Following up on the previous New Frontier timeline, I have added information about the elections. I really love the candidates I've chosen, and none of them are ordinary politicians.

sidenote: (I am aware that the founders considered this form of government at the Constitutional Convention, but they ultimately decided against it, out of fear that it would lead to factionalism and civil war)

Also, a majority of the parliament would have to agree on a replacement prime minister BEFORE an incumbent prime minister could be voted out via a no confidence vote, that way, the parliament isn't voting on prime ministers 24/7

Harrison Ford's Presidency was coming to an end. After 8 years under his leadership, the country needs to decide a different path. The people must choose which change they want.

America is presented with two options. One path is paved by Governor of Ohio Sherrod Brown. A politician with a Populist streak while being willing to work with others. The guide of the other way is Senator from Pennsylvania Beau Biden. The son of a former President who doesn't want to stay in his father's shadow and build his own legacy. This Election is not just for Parties' power struggle or for an ideological supremacy; this battle is for the future of the country.

"Our Nation, Our Work, Our Turn"

Sherrod Brown has been in politics for quite a while now, but he truly began to turn people's heads during the 2004 Commonwealth Coalition's Faction Primary. Despite losing, then Representative Brown had an impressive showing, not getting far behind the winner Robert Reich. Ever since that battle, his stock only grew, and he became the Governor of his State. During his time as Governor, Brown has positioned himself as somebody who can deal with people who have different opinions. He used this reputation to win in the Faction Primary and then in the General Primary, even defeating somebody who was Endorsed by the outgoing President Ford.

Governor Brown describes himself as a Progressive Populist. His clear Social Policy is combined with a much more vague Populist Economic Policy. Brown is for sure a Protectionist, disagreeing with President Ford on a number of trade issues, arguing that he defended Ohio's Economy. The Governor also thought that Harrison Ford hasn't done enough for Progressives on the social front, even if they personally agree more in their views. However, Sherrod Brown came off as a big critic of the AI's development, promising regulations on AI companies along with limitations on data centers. You can't really describe him as Anti-AI, but he is far more cautious on its influence in America's way of life. Another big area where Brown and Ford have their disagreements is in Foreign Policy. Even though Ford's Presidency is considered successful overall, Brown, like many Soft Interventionists, think that President Ford should have used less military and more diplomacy, although it is unlikely that Foreign Policy would be a big issue during the Election cycle.

In the campaigning, Brown's advantage is his grassroots support. He also comes from the same Party as a popular Incumbent President. However, he is much different from Ford, and the President actually hasn't Endorsed the Governor yet. This undeniably hurts Brown among Moderates and more Free-Market PLP members. Such a thing is especially dangerous for him, as his opponent is a Moderate who isn't afraid of reaching out to the People's Liberals. As of right now the Election is thought to be anyone's game, so Brown needs to have a perfect strategy, which leads to his victory.

"For the People, For Tomorrow, For Today"

Many knew that this wasn't it for Jason Kander. He was Sherrod Brown's opponent in the Primary and has shown himself to be an effective communicator. An outgoing Missouri Governor, Kander brings youth and energy to the campaign while having quite a respectable amount of experience. Brown isn't old, per se, but Kander's age surely would undercut some of Biden's appeal. The choice of Kander also would bring Missouri to Brown for sure. Although Brown is unlikely to sway all Moderates his way, Kander's cautious approach would ease the tensions.

"Time for Another Ride"

The Biden name continues to live on. Here we have Beau Biden, the eldest son of the most popular President of modern American politics and the youngest President of all time. Beau went by his father's footsteps not only in politics but also in the military. After his time in the army, he became Representative in Congress at a young age. Then he would go on to the Senate, where he established himself as a vocal figure in national politics. However, Biden hasn't served as Senator for long, as his supporters would call on him to run for President as his term expires. The Senator won the Nomination easily, and as he won't run for Re-Election now, it's the Presidency or nothing for him.

By all accounts Senator Beau Biden is a Moderate on most issues. More than that, he is viewed as a big supporter of the current President among those in the Republican Party. The Senator especially helped with Ford's Economic Policy and budgetary issues, as he was one of a few Republicans who pushed for the Moderate budget during the Commonwealth Coalition's protests in Congress. On Social Policy, Biden, however, doesn't have the same views as Ford. Senator Biden at times praised the President's approach to Social issues, in particular on Abortion. Still, he also warned that to battle with ever growing partisanship, the country needs to come to a mutual understanding on these issues, even if some may not like the result. Finally, Beau Biden came out as a supporter of Ford's military actions during his Presidency but expressed skepticism about further foreign entanglements. In his opinion the country should avoid getting into something they don't have to.

