{"data":{"id":14976,"title":"Showdown! \"Vote Coverage\"","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/spectrum-dispatch\/14976-Showdown-Vote-Coverage","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/14976","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/14976","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"News Update","images":[{"id":456,"name":"ShowdownLogo2b_Crop.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/er8zycofrfrnor\/source\/ShowdownLogo2b_Crop.jpg","alt":"","size":540017,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2015-07-22T01:35:09+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/456","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/456\/similar"},{"id":26463,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/weozjmuuh3hwh\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":843046,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2019-09-19T15:49:32+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/26463\/similar"},{"id":27892,"name":"source.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/media.robertsspaceindustries.com\/w3o9r4zgppm77\/source.jpg","alt":"","size":900916,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2021-09-06T14:48:40+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/27892","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/27892\/similar"}],"images_count":8,"translations":{"en_EN":"SHOWDOWN!\nAuto-Transcript for S&P and NFSC Submission\n\nEP:59:08 : \u201cVote Coverage\u201d\nERIA QUINT: Welcome back to a special edition of Showdown. I\u2019m your host, Eria Quint, and as Citizens flock to polling places across the \u2019verse, we\u2019re tackling the topic that\u2019s on the mind of the entire Empire \u2014 Senator Polo\u2019s initiative to cut military spending. The importance of this piece of legislature seems to have energized the voting public, and if initial returns from Goss are any indicator, we are expecting a much higher voter turnout than expected; almost double what we saw six years ago when the Dunkirk Initiative failed to pass. There are even reports of polling stations staying open late to accommodate long lines of voters. Currently only 2% of all districts have relayed returns, so we expect a long week ahead as results trickle in from the various systems to the Imperial Election Bureau in Moscow.\n\nI\u2019m sure many of you have already weighed in with your opinion by voting, but we want to hear from you too. Comm us here at Showdown with your thoughts on the Polo initiative and let us know what you think it means for the UEE. Will Citizens call for fiscal responsibility from all branches of government and insist on military cuts? Or do rising crime and Vanduul threats justify current military spending?\n\nProviding us with their own unique insights are Arthur Warro, political attache to Senator Polo, and Gavin Vidyapith, noted author and spokesperson for \u201cSafe & Strong,\u201d a political activist group advocating for an increased military presence. Thanks to you both for joining us on what I can only assume will be a defining moment in the direction of this Empire and its people.\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: Thanks for having me on.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: My pleasure. Always happy to make time for you, Eria.\n\nERIA QUINT: So Arthur, early SRC exit polls have 65% of Terrans voting in favor of the initiative. That\u2019s got to be pretty exciting for the Senator.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: I just saw that too. I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if those numbers rise as more Citizens from Prime and New Austin head out to vote.\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: No one would be surprised. Everyone knows that inner systems like Terra have less of an interest in securing our borders.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: People seem to think that a desire to make sure that defense spending is going to appropriate places is tantamount to serving us up to the Vanduul. Did spending billions on the failed Project Stormwatch do anything to protect our borders?\n\nWe believe that the Citizens understand the fiscal challenges the UEE is facing. Parents take their kids to schools that are in disrepair. Haulers get stuck in egregiously long customs lines because of staff shortages. The people of Fora struggle daily to have something to eat. These are big problems that can only be resolved through big action. The Polo Initiative is what the Empire needs and I\u2019m positive that once all the votes are counted it will prove to be what the Empire wants.