Primary Season

[Matilda Sweeney]

"We're ready for you now, Senator." The aide popped her head into the Green Room, all of twenty-three and blonde.

Matilda Sweeney, the senior senator from Arizona and currently running for the Presidency of the United States of America, allowed the makeup artist to go over her one last time, and then brushed him away and made for the door. "The worst part about these debates is how the media manages to trivialize and sensationalize them at the same time."

"Ah... yes." Bubble-headed Blondie nodded in agreement. "Now we've gone over the format a few times -"

"I am familiar with the rules," the senator waved a hand. "I can't believe I agreed to a YouTube debate in the first place. Internet kids don't vote. We're just turning American politics into a circus."

The girl leading Senator Sweeney wisely chose to say nothing, and soon the sixty-four year old matron was stationed at her podium, along with the other presidential hopefuls. She was the only Republican left in the race, having handily swept enough key states to cause her opponents to drop out, but there were a few Democratic candidates left, and a plucky Independent who didn't know when to say when.

She smiled as the lights came up, blinking against the sudden glare and cheers from the studio crowd.

[Daniel Cohen]

"So, which do you like better - 'bright new tomorrow' or 'brave new future'?"

"Depends. You going for John F. Kennedy or Aldous Huxley?"

"Maybe a little of both. We're practically dealing with science fiction these days anyway. Excuse me. Lisa, could I have just a little more foundation right there? Cut myself shaving this morning. Thanks."

"That might be a bit too much irony, even for the YouTube generation."

"I can work with it. I don't think there's any question what's going to be the primary topic of this debate. Even when we get to economy, foreign policy, immigration, it'll be the economy of mutants, policy for foreign mutants, mutant immigration..."

"It's refreshing to have such a focused election cycle. So, how much longer do you think they'll be calling you the plucky independent who doesn't know when to say when?"

"An hour, give or take thirty minutes. Nothing like an emergent medium to point out who the missing links are."

"Governor Cohen, we're ready for you!"

"Thank you, Tarah. Lisa, powder? Ah, much better."

"Good luck, Daniel. Give 'em hell."

"That's an awfully unpolitical way of putting it. But thanks, Gideon. Get the popcorn warm."

Governor Daniel David Cohen joined his competitors on the platform amid a storm of cheers and flash bulbs, smiling winsomely and waving on his way to his lectern.

[Matilda Sweeney]

Governor Cohen managed to make a grand entrance a few minutes later than he was supposed to, smiling for the cameras as he took his place on the stage. Senator Sweeney caught his eye as he passed her, and she gave him a little smile. A little "I know what your game is" smile.

The mediator called the debate to order, and there were introductions. David Cohen's name got the loudest applause from the audience, but then he was the handsomest man on the stage. Matilda doubted that any of his supporters actually knew what the man stood for.

For that matter, she had her suspicions that he didn't even know where he fell on the issues. The production paused for an early commercial break, and then they would be fielding the first video question.

[Clifton Shaw]

The commercial break began, allowing a moments respite. As the studio audience were being prepared by the compère, the candidates remained tight-lipped. Clifton Shaw looked out from behind his lectern at the assembled politicians, his competition, and wondered what they were thinking. A feeling of acute paranoia rose inside of him and so he pinched his brow, rubbing away some of the tension. Though he had received strong support in some areas, his stance on the elections most polarizing issue – mutants – had garnered sufficient criticism. It was going to be a challenging day.

[Daniel Cohen]

There wasn't any give in Cohen's confident poise - he knew that even on commerical break he was on camera. He took a moment to shuffle through his notes and then reached down to break the seal on the water bottle on the lectern's lower shelf. Then he looked from side to side. As the only remaining Independent, he'd been placed between the Republican and the Dems. He smiled congenially to Senator Sweeney on his right.

"The technology of politics," he said glibly. "Amazing how they both keep evolving, isn't it?"

Smiling banter played well from the crowd's perpective.

[Matilda Sweeney]

Matilda turned slightly towards Cohen, and nodded in reply. "It certainly is amazing, Governor. Though the human race seems to be out pacing both, these days."

She smiled, knowing that to people who didn't know her she looked like a pleasant grandmotherly woman, and then the commercial break was over. The mediator, Frank Andersen from CNN, welcomed back the television audience, and introduced the first video question.

"Our first question is from Greg Munst, from Atlanta, Georgia."

Everyone turned to look at the screens placed on the sides of the stage, except the candidates who had their own monitors to watch. "What's up candidates?! So, my question is: We have a bunch of leaders in this country who can't seem to do their job. And we pick people based on where they stand on the issues, but then they get in power and they don't do anything about it anyway. What's going to make you any more effectual, beyond all the platitudes and the stuff we're used to hearing? I mean, be honest with us. How are you going to be any different?"

"Excellent question Greg," Frank said, as though the man were actually in the room instead of just a recording. "Senator Sweeney, you've been in politics quite a while. Can you honestly say you will be any different?"

