AMPU: The Big Red Button (1960 Playtest)

[Lars]

Thomas Dewey will have a cheeseburger 

[Mark_W]

Gus Hall withdraws having achieved nothing and asks his communist supporters not to assassinate JFK if he wins Lee, no such request is made re. Reagan (JFK endorsment).

[bradleyg223]

1 hour ago, bradleyg223 said:

Reagan to visit Ohio

In addition, the Texan John Connally bows out of the race.

[OrangeP47]

Reposting PA focus again, in case it needs to be said.

[Willthescout7]

New York Congressman William Miller withdraws from the race. It has grown apparent that he will not command enough delegates at the convention to matter.

 

IGNORE THIS

Edited April 26, 2022 by Willthescout7

[Willthescout7]

NEVER MIND!!!

Miller has been convinced by MacArthur to stay in the race in order to secure the NY delegates on the first ballot. 

[OrangeP47]

6 minutes ago, Willthescout7 said:

NEVER MIND!!!

Miller has been convinced by MacArthur to stay in the race in order to secure the NY delegates on the first ballot. 

Yeah, convinced by "MacArthur" 🤣

[Willthescout7]

Shush you!

[MrPotatoTed]

Adlai Stevenson will drop out and endorse JFK, as he failed at his one job, winning Illinois, and has been draining moderate votes from JFK ever since. ;c)

Kennedy will focus on Indiana.

[Timur]

18 minutes ago, Willthescout7 said:

NEVER MIND!!!

Miller has been convinced by MacArthur to stay in the race in order to secure the NY delegates on the first ballot. 

I see. MacArthur has a favorite son.

[OrangeP47]

3 minutes ago, Timur said:

I see. MacArthur has a favorite son.

Mac II is in my faction and I'm making him a LW Pop.

[Willthescout7]

At least Mac won't be alive to see it

[Lars]

Also Mac II is his nephew.

 

He is probably more favorited than Arthur MacArthur IV 😛

[pman]

In Front of Geno’s Steaks in Philadelphia, PA, Hubert answers questions in a townhall while his campaign “team” strategize off to the side.

 

Hubert Humphrey: It’s a steak with liquid cheese on it ? If that’s not the best reason to move to Philadelphia I don’t know what is. Look, I think there’s a way to win the Cold War and the War on Poverty and it starts with improving education, health care and by making sure our people have a livable wage.

Older man in the Audience: I hear JFK has 25 girlfriends and that he’s in debt to the mo

Hubert interrupts

Hubert: Listen, JFK is a good man, a good Democrat and an even better American. I am not running to tear anyone down. I won’t let fellow Democrats be torn down at my rallies. Stop that nonsense now.

Another old man in the audience: Ronald Reagan is one of those Communist Hollywood types

Hubert: Again, stop. Ronald Reagan fought against Communism. He’s a New Deal Democrat, just like me and hopefully just like you. Listen this campaign is about creating a universal income for all Americans, rebuilding rural communities and making our education system the best in the world!

[off to the side of the stage]

RFK: Wow, that’s the most energetic he’s ever been.

Franklin Roosevelt Jr: He genuinely likes John and Reagan.

Tip: The man genuinely likes everyone. That’s what makes him useful

Senator Mike Mansfield who recently joined the campaign team, rumor has it he’s in line to be the next leader of the liberal faction: I am starting to get worried he might win a few more primaries and ruin our plan

Tip: Trust me, I won’t let either happen.

[pman]

@CalGovernor Michael DiSalle withdrawals due to being afraid of losing his home state.  Hubert Humphrey focuses on Ohio and gives a major speech there.

Edited April 27, 2022 by pman

[pman]

I do think it's a little problematic that except for ideological splits, dropping out and endorsements have no actual sway on the primaries in the game unless a candidate has delegates. In reality, you don't need delegates for an endorsement to matter. It didn't matter that Mayor Pete, etc didn't have a lot of delegates in 2020, the momentum the endorsement caused made it very hard for Bernie to win. For example, if everyone dropped out and endorsed Reagan or JFK, that should just about be enough to clinch the nomination but in the game it seems like it has a minimal impact unless they have delegates.  Unless I am missing something, which is entirely possible, lol.