\n\nERIA QUINT: Gavin, what\u2019s your take on the early results?\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: Votes from the Empire\u2019s outer systems are going to take longer to arrive in Moscow. I fully expect the lead the initiative has to be slowly whittled away as more and more of these systems report their votes.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: I\u2019d like to remind Mr. Vidyapith that a high turnout rate in outer systems doesn\u2019t mean all those votes are against the initiative. I spoke to many voters from Vega, Elysium and elsewhere who understand the need to balance military safety with financial security. Millions of Citizens who live in frontline systems believe that responsible military spending won\u2019t leave them any less safe. The fact is, the military consumes a disproportionately large part of the budget when you compare it to what our Empire\u2019s actual day-to-day needs are.\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: There\u2019s a phrase my mother taught me, \u201cthink universally, act locally,\u201d and yeah, at the end of the day, people are most concerned about the problems at their front door, but what you have to remember is for a lot of people, the Vanduul are the problem at their front door. Not only that, but it has been shown time and again that this is more than just a frontier problem.\n\nERIA QUINT: Would you care to expand on that, Gavin?\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: The latest Stoddard Research Center poll showed that 51% of prospective voters wanted to maintain military spending and 25% were even willing to increase military spending. 50% of respondents claimed to be \u201cvery concerned\u201d with the ongoing hostilities with the Vanduul. I think those numbers speak for themselves.\n\nERIA QUINT: How about it, Mr. Warro? Do those numbers worry you?\n\nARTHUR WARRO: The biggest thing we took away was that 41% of respondents were undecided on how they were going to vote. That\u2019s why over the last few weeks of the campaign we worked really hard to get the word out on how the Polo initiative would create a better Empire without compromising its security. There are a lot of votes still on the table, and after our recent efforts, I\u2019m expecting more and more of them to be coming in our direction.\n\nERIA QUINT: Let\u2019s take a moment to see what our audience has to say about what\u2019s going on. wonderCHIN wrote in and said, \u201cThe Polo Initiative is not just about reducing military spending, but more about spending money more efficiently on the military and other government institutions. Senator Polo for Imperator!\u201d\n\nARTHUR WARRO: That\u2019s great! Further proof that you have the best audience in the \u2019verse, Eria.\n\nERIA QUINT: Any truth to wonderCHIN\u2019s last point? Does Senator Polo have any aspirations to higher office? He\u2019s already achieved UEE-wide name recognition. If this initiative passes, there\u2019s no doubt that it\u2019ll be politically advantageous for him.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: I can guarantee that all Senator Polo is worried about right now is finding a solution to the fiscal problems plaguing our Empire. This isn\u2019t a grand political stunt on his part. This is the action of a man who cares and is deeply worried about the future of our Empire.\n\nERIA QUINT: We have another comm here from Simon \u201cSkykiller\u201d Reach who believes that, \u201cThe Polo Initiative is as big a threat to the UEE and Humanity as the Vanduul are. The military should be more efficient, but any efficiency gains should be invested back into the military, not squandered away by some ridiculous bureaucrats.\u201d\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: Excellent suggestion, and one that I am happy to point out is something the military currently does. There are whole divisions of accountants who look at these numbers and decide where best to allocate funds. It seems absurd to think that an outside arbiter would know better than the military itself. Who are we to dictate to them?\n\nARTHUR WARRO: We are the Citizens of this Empire and the military is supposed to answer to us, or have you already forgotten what happens when it is the other way around?\n\nGAVIN VINDYAPITH: I see what you did there, Arthur, and I won\u2019t take the bait. All I\u2019m going to say is that it takes a strong military to protect the freedom our Empire enjoys. No way around it.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: And how will that work if the Empire is drowning in debt?