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The New Century Party
The New Century Party is a loose coalition of disaffected Technocrats who jumped shipin the wake of the rigged-election scandal and a number of hip post-modern, highly educated hermetics. The party's basic ideology calls for a melding of scientific and magical principals to create a happier and more prosperous society. The New Centurists are progressives and forward-thinkers who believe that the old Technocratic Party failed to push the envelope far enough. As they see it, the UCAS needs to call upon all its technological and magical resources to solve the nation's woes. The party strongly supports small-business initiative, research and development, innovation and education as keys to keeping the UCAS prosperous in the gobal arena.
The New Century Party's chief spokeswoman is Rozilyn Hernandez, a controversial social scientist and mage who has served as a member of the faculty at Georgetown University for the past fourteen years. Ms. Hernandez's theories on social development, technomagic and progress through innovation have met with acclaim and criticism throughout her career, and many have accused her of being a "guru" to her academic adherents. Despite the vagaries of public opinion, Rozilyn stands by her theory that [meta]humankind can achieve a uptopian society through technological and magical development. In the speech announcing her candidacy, Hernandez summed up her opinion in the following words: "Our technology isn't doing enough. Magic isn't doing enough. Neither of them has lived up to what they could be. We need to take back the reigns of power and guide the world into a new era. Magic and Technology working together can show us the new directions that our nation needs to take; this way, we can fulfill the promise of the twenty-first century."
Dr. Hernandez is also a high-grade initiate of a hermetic magical order known as the Illuminates of the New Dawn, an order that sees the Awakening as a sign of a new era in human development. They believe that the forces of science and magic must be reconciled in order to advance the [meta]human cause. Most members of the IOND are also members of the New Century Party. Naturally, conspiracy theorists see this as proof that the New Century Party is being manipulated by some kind of Illuminati-style magical conspiracy behind the scene.
The New Centurists are ruthlessly pro-evolution, supporting "progress" at almost any cost. They are concerned about preventing environmental damage, but only because they see conservation as the most efficient way for progress to continue. They are likely to sacrifice quite a few individual freedoms in order to achieve their greater goal of prosperity and ongoing techno-magical development in the UCAS.
Vice President: Hernandez's running mate, Ramsay McMulkin, is a Technocrat and the "mundane" face of the campaign. A former film star, McMulkin got involved in politics in the latter days of his acting career, then became an advocate for Technocratic causes as his film career diminished. He has tremendous stage presence and an excellent speaking voice. He still plays well to the camera, and he has kept his amazing good looks with only minimal help from cosmetic survery. McMulkin has a lot of "star" appeal for the voting public.
Platform: "Our Magical Future" The New Century Party plays on the theme of magic and technology working in harmony to create a brighter fuure for everyone, a varation on the "science will save us" notion prevalent in the 1950s. The New Centurists talk as if there is no problem that cannot be overcome by doing lots and lots of research on it and forming committees to study it. Progressive and intellectual, these people are academic armchair politicians with pwoer. They support equal rights for virtually everyone, unlimited funds from research, better education and a general improvement in the average UCAS citizen's understanding of magic.
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