She smiled as attention turned to her, though she was not quite sure if she should look at Andersen or at the camera close to her with the red light on it. She picked Andersen. "I believe that this question is one that weighs heavily on the minds of many Americans, and in my nearly forty years of political service I've seen first hand many politicians doing exactly what Greg worries about. They will say one thing to get elected, and then once they're home-free in office they will simply do whatever they like, no matter what the people think.

"But this is government by the people... for the people. I have always held my constituents' wants and needs close to mind during my terms as senator, and my voting record reflects that. If I say something during a campaign, you can be sure I am representing where I stand on the issues accurately, and that will not change. I have a record of being able to work with both sides of the political spectrum, and getting things done, like the tax breaks for the middle class that were passed just last year."

Andersen nodded, and turned to Senator Shaw, one of the Democrats on the stage. "Senator Shaw, your take on the question?"

[Clifton Shaw]

Clifton listened, nodding faintly at key points in Senator Sweeney's speech. When the camera turned its eye onto him, his face was a picture of concentration and concern.

“This is definitely an important issue and one that I'm glad the public are continuing to challenge. As Senator Sweeney rightly points out, we are all too accustomed to being promised the world and delivered significantly less. What I'd like to stress... is that I feel just like all of you, out there. I have felt the same disappointment and frustration with those charged with making our country a better place.

I've spoken to so many of you in my recent tour of the country, and so many of you have voiced these concerns, that the people who are supposed to be representing you have mislead you somehow, that they aren't listening. What this country needs, what I am striving to be, is a leader who will listen, who won't be swayed by popularity contests or cowed by those who would use this great nation and its people for selfish means.

The voters only need to look to my achievements in my home state of Iowa to see that when I commit myself to an issue that is of importance to the people, I do so with complete dedication and the utmost sincerity.”

[Daniel Cohen]

"And finally, on to Governor Cohen?"

The governor smiled at the mediator. "Well, of course, the one constant you'll always find in any political campaign is this concept of change. It's just one of many things that never changes. Now, I think Greg, and everyone in this auditorium, and every American watching or listening at home will agree that we're ready for something different. And it's plain to see this country, the world, and the human race itself is changing, and it's up to the next American President to keep up with the pace."

There were a few pockets of applause, and Cohen acknowledged them but kept moving forward. "I'm proud of the changes I've helped to make in New York and Connecticut during my political career. I've pushed for fundraising reforms for political campaigns to better regulate the pull special interests have on public policy. I've supported numerous health care initiatives, including advanced medical research grants for the emerging health issues facing our population. And I've raised funds for several groundbreaking programs and facilities designed to increase our understanding of the mutant phenomenon, to better serve our mutant citizens and their families.

"Some of my critics see my lack of party affiliation as a weakness, and they'd say my accomplishments are the exception rather than the rule. I'd say I've been so successful because of my independence, because I'm better equipped to speak to both sides of the political divide. We are standing at a critical point in human history, and we can't afford to stay fractured by partisan and special interest concerns. For too long the left and the right have been splitting further and further away and leaving the majority of the American people in the middle. We don't need a Republican President or a Democratic President. We need, first and foremost, an American President to guide us into a bright new tomorrow."

There it was - cue the applause. Smile, but don't seem to enjoy it too much.

Frank Andersen waited for it to taper and said, "Our next question comes from--"

[Kale]

"--Kale Zarinov of Trenton, New Jersey."

A scraggly-looking teen waved from the big screen. "Hey, America, thanks for picking my question. Now, we're not kiddin' anybody, all the old issues are still out there, but what's on everybody's mind lately is the mutants. So now we've got the Mutant Registration Act, which was supposed to be a four-year-experiment. But in two years since it passed, mutant-related crime has increased, what, like fifty percent? So I've got two questions: so far, do you think Mutant Registration is a success, and do you see yourselves supporting its renewal in two more years?"

[Clifton Shaw]

Clifton was the first to answer.

“My stance on this issue is well known, I believe, but I'm happy to discuss the matter further. I will state categorically that I don't believe that the Mutant Registration Act has had a positive impact on our society, and I would be very much reluctant to support its renewal.

It is my belief that a legislation such as this can only further deepen the schism forming between our nation's citizens. Take a glance at any national news channel and you're almost certain to see reports on pro-mutant rallies and riots taking place across the country, and indeed across the globe. Much of this hostility seems to be borne from the perception that we are annexing the mutant community from society, and that the Mutant Registration Act is one of the primary tools of this separation... a blacklist, pointing the finger at those whom society does not understand.”

The Senator paused to take a breath, considering his next words.

“A change is necessary, and I'd like to work with members of the mutant community to achieve a mutual agreement on how best to tackle this most important of concerns.”

[Daniel Cohen]

Andersen turned his attention to Senator Shaw's right. "Governor Cohen, you've been a vocal supporter of measures like Mutant Registration."

"Yes, I have, Frank, but first let me address that figure that Kale quoted," the governor said. "It's true that reported crime has increased, however, our records have become much more thorough since the act passed into law. I think many crimes, both those committed by mutants and those committed against mutants were previously not reported as such, for a variety of reasons. Fear of reprisal, of discrimination, of harsher treatment under the law. If anything, this is a strong indicator of how inadequate our understanding of the mutant situation is.