\n\nERIA QUINT: I am seeing that the Election Bureau is reporting new results from the Rhetor system. A perfect time for Showdown to take a quick break so our analysts and guests can dig into them. While we\u2019re away, remember to send us your thoughts on this historic election. We\u2019ll be back shortly with more special election coverage on Showdown!\n\nEND TRANSCRIPT","de_DE":"SHOWDOWN!\nAutomatische \u00dcbertragung f\u00fcr S&P- und NFSC-Einreichungen\n\nEP:59:08 : \" Stimmen Sie ab\"\nERIA QUINT: Willkommen zur\u00fcck zu einer Sonderausgabe von Showdown. Ich bin Ihr Gastgeber, Eria Quint, und w\u00e4hrend die B\u00fcrger zu den Wahllokalen \u00fcber den Vers hinweg str\u00f6men, besch\u00e4ftigen wir uns mit dem Thema, das das gesamte Imperium besch\u00e4ftigt - der Initiative von Senator Polo zur Senkung der Milit\u00e4rausgaben. Die Bedeutung dieses Gesetzes scheint die stimmberechtigte \u00d6ffentlichkeit mit Energie versorgt zu haben, und wenn die ersten Renditen von Goss ein Indikator sind, erwarten wir eine viel h\u00f6here Wahlbeteiligung als erwartet; fast doppelt so viel wie vor sechs Jahren, als die D\u00fcnkircheninitiative nicht bestanden hat. Es gibt sogar Berichte \u00fcber Wahllokale, die sp\u00e4t ge\u00f6ffnet bleiben, um lange Reihen von W\u00e4hlern aufzunehmen. Derzeit haben nur 2% aller Bezirke Renditen weitergeleitet, so dass wir eine lange Woche im Voraus erwarten, da die Ergebnisse von den verschiedenen Systemen an das Imperial Election Bureau in Moskau weitergeleitet werden.\n\nIch bin sicher, dass viele von Ihnen bereits mit Ihrer Meinung durch Abstimmung gewogen haben, aber wir wollen auch von Ihnen h\u00f6ren. Komm uns hier im Showdown mit deinen Gedanken zur Polo-Initiative und lass uns wissen, was du denkst, was es f\u00fcr die UEE bedeutet. Werden die B\u00fcrgerinnen und B\u00fcrger von allen Regierungsbereichen fiskalische Verantwortung fordern und auf milit\u00e4rische K\u00fcrzungen bestehen? Oder rechtfertigen steigende Kriminalit\u00e4t und Vanduul-Drohungen die aktuellen Milit\u00e4rausgaben?\n\nArthur Warro, politischer Attach\u00e9 von Senator Polo, und Gavin Vidyapith, bekannter Autor und Sprecher von \"Safe & Strong\", einer politischen Aktivistengruppe, die sich f\u00fcr eine verst\u00e4rkte milit\u00e4rische Pr\u00e4senz einsetzt, liefern uns ihre eigenen einzigartigen Erkenntnisse. Vielen Dank an euch beide, dass ihr euch uns angeschlossen habt, denn ich kann nur annehmen, dass dies ein entscheidender Moment in Richtung dieses Reiches und seines Volkes sein wird.\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: Danke, dass ich dabei sein darf.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: Mit Vergn\u00fcgen. Ich nehme mir immer gerne Zeit f\u00fcr dich, Eria.\n\nERIA QUINT: Also Arthur, fr\u00fche SRC-Abschlussbefragungen haben 65% der Terraner f\u00fcr die Initiative gestimmt. Das muss ziemlich aufregend f\u00fcr den Senator sein.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: Das habe ich gerade auch gesehen. Ich w\u00e4re nicht \u00fcberrascht, wenn diese Zahlen steigen w\u00fcrden, wenn mehr B\u00fcrger aus Prime und New Austin zur Wahl gehen.\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: Niemand w\u00fcrde \u00fcberrascht sein. Jeder wei\u00df, dass innere Systeme wie Terra weniger Interesse an der Sicherung unserer Grenzen haben.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: Die Leute scheinen zu denken, dass der Wunsch, sicherzustellen, dass die Verteidigungsausgaben an geeignete Orte gelangen, gleichbedeutend ist mit einem Dienst an uns bis zum Vanduul. Haben die Milliardenausgaben f\u00fcr das gescheiterte Projekt Sturmwatch etwas zum Schutz unserer Grenzen beigetragen?\n\nWir glauben, dass die B\u00fcrger die steuerlichen Herausforderungen, vor denen die UEE steht, verstehen. Eltern nehmen ihre Kinder mit in Schulen, die in Verfall geraten sind. Spediteure stecken aufgrund von Personalengp\u00e4ssen in enorm langen Zolllinien fest. Die Menschen in Fora k\u00e4mpfen t\u00e4glich darum, etwas zu essen zu haben. Das sind gro\u00dfe Probleme, die nur durch gro\u00dfe Ma\u00dfnahmen gel\u00f6st werden k\u00f6nnen. Die Polo-Initiative ist das, was das Imperium braucht, und ich bin \u00fcberzeugt, dass, wenn alle Stimmen gez\u00e4hlt sind, es sich als das erweisen wird, was das Imperium will.\n\nERIA QUINT: Gavin, was h\u00e4ltst du von den ersten Ergebnissen?\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: Stimmen aus den \u00e4u\u00dferen Systemen des Imperiums werden l\u00e4nger brauchen, um in Moskau anzukommen. Ich gehe davon aus, dass die F\u00fchrung der Initiative langsam abgebaut werden muss, da immer mehr dieser Systeme ihre Stimmen abgeben.