymoron]

After I lock up a nomination I should be able to add the cash from the primaries to my general election fund. I raised a ton of money hoping it would go to the 75 million and it just dissapeared. That is not cool

There's a legal limit to how much candidates can spend in the general.

[ElectricMonk]

Yes but there should be the option to decline public funding as all candidates look likely to do this cycle.

Further public funding in the primaries should be correctly modelled in scenarios before 2008 and after 1972: i.e. you have to win 10% of the vote in two consecutive primaries to keep the money flowing, and there are strict limits to how much you can spend per state.

[Anthony_270]

We have added this to this feature list.

Anthony Burgoyne

80soft.com

Yes but there should be the option to decline public funding as all candidates look likely to do this cycle.

[Sum1]

How about adding some political commentary during election night by "pundits" who make predictions about the results and comments about the campaigns (such as on scandals, speeches, etc.). Also, a list of the most important issues to voters in each state on election night and who they voted for based on those issues would be nice. For example, let's say Iraq was the #1 issue for Ohio voters on election night, followed by the War on Terror and Taxes. It would be neat if the game would list them in order of importance and then say who the voters liked on those issues - for example it would say something like 70% of those who said Iraq was #1 voted Democrat, 30% voted Repubican, 0% voted Libertarian, etc. It would help spice up election night since there are gaps when the clock is ticking that the votes are being counted and nothing is changing. Also, the ability to save the election night for watch later, with rewind and fast forward options, would be nice.

[Dennis Kussinich 08]

How about adding some political commentary during election night by "pundits" who make predictions about the results and comments about the campaigns (such as on scandals, speeches, etc.). Also, a list of the most important issues to voters in each state on election night and who they voted for based on those issues would be nice. For example, let's say Iraq was the #1 issue for Ohio voters on election night, followed by the War on Terror and Taxes. It would be neat if the game would list them in order of importance and then say who the voters liked on those issues - for example it would say something like 70% of those who said Iraq was #1 voted Democrat, 40% voted Repubican, 0% voted Libertarian, etc. It would help spice up election night since there are gaps when the clock is ticking that the votes are being counted and nothing is changing. Also, the ability to save the election night for watch later, with rewind and fast forward options, would be nice.

I like it!

[ktitus]

How about adding some political commentary during election night by "pundits" who make predictions about the results and comments about the campaigns (such as on scandals, speeches, etc.). Also, a list of the most important issues to voters in each state on election night and who they voted for based on those issues would be nice. For example, let's say Iraq was the #1 issue for Ohio voters on election night, followed by the War on Terror and Taxes. It would be neat if the game would list them in order of importance and then say who the voters liked on those issues - for example it would say something like 70% of those who said Iraq was #1 voted Democrat, 30% voted Repubican, 0% voted Libertarian, etc. It would help spice up election night since there are gaps when the clock is ticking that the votes are being counted and nothing is changing. Also, the ability to save the election night for watch later, with rewind and fast forward options, would be nice.

I also like it, especially the election night options you gave

[ElectricMonk]

In addition to the media market idea I also think adding a Network versus local TV ad would be a bonus.

The way I'm doing it in the 1968 scenario is simply to make it expensive, require a lead time to book the ad buy, and it's darn expensive—as well as a single day shot. I've inserted a house rule to the effect that Network TV can only be booked nationally but obviously an actual bit of code to force that would be better.

[Sum1]

A minimize button would be nice.

[DynamoJax2006]

A minimize button would be nice.

A boss key is fine, too. Or both. Not that I actually play the games at school, but if I ever did choose to play them at school, it would be nice to have.

[ktitus]

For President Forever 2008:

I know this may have been talked about in the past, but I would like to refresh everyone's memory. It would be nice if superdelegates could be added into this already great game.

For those who don't know what I'm talking about, "Superdelegates are delegates to a presidential nominating convention in the United States who are not bound by the decisions of party primaries or caucuses. Superdelegates are elected officeholders and party officials". [FROM WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE SUPERDELEGATE]

What do you think?

[Jayavarman]

For President Forever 2008:

I know this may have been talked about in the past, but I would like to refresh everyone's memory. It would be nice if superdelegates could be added into this already great game.

