Kalistan

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New Democrats make move to include Odufaray
Heavy 6 Month Recruitment campaign begins in Eshar
Eshar, Duchy of Odufaray
January 25, 5729


Dr. Kristen Brandt, the voice of the New Democrats in Kalistan speaks in Eshar

"There is room in the Institutional Party for democrats," said Dr. Kristen Brandt, who is the leader of the Kalistani New Democrat Club. The Club is sponsoring a major membership push in Odufaray ahead of the August Institutional Party Convention which will determine who appears on the ballot in next January's elections. The New Democrats have 8 months to gain enough members in Odufaray to get it over the 1000 member threshold set by the Institutional Party in the Duchy so Democrats can appear on the ballot.

"We can do this. If each of us just goes out and recruits two friends, two people who believe in our message and our movement, we can see Democrats appear on the ballot in Odurfaray and Eshar," said Brandt. "We are asking you to go to your work places, to your Brethrenist Meetings, to your own clubs, and talk to people. See what they think about Democracy. See if they don't think it is better to have some more choices, some more options than the standard, Party Insider selected status quo names. I would bet you money that you will find people who think it is time we have a more active society, one that has some buy in into our government. Together we can do this. We have about six months to get 1000 members here in Odufaray, and together I think we can do this."

Brandt spoke to a crowd of about 250 Eshar residents who turned out to hear her speak. She spoke at an open air rally in Portside Park in Eshar. Most of those in attendance were themselves members of the Eshar New Democrat Club, which has been flagging in recruitment while Suldanor, and Sulari specifically has surged. "I know its hard," Dr. Brandt says. "But we have done it in Suldanor. The Combined chapters in Suldanor and Sulari have more than 4500 members. If we can do it, you can too, because it is important and needs to be done."

People in Eshar tend to be slightly more conservative than further south in the Duchy. Gendaris has the most members enrolled within their local club with 135. But the Odufaray Club will need to get far more active if it hopes to meet the 1000 member threshold before the Convention is convened in Kaliburg this summer. "I will say it is very important to have Odufaray with us in this movement, and Eshar especially. But if we do not make it this August, we have another six years to organize. So we will be back, again and again until our movement here is self-sustaining and we can get our people on the ballot."

The rally was in the open air because it was the kick off of a pro-democracy march in downtown Eshar. The weather was cold, but it was generally clear, and the New Democrats, who marched peacefully with a city issued permit and with police assistance, were shown good will by motorists who passed the demonstration. Chants of "This is what Democracy Looks like" and "We want ballot access" were accompanied by a somber but dedicated demeanor from the demonstrators.

"I think people thought there would be more people here," said Brandt after the demonstration ended back at Portside Park. "They hoped that hundreds and hundreds would turn out for this very important cause. But I'm pretty realistic about what we're doing here. There's a real chance that we won't make it in Odufaray. But if you would have asked me a year ago, when we were about to be sued by anti-democratic individuals in Sulari in a lawsuit that could have forced us to disband, I doubt I would have held out much hope for Suldanor. And now that Suldanor is organized and we will be on the ballot in that Duchy, even having a shot with 8 months left to go here in Odufaray really is a critical win for the New Democrat Movement, even if we don't make it onto the ballot this time around."

Dr. Brandt said that she is going to continue the fight to get Odufaray organized before the Convention. "Having two of the five duchies with Democrats on the ballot will be an amazing feat for an organization which is just over three years old by the time we have the election. We don't have any illusions about our chances elsewhere. Ananto and Vrassa are still both very much out of reach. I think there are 10 New Democrats in Ananto as a whole right now. They don't have a clubhouse. But I think if we show them first that we can organize in Suldanor and Odufaray, it might embolden some more people to take a look at what we are doing here. And if we get people elected, and they help push a more democratic Orientation in the National Assembly, success breeds success, as they say. Maybe the Ananto and Vrassa won't be so out of reach."

But that's for the future, said Brandt. "We have an election in a year that we are focused on. And so we have so much to do before then, including organizing this Duchy. I'm ready to go where ever I am wanted, talk to anyone who will listen, and convince anyone I need to, to get this Duchy organized for the New Democrats." She laughed. "It's actually quite funny: they teach us about elections in school, but it has been so long since anyone has actually done any real campaigning in this nation. I think a lot of the resistance is that it is just so foreign a concept to so many people, its almost a little subversive in its way, to get out here and hold open political rallies and demonstrations. But the people will get used to it, and then they will tune into our message, and when that happens, we may see a tipping point in this country, even in places where we can't even imagine today."

@TheRepublic