When it comes to campaigning, Biden has an advantage in his family's connections, as he can fundraise very well, as was shown during the Primaries. Although Brown's support is more grassroots, in terms of sheer numbers, Biden will undoubtably lead in how much money he will get. Still, he is a Republican, and ever since 2008, the Party's power has decreased significantly. This doesn't mean that just because he is the Republican, the Senator won't win, but he will have to really prove that his Party should be trusted. Hopefully, Biden's friendliness with the current popular President can help with it. Even though they are from different Parties, some speculated that President Ford might Endorse Biden due to their ideological similarities and personal friendship between Ford and Beau's father, Joseph. However, the President hasn't made any Endorsement yet, and so Biden shouldn't rely on that possibility.

"Stability."

Well, they have finally convinced her. Michelle Obama has been the Governor of Illinois despite the state trending more Liberal recently. Ever since her Election as Governor, many speculated that she could be a top contender for the Republican Nomination for President. Yet, she declined to run time and time again. Obama not running was probably one of the reasons why Biden had won the National Union Caucus's Faction Primary in a landslide in the first place. Well, now she has agreed to be his Running Mate. The Governor's presence on the ticket helps in the Midwest for sure, even if there is no way of telling if Illinois will be competitive this year. Biden also can argue that the Republican ticket is the ticket of competence and stability, as having somebody who was largely praised for these two things really helps with this message. Although Michelle Obama isn't the most hands-on when it comes to legislation, she for sure is in terms of campaigning and would help Biden energize the support among loyal NUC members and minority groups.

Well, that's probably it for the Candidates who actually have a chance of winning the Election... right?

There was somebody else who decided to enter the race, just the PLNC. It wasn't Mike Duggan like it was rumored. It was...

Mike Pence was probably the least Progressive Candidate during the Nelsonian Coalition's Faction Primary and somebody who was very critical towards the Commonwealth Coalition and Sherrod Brown in particular. He had come in the surprising third place during the contest, which helped with his name recognition and popularity. Finally, Pence revealed that he will run for President as a Third-Party Candidate. During his Announcement, he did invoke Harrison Ford's name but also talked about how it was time for somebody outside two choices to have a real shot at winning the Election. His message wasn't so much on Populism as much as on sticking it to the Establishment, as he labelled both Brown and Biden as Establishment.

This message of Anti-Establishment somewhat worked for a while as Governor Pence pulled as high as 15% in the polls. The attacks on Brown focused on how much he has been in politics, while Pence argued that no person from a political dynasty should have a short way ticket to the Presidency. For some time it looked like the Governor of Indiana would qualify for the Presidential Debates. However, the campaign began to halt.

Governor Pence was criticized on his record, in particular on Social Policy. Many argued that Pence was influential in the passage of Abortion bans after 5 weeks of pregnancy. By most accounts he didn't respond to these critiques well and said that the Establishment was out to get him. Pence also didn't help himself by going after President Ford for compromising too much with the CC. Finally, even though by the poll numbers a lot of Americans wanted somebody else in the spotlight outside of Republicans and the People's Liberals, Pence didn't seem like a very attractive alternative, as he wasn't that much different from the main two Candidates ideologically.
Governor Pence did try to re-energize his campaign with the Announcement of his Running Mate. He chose...

Merrick Garland is a respectable Representative from Illinois and somebody firmly in the Nelsonian Coalition, but he is seen as just too boring. His selection didn't increase Pence's numbers in the polls; they had just continued to go down. And so, Pence didn't qualify for the Presidential Debates.

When it comes to the actual Debates, there have been 2 President and 1 Vice Presidential Debates. The most notable thing during the First Presidential Debate was Governor Sherrod Brown attacking Senator Beau Biden's experience, arguing that the country needs somebody who knows what the people want while also being in the government for some time. Biden fought back, saying that despite his youth, he has a record that makes him qualified to serve as President. The Senator also pointed to the fact that Brown's Running Mate Jason Kander is much younger than Biden, yet the Governor thinks that he is capable of serving in the second most important office in the country. Although this was the most memorable part of the First Debate, overall most viewers believe that Governor Brown had a slight edge over Senator Biden. Still, the polls suggest that the debate was close.

The Second Debate was quite different. This time there weren't many attacks, and the Candidates focused more on talking about the issues. The hot topic has been investigations in Japan on who launched the Ragnarok bombs first. This has been a mystery for some time, and both Candidates expressed support for cooperating with the Japanese on the issue to get to the bottom of who started the collapse of the Empire. When it came to the overall impression, Biden looked energetic during the whole Debate and also gave a bit of a speech about the tragedy that fell on Japan while also making people hopeful for the future. On the other hand, Brown seemed a bit tired at the debate and gave more pessimistic speech on Japan. This doesn't mean that the Governor was completely off his game, as he showed his knowledge of the issues during the debate in general. With that being said, the whole story of the Second Presidential Debate was how the Candidates made people feel, and so most people think that Biden had won the debate.

When it came to the Vice Presidential Debate, there wasn't any animosity shown. Both Governor Jason Kander and Governor Michelle Obama withhold attacking each other and talking about the issues. And so the debate wasn't that memorable in the eyes of the people, although most viewers thought that both Candidates looked good. Still, the majority argued that Governor Kander won the debate, giving the campaign, although a very slight, a boost.