"Now, do I think it's been executed perfectly? No. Different states have handled it differently. In hospitals. In census. Sometimes it's a matter of public record, and sometimes it's not. We need to revisit mutant registration, clean it up, cut out the inefficient processes that are keeping it from doing what it was designed to do. I understand the questions of privacy. I understand concerns about discrimination. But how do we even begin to address discrimination if the victims stay silent?

"Let me ask you this: don't you think parents deserve to know if their child is a mutant? Don't you think mutants deserve the special medical care their genetic condition may require? Don't you think our police officers deserve to know what dangers they may face if the driver they pulled over turns violent? Mutant registration is not about segregating our population; it is about protecting their liberties--"

"Time."

"--it is about equipping the government to serve the best interests of the American people."

Andersen reset his watch and turned toward Sweeney. "Senator Sweeney, your perspective on this?"

[Matilda Sweeney]

"The Mutant Registration Act is imperfect, as my colleagues have stated. However, I do believe that it is necessary for the security of our great nation for the Act to be reviewed and renewed.

"I do not support discrimination against mutants, nor do I want the Act wielded as an instrument of said discrimination. Obviously with the leaking and publishing online of several states' mutant 'blacklists,' as Senator Shaw so eloquently puts it, there are some obvious concerns from mutant Americans as to whether their information is being handled correctly by the government.

"To be blunt - in some cases it is not. I would make it a priority to clean up these issues in any renewal of the Mutant Registration Act before putting my seal of approval on it."

Matilda Sweeney looked at the camera before her. "More importantly, I will work with the Congress to expedite the logging and deportation of criminal mutants, and others, who have crossed into our country illegally. They make up less than three percent of our overall population, yet they fill nearly twenty-five percent of our prisoner populations. This problem is not addressed in the Act, and I would want this to be included in any future iterations of it."

[Charley]

"Our next question is in from Charles Vallejo of Redding, CA."

Frank introduced the next question submission, and a man with salt & pepper hair and a creased cotton shirt came into view.

"Hi, Charles Vallejo here. A private school for mutants opened in my town about two months ago. I didn't think anything of it until the Kings Cross bombing, but I'm worried now for my two little girls, who attend public school not very far from the mutant school. Should we really be letting these people teach other mutants in isolation? What can they learn in these schools that they can't learn anywhere else? Who is to say that they aren't training them for more attacks, or using them to fund raise for terror? I'm not saying that all mutants are bad, but if there are good people with powers out there, why didn't they stop that bombing, and the other attacks from happening?"

[Daniel Cohen]

"Governor Cohen, your thoughts?"

The governor smiled magnanimously. "Mr. Vallejo's question touches on a few issues I'm sure we'll come back to - in particular, mutant terrorism and mutant vigilantism, both of which in recent polls ranked among the top five concerns Americans have about the mutant phenomenon. And while these are very real concerns that we as a nation must address, it's a very small percentage of the mutant population that gets involved in these fringe movements.

"Mutants, just like the rest of us, have the right to assembly and the freedom to associate with whomever they please. It's only natural that they're trying to form their own community - they represent an entirely new demographic. They are not united by faith, by ethnicity, by a common history, economic status, or by any other traditional means. The real potential danger I see in these schools is the tendency to define the mutant community by exclusion, by isolation, to separate themselves from the rest of humanity for the sake of separation. I think that sort of ideology, more than anything else, fuels the divide between mutants and non-mutants, because it's not so much an ideology as a sort of reactionism.

"I think the best thing we as a government can do for these schools is to offer our support, to stay in close contact with their administrators, and to give them every opportunity to be involved with their human communities and the nation as a whole by means of programs much like the initiatives I've overseen in my jurisdiction. Mutants have a lot to offer America. We cannot afford to let them fall by the wayside."

[Matilda Sweeney]

When it was her turn to speak, Senator Sweeney looked down at her podium for a moment, then back up to the camera. "Privatized education, whether for mutant or non-mutant humans, is an important part of the system of education in our country. I understand the concerns of the public when it comes to the issue of mutants educating 'in secret'" she used her hands to put quotes around the words, "But since the chartering of the first wholly mutant classroom enviroment there have been less hate crimes against mutants students.

"It is not a perfect situation, as isolationism may lead to radical ideas (and has with a select few criminal mutants), but the protection and education of our children has to take a forefront."

The moderator interjected, "Senator Sweeney, are you saying that we should encourage all-mutant academies, in order to protect our children from them?"

Suddenly flustered, Matilda shook her head, "No, no, that isn't what I meant. Our children, whether mutant or not, need protection from these radical elements, such as the mutants involved in the Kings Cross attack in London. The private school system can provide a safe enviroment for children to learn how to be responsible citizens, and as such needs to be preserved for this and future generations.

"There will always be a need and a desire among the American people for choice when it comes to education, and through the development of charter schools and additional private schools it is the responsibility of this government to make sure that parents have other options in addition to public education."

Public ed...which is, fundamentally, flawed. Face composed once more, but with a little feeling like she'd probably blown the question, Matilda subsided and allowed another canidate to take a shot.