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: Ich m\u00f6chte Herrn Vidyapith daran erinnern, dass eine hohe Wahlbeteiligung in den \u00e4u\u00dferen Systemen nicht bedeutet, dass alle diese Stimmen gegen die Initiative sind. Ich habe mit vielen W\u00e4hlern von Vega, Elysium und anderswo gesprochen, die die Notwendigkeit verstehen, milit\u00e4rische Sicherheit und finanzielle Sicherheit in Einklang zu bringen. Millionen von B\u00fcrgern, die in Frontline-Systemen leben, glauben, dass verantwortungsvolle Milit\u00e4rausgaben sie nicht weniger sicher machen werden. Tatsache ist, dass das Milit\u00e4r einen \u00fcberproportional gro\u00dfen Teil des Budgets verbraucht, wenn man es mit den tats\u00e4chlichen t\u00e4glichen Bed\u00fcrfnissen unseres Reiches vergleicht.\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: Es gibt einen Satz, den meine Mutter mir beigebracht hat, \"universell denken, lokal handeln\", und ja, am Ende des Tages sind die Leute sehr besorgt \u00fcber die Probleme an ihrer Haust\u00fcr, aber was du dir merken musst, ist f\u00fcr viele Leute, die Vanduul sind das Problem an ihrer Haust\u00fcr. Nicht nur das, sondern es hat sich immer wieder gezeigt, dass es sich hier um mehr als nur um ein Grenzproblem handelt.\n\nERIA QUINT: M\u00f6chtest du das n\u00e4her erl\u00e4utern, Gavin?\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: Die neueste Umfrage des Stoddard Research Center ergab, dass 51% der potenziellen W\u00e4hler die Milit\u00e4rausgaben aufrechterhalten wollten und 25% sogar bereit waren, die Milit\u00e4rausgaben zu erh\u00f6hen. 50% der Befragten gaben an, \"sehr besorgt\" \u00fcber die anhaltenden Feindseligkeiten gegen die Vanduul zu sein. Ich denke, diese Zahlen sprechen f\u00fcr sich.\n\nERIA QUINT: Wie sieht es aus, Mr. Warro? Machen dir diese Zahlen Sorgen?\n\nARTHUR WARRO: Das Gr\u00f6\u00dfte, was wir mitgenommen haben, war, dass 41% der Befragten unentschlossen waren, wie sie w\u00e4hlen w\u00fcrden. Deshalb haben wir in den letzten Wochen der Kampagne sehr hart daran gearbeitet, die Botschaft zu verbreiten, wie die Polo-Initiative ein besseres Imperium schaffen w\u00fcrde, ohne seine Sicherheit zu gef\u00e4hrden. Es liegen noch viele Abstimmungen auf dem Tisch, und nach unseren j\u00fcngsten Bem\u00fchungen erwarte ich, dass immer mehr von ihnen in unsere Richtung kommen werden.\n\nERIA QUINT: Nehmen wir uns einen Moment Zeit, um zu sehen, was unser Publikum \u00fcber das zu sagen hat, was vor sich geht. wonderCHIN schrieb und sagte: \"Bei der Polo-Initiative geht es nicht nur darum, die Milit\u00e4rausgaben zu reduzieren, sondern auch darum, Geld effizienter f\u00fcr das Milit\u00e4r und andere staatliche Institutionen auszugeben. Senator Polo f\u00fcr Imperator!\"\n\nARTHUR WARRO: Das ist gro\u00dfartig! Ein weiterer Beweis daf\u00fcr, dass Sie das beste Publikum im Vers Eria haben.\n\nERIA QUINT: Irgendeine Wahrheit \u00fcber den letzten Punkt von wonderCHIN? Hat Senator Polo irgendwelche Ambitionen auf ein h\u00f6heres Amt? Er hat bereits einen UEE-weiten Bekanntheitsgrad erreicht. Wenn diese Initiative angenommen wird, besteht kein Zweifel daran, dass sie f\u00fcr ihn politisch von Vorteil sein wird.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: Ich kann garantieren, dass alle Senator Polo ist besorgt \u00fcber im Moment ist die Suche nach einer L\u00f6sung f\u00fcr die steuerlichen Probleme, die unser Imperium. Das ist kein gro\u00dfer politischer Stunt von seiner Seite. Dies ist die Tat eines Mannes, der sich um die Zukunft unseres Reiches k\u00fcmmert und sich gro\u00dfe Sorgen macht.\n\nERIA QUINT: Wir haben hier eine weitere Mitteilung von Simon \"Skykiller\" Reach, der glaubt, dass \"die Polo-Initiative eine ebenso gro\u00dfe Bedrohung f\u00fcr die UEE und die Menschheit ist wie die Vanduul. Das Milit\u00e4r sollte effizienter sein, aber alle Effizienzgewinne sollten wieder in das Milit\u00e4r investiert und nicht von einigen l\u00e4cherlichen B\u00fcrokraten verschwendet werden.\"\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: Ausgezeichneter Vorschlag, und einer, den ich gerne hervorheben m\u00f6chte, ist etwas, was das Milit\u00e4r derzeit tut. Es gibt ganze Abteilungen von Buchhaltern, die sich diese Zahlen ansehen und entscheiden, wo die Mittel am besten eingesetzt werden. Es erscheint absurd zu denken, dass ein externer Schiedsrichter es besser wissen w\u00fcrde als das Milit\u00e4r selbst. Wer sind wir, dass wir ihnen vorschreiben?\n\nARTHUR WARRO: Wir sind die B\u00fcrger dieses Reiches und das Milit\u00e4r soll sich vor uns verantworten, oder hast du schon vergessen, was passiert, wenn es umgekehrt ist?