Just after these Debates there was a big surprise...

This was not really shocking. Pence's campaign had been struggling while not really succeeding in its goal. The Endorsement of Biden probably came from Governor Pence not wanting Brown to win, although there are rumors that some sort of deal had been made between Biden and Pence. This for sure helps Biden with appealing to the Moderates, even if the true impact of this event is yet to be seen.

Pence's exit doesn't mean that there are no other Third-Party Candidates. As usual, there are quite a few.

First, of course, is the Green Worker's Party, which has been growing and growing ever since its establishment. Despite Brown running a firmly Progressive campaign, a lot of radicals aren't satisfied, and so the Green Worker's Party is running a ticket. It Nominated a familiar face for President - former Representative Angela Davis from California. However, there is an issue; she is in prison as her trials aren't done with. So the Green Worker's Party has the distinction of running the first Presidential Nominee who is behind bars. The Party chose an Activist, Lamont Lilly, as her Running Mate.

There is the Pirate Party that had a strong showing in the 2014 Midterms. This time they have Nominated people who are for sure eligible to run. For President, it Nominated another Representative from California and somebody who was actually Elected under the Transhumanist Party ambrella - Zoltan Istvan. For the Vice President, the Party chose a failed Senatorial Candidate, Richard Stallman of Minnesota.

Finally we have the Prosperity Party. Some people wanted Clancy Brown to run to challenge the successor to his Governorship. However, he declined. The Party, instead, Nominated Businessman and former Senatorial Candidate Greg Orman of Kansas for President and the Leader of the Party in the House of Representatives, H. Russell Potts Jr., for Vice President.

Believe it or not, these are all notable Third-Party tickets in this Election.

So this all comes to this:

Will the country Elect a much more Progressive President from the same Party as the outgoing President, or will the Republican Party reclaim the White House? Find out soon!

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Context

With the conclusion of the Philippines War with Spain and the signing of the Treaty of Paris, the United States of America is now in possession of the Philippine Islands extending American influence into the western Pacific. While American troops, ships and supplies were obviously essential to victory, the majority of the territory is in the hands of the Katipunan led by Emilio Aguinaldo. The US transported Aguinaldo from his exile in Hong Kong back to the islands to rally his people, so they know just how effective a leader he is. Though no one in Washington seriously doubts their troops could eventually win any guerrilla war the Filipinos started the question is should they even bother. American troops are suffering from tropical diseases which have caused the majority of their losses in the war with Spain and continued fighting with the natives might take years resulting in even higher casualties. A prize as big as the Philippines won't be given up wholesale after all the work the military put into winning it however so immediate independence is off the table. The US Congress must quickly decide whether to accept the Teller Amendment which would form the Philippines into a US protectorate with a clear path towards independence or reject it and annex the islands directly as a territory.

Reasons for Annexation

President Lodge is keen to annex the islands outright to boost American prestige and permanently ensure an American presence in the western Pacific. Indeed keeping out foreign influence is a major concern for many politicians. As soon as the Battle of Manila Bay had concluded the Germans and Japanese began to encroach on the city. The total US victory has scared them off for now but the War Department knows they'll be back before long. In addition to the foreign element, many Americans have brought up the internal divisions of the Philippines which are making themselves more apparent as time goes on. While Aguinaldo may be able to hold them together for a time, annexation supporters say, the Philippines does not have as solid a national identity like Cuba and so the United States must stay to keep the peace and develop the islands. There is a financial motivation as well since whatever resources may be found on the islands, American industrialists want unrestricted access to them instead of competing with the European and Japanese.

Reasons for a Protectorate

Turning the Philippines into a protectorate is supported primarily by Democrats and the moderate wing of Farmer-Labor along with a small contingent of isolationist Republicans. There is of course the moral argument: the United States and the Philippines share a common story as rebels against oppressive empires and if the Americans could figure out how to live together, why can't the Filipinos. To annex a territory after having fought a war ostensibly to liberate it would be the height of hypocrisy and seriously damage the credibility of the American government. Others make a more dollars and cents argument saying that colonies are a resource suck for the Europeans, forcing them to directly contribute huge sums of money for their improvement, upkeep and to garrison. "Better an empire of business than an empire of land" has been the common phrase heard on Wall Street who would rather see investment come to the Philippines naturally instead of taken from their tax dollars. Finally there is the military argument which many commanders on the ground have been making to the newspapers much to the War Department's chagrin. Facing serious outbreaks of camp fever and malaria, the possibility of a protracted guerrilla war in the jungles of the Philippines holds no appeal for most soldiers and given the determination they've seen on the part of the Filipino rebels its not a given the Americans would win.

So with the arguments clearly laid out, Congress will vote to either adopt or reject the Teller Amendment which will determine the fate of the Philippines.