For those who don't know what I'm talking about, "Superdelegates are delegates to a presidential nominating convention in the United States who are not bound by the decisions of party primaries or caucuses. Superdelegates are elected officeholders and party officials". [FROM WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE SUPERDELEGATE]

What do you think?

Is their exclusion a gamebreaker?

[ElectricMonk]

Is their exclusion a gamebreaker?

Not in modern elections. But in pre-1972 Dem. and pre-1976 Republican (not that it mattered since Nixon had the '72 nomination safely in the bag) they made up as much as 1/3 of delegates.

More important, or perhaps part and parcel, would be a delegate tracking & persuasion system + national convention modelling where you could keep track of delegations and try and swing them to your side. Doesn't matter for modern elections but up until 1980 or so it would have been possible to sway the non-primary delegates into your camp and win at the convention (e.g. Reagan in 1976).

[dukakis88]

How about a county system, where if you click on a state, you can see the county outlines and how much you won or lost in them?

[Abe Lincoln]

Interactive Interviews. Like they give you questions and you pick your answer from a list of them. It would be a nice feature.

[Sean]

How about a county system, where if you click on a state, you can see the county outlines and how much you won or lost in them?

Maybe congressional district would be better. There are less of them.

Plus, by CD you could distibute delegates the way that the Democrats actually do.

[Giziar]

Maybe congressional district would be better. There are less of them.

Plus, by CD you could distibute delegates the way that the Democrats actually do.

It would be ace if the country was devided in CD's.

Not just because there are less of them as counties but also because they are more evely populated than counties.

Added bonusses:

As mentioned by Warner'12: Delegate distribution the way the Democrats do

Republicans have in some states distributed (a part of) their delegates based on CD's as well (SC, AR & MI spring into mind)

If media markets are implemented CD's can be used to determine the size of the media markets

Endorsesments by members of congress

It can be used for applying different political views to CD's in states which have clearly different political areas (City of New York vs upstate NY; Greater Chicago vs southern IL; Eastern TN vs Western TN, Coastal WA vs mountain WA and so on).

The way NE & ME distribute their Electoral Votes on election night can be used.

[Sean]

It would be ace if the country was devided in CD's.

Not just because there are less of them as counties but also because they are more evely populated than counties.

Added bonusses:

As mentioned by Warner'12: Delegate distribution the way the Democrats do

Republicans have in some states distributed (a part of) their delegates based on CD's as well (SC, AR & MI spring into mind)

If media markets are implemented CD's can be used to determine the size of the media markets

Endorsesments by members of congress

It can be used for applying different political views to CD's in states which have clearly different political areas (City of New York vs upstate NY; Greater Chicago vs southern IL; Eastern TN vs Western TN, Coastal WA vs mountain WA and so on).

The way NE & ME distribute their Electoral Votes on election night can be used.

YES!!!

This should be the next big addition to the game. That and superdelegates, which may decide the Democratic nominee...

[AsMartinez]

This sounds like a great Idea!

And Superdelegates and congressional districts would better model the 2008 election. I like the Idea of a "Convention minigame." Perhaps you could spend money, (on bribes*posibly negative?* or parties*no negative but less powerful*) and PIPs to sway votes, make deals(i.e. VP, endorsements.), and even send out agents to make deals (like imagine Ted kennedy*for obama*, or Bill Clinton taking ppl by the arm. )

I've been on the inside of convention (statewide) politics, and there is nothing more engaging than watching the arm wrangling and schmoozing

[Highland Call]

Congressional Districts would be good; it would allow states to use the Maine-Nebraska method of choosing electors

[Abe Lincoln]

1.Super Delagates as their own "political unit"

2.Player makes decisions based on evens. (example: personal freind caught making racist joke on camera. you can A. Distance yourself from him. B. Publically attack your freind. C. Support your freind or D. Say "everyone makes mistakes.

3.Voting Blocks such as "Christians" "Immingrants" "Liberals" ext.

4.Interactive interviews where they give u ?s and u give answers.

5.Political Talk shows as endorsers.

[president9]

Recount

Network Play

Unlimited parties

Game + Re-election feature (After the election, you get be President for a while, make decisions on current events, then see if you can get re-elected.)

same

+ diff pics for candidates