\n\nGAVIN VINDYAPITH: Ich sehe, was du dort getan hast, Arthur, und ich werde den K\u00f6der nicht nehmen. Alles, was ich sagen werde, ist, dass es eines starken Milit\u00e4rs bedarf, um die Freiheit zu sch\u00fctzen, die unser Imperium genie\u00dft. Daran f\u00fchrt kein Weg vorbei.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: Und wie wird das funktionieren, wenn das Imperium in Schulden ertrinkt?\n\nERIA QUINT: Ich sehe, dass das Wahlb\u00fcro \u00fcber neue Ergebnisse aus dem Rhetorensystem berichtet. Eine perfekte Zeit f\u00fcr Showdown, um eine kurze Pause einzulegen, damit sich unsere Analysten und G\u00e4ste in sie vertiefen k\u00f6nnen. W\u00e4hrend wir weg sind, denken Sie daran, uns Ihre Gedanken zu dieser historischen Wahl zu schicken. Wir werden in K\u00fcrze mit weiteren speziellen Wahlberichten zu Showdown zur\u00fcckkommen!\n\nENDE TRANSRIPT","zh_CN":"SHOWDOWN!\nAuto-Transcript for S&P and NFSC Submission\n\nEP:59:08 : \u201cVote Coverage\u201d\nERIA QUINT: Welcome back to a special edition of Showdown. I\u2019m your host, Eria Quint, and as Citizens flock to polling places across the \u2019verse, we\u2019re tackling the topic that\u2019s on the mind of the entire Empire \u2014 Senator Polo\u2019s initiative to cut military spending. The importance of this piece of legislature seems to have energized the voting public, and if initial returns from Goss are any indicator, we are expecting a much higher voter turnout than expected; almost double what we saw six years ago when the Dunkirk Initiative failed to pass. There are even reports of polling stations staying open late to accommodate long lines of voters. Currently only 2% of all districts have relayed returns, so we expect a long week ahead as results trickle in from the various systems to the Imperial Election Bureau in Moscow.\n\nI\u2019m sure many of you have already weighed in with your opinion by voting, but we want to hear from you too. Comm us here at Showdown with your thoughts on the Polo initiative and let us know what you think it means for the UEE. Will Citizens call for fiscal responsibility from all branches of government and insist on military cuts? Or do rising crime and Vanduul threats justify current military spending?\n\nProviding us with their own unique insights are Arthur Warro, political attache to Senator Polo, and Gavin Vidyapith, noted author and spokesperson for \u201cSafe & Strong,\u201d a political activist group advocating for an increased military presence. Thanks to you both for joining us on what I can only assume will be a defining moment in the direction of this Empire and its people.\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: Thanks for having me on.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: My pleasure. Always happy to make time for you, Eria.\n\nERIA QUINT: So Arthur, early SRC exit polls have 65% of Terrans voting in favor of the initiative. That\u2019s got to be pretty exciting for the Senator.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: I just saw that too. I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if those numbers rise as more Citizens from Prime and New Austin head out to vote.\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: No one would be surprised. Everyone knows that inner systems like Terra have less of an interest in securing our borders.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: People seem to think that a desire to make sure that defense spending is going to appropriate places is tantamount to serving us up to the Vanduul. Did spending billions on the failed Project Stormwatch do anything to protect our borders?\n\nWe believe that the Citizens understand the fiscal challenges the UEE is facing. Parents take their kids to schools that are in disrepair. Haulers get stuck in egregiously long customs lines because of staff shortages. The people of Fora struggle daily to have something to eat. These are big problems that can only be resolved through big action. The Polo Initiative is what the Empire needs and I\u2019m positive that once all the votes are counted it will prove to be what the Empire wants.\n\nERIA QUINT: Gavin, what\u2019s your take on the early results?\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: Votes from the Empire\u2019s outer systems are going to take longer to arrive in Moscow. I fully expect the lead the initiative has to be slowly whittled away as more and more of these systems report their votes.