A more realistic reading would have something like an automatic +2 for a minor endorsement and a +3 for a major endorsement. I am not trying to complain, it's just the one noticeably problematic thing I've noticed on the playtest. 

Edited April 26, 2022 by pman

[OrangeP47]

1 minute ago, pman said:

I do think it's a little problematic that except for ideological splits, dropping out and endorsements have no actual sway on the primaries in the game unless a candidate has delegates. In reality, you don't need delegates for an endorsement to matter. It didn't matter that Mayor Pete, etc didn't have a lot of delegates in 2020, the momentum the endorsement caused made it very hard for Bernie to win. For example, if everyone dropped out and endorsed Reagan or JFK, that should just about be enough to clinch the nomination but in the game it seems like it has a minimal impact unless they have delegates.  Unless I am missing something, which is entirely possible, lol.

A more realistic reading would have something like an automatic +2 for a minor endorsement and a +3 for a major endorsement. I am not trying to complain, it's just the one noticeably problematic thing I've noticed on the playtest. 

The problem is the game is d6 based so we don't have much room to maneuver, but we can't really do anything about that.

[themiddlepolitical]

1 minute ago, OrangeP47 said:

The problem is the game is d6 based so we don't have much room to maneuver, but we can't really do anything about that.

I think this may be a bit hard to calculate may be the issue 

[OrangeP47]

2 minutes ago, themiddlepolitical said:

I think this may be a bit hard to calculate may be the issue 

My point being, if a single endorsement gave a +3, then with two even candidates the one not endorsed would have to roll a 4 even if the other rolled a 1.  Sure, that *might* be acceptable, if it'd very quickly get out of control to the point of being a farce and making the dice rolls completely pointless.

Edited April 26, 2022 by OrangeP47

[pman]

Just now, themiddlepolitical said:

I think this may be a bit hard to calculate may be the issue 

I totally understand, I am not trying to give anyone more work. It's just something I noticed because it's relevant to this current primary. Endorsements don't seem to count for anything of significance unless a candidate has delegates.

[pman]

2 minutes ago, OrangeP47 said:

My point being, if a single endorsement gave a +3, then with two even candidates the one not endorsed would have to roll a 4 even if the other rolled a 1.  Sure, that *might* be acceptable, if it'd very quickly get out of control to the point of being a farce and making the dice rolls completely pointless.

Totally get it, fair point.

[Willthescout7]

Maybe it should be connected to home state and region. If you endorse someone before your homestate, they get your home state bonus in that state. Or, if they have a negative ideology penalty, they can get that waived instead. For instance, Mac has -1 in most states due to being a RW Populist. If say Bricker endorsed me before OH, I could get that waived or his bonus. I think that would help make it matter without ruining the dice.

[OrangeP47]

1 minute ago, Willthescout7 said:

Maybe it should be connected to home state and region. If you endorse someone before your homestate, they get your home state bonus in that state. Or, if they have a negative ideology penalty, they can get that waived instead. For instance, Mac has -1 in most states due to being a RW Populist. If say Bricker endorsed me before OH, I could get that waived or his bonus. I think that would help make it matter without ruining the dice.

Tying it to ideology is interesting. I think I'd much rather see something like that.  Maybe make it primary/convention only, but if endorsed by a major candidate of a different ideology, you can "cohabitate" their ideology, and if endorsed by a minor candidate of a different ideology same bonus but just their region.

For the general I feel like that needs to be reset though.

[pman]

Plus like, if you endorse someone before the convention, during the primaries, shouldn't their would be convention delegates go to the person they endorsed

Like, let's say Hubert dropped out and endorsed Estes, then at the Michigan convention roll, Hubert would have gotten delegates for having the Governor and Senator from that State. Those delegates should then go to Estes. In other words it shouldn't matter when someone drops out and endorses especially for non-primary states.  I hope that makes sense.

Edited April 26, 2022 by pman

[OrangeP47]

The ideology idea(s) could help take care of that too as some delegates are awarded based on ideology.