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: I\u2019d like to remind Mr. Vidyapith that a high turnout rate in outer systems doesn\u2019t mean all those votes are against the initiative. I spoke to many voters from Vega, Elysium and elsewhere who understand the need to balance military safety with financial security. Millions of Citizens who live in frontline systems believe that responsible military spending won\u2019t leave them any less safe. The fact is, the military consumes a disproportionately large part of the budget when you compare it to what our Empire\u2019s actual day-to-day needs are.\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: There\u2019s a phrase my mother taught me, \u201cthink universally, act locally,\u201d and yeah, at the end of the day, people are most concerned about the problems at their front door, but what you have to remember is for a lot of people, the Vanduul are the problem at their front door. Not only that, but it has been shown time and again that this is more than just a frontier problem.\n\nERIA QUINT: Would you care to expand on that, Gavin?\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: The latest Stoddard Research Center poll showed that 51% of prospective voters wanted to maintain military spending and 25% were even willing to increase military spending. 50% of respondents claimed to be \u201cvery concerned\u201d with the ongoing hostilities with the Vanduul. I think those numbers speak for themselves.\n\nERIA QUINT: How about it, Mr. Warro? Do those numbers worry you?\n\nARTHUR WARRO: The biggest thing we took away was that 41% of respondents were undecided on how they were going to vote. That\u2019s why over the last few weeks of the campaign we worked really hard to get the word out on how the Polo initiative would create a better Empire without compromising its security. There are a lot of votes still on the table, and after our recent efforts, I\u2019m expecting more and more of them to be coming in our direction.\n\nERIA QUINT: Let\u2019s take a moment to see what our audience has to say about what\u2019s going on. wonderCHIN wrote in and said, \u201cThe Polo Initiative is not just about reducing military spending, but more about spending money more efficiently on the military and other government institutions. Senator Polo for Imperator!\u201d\n\nARTHUR WARRO: That\u2019s great! Further proof that you have the best audience in the \u2019verse, Eria.\n\nERIA QUINT: Any truth to wonderCHIN\u2019s last point? Does Senator Polo have any aspirations to higher office? He\u2019s already achieved UEE-wide name recognition. If this initiative passes, there\u2019s no doubt that it\u2019ll be politically advantageous for him.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: I can guarantee that all Senator Polo is worried about right now is finding a solution to the fiscal problems plaguing our Empire. This isn\u2019t a grand political stunt on his part. This is the action of a man who cares and is deeply worried about the future of our Empire.\n\nERIA QUINT: We have another comm here from Simon \u201cSkykiller\u201d Reach who believes that, \u201cThe Polo Initiative is as big a threat to the UEE and Humanity as the Vanduul are. The military should be more efficient, but any efficiency gains should be invested back into the military, not squandered away by some ridiculous bureaucrats.\u201d\n\nGAVIN VIDYAPITH: Excellent suggestion, and one that I am happy to point out is something the military currently does. There are whole divisions of accountants who look at these numbers and decide where best to allocate funds. It seems absurd to think that an outside arbiter would know better than the military itself. Who are we to dictate to them?\n\nARTHUR WARRO: We are the Citizens of this Empire and the military is supposed to answer to us, or have you already forgotten what happens when it is the other way around?\n\nGAVIN VINDYAPITH: I see what you did there, Arthur, and I won\u2019t take the bait. All I\u2019m going to say is that it takes a strong military to protect the freedom our Empire enjoys. No way around it.\n\nARTHUR WARRO: And how will that work if the Empire is drowning in debt?\n\nERIA QUINT: I am seeing that the Election Bureau is reporting new results from the Rhetor system. A perfect time for Showdown to take a quick break so our analysts and guests can dig into them. While we\u2019re away, remember to send us your thoughts on this historic election. We\u2019ll be back shortly with more special election coverage on Showdown!\n\nEND TRANSCRIPT"},"links_count":0,"comment_count":124,"created_at":"2015-09-30T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"10 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-07 23:59:37","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":14975,"next_id":14978}}