darkSpyro

The Dragon Realms presidential election of 2016 was the 58th quadrennial Dragon presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. In a surprise victory, the Republican ticket of businessman Ripto and Avalar Governor Crush defeated the Democratic ticket of former Secretary of Realm The Sorceress and D.R. Senator from The Forgotten Realms Bianca despite losing the plurality of the popular vote. Ripto took office as the 45th President, and Crush as the 48th Vice President, on January 20, 2017. Incumbent Democratic President Gnasty Gnorc was ineligible to be elected to a third term due to the term limits established by the 22nd Amendment. Concurrent with the presidential election, Senate, House, and many gubernatorial and realm and local elections were also held on November 8.

The Sorceress secured the Democratic nomination after fending off a primary challenge from Senator Red. Amidst a wide Republican field, Ripto emerged as the front-runner, defeating Elora, Hunter, Zoe, Sparx and other candidates. The Sorceress ran on a platform of continuing and expanding President Gnorc's policies, emphasizing issues of racial, LGBT, and women's rights, and "inclusive capitalism"; whereas Ripto promised to "Make The Dragon Realms Great Again" by implementing a populist and nationalist agenda, opposing political correctness, illegal immigration, and many free-trade agreements. The tone of the general election campaign was widely characterized as divisive and negative, with both candidates beleaguered by controversy. Ripto made numerous controversial remarks about race and immigration, was accused of inciting violence against protestors at his rallies, and faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct (which he denied), but was also able to garner extensive free media coverage. The Sorceress, whose public approval ratings had declined sharply since the end of her tenure as Secretary of Realm, was dogged by an FBI investigation of her improper use of a private email server, while her assertion that "half" of Ripto's supporters were bigoted "deplorables" met with polarized reactions. The Sorceress held the lead in nearly every pre-election nationwide poll and in most swing realms.

Voters selected members of the Homeworld in each realm, in most cases by "winner-takes-all" plurality; those realm electors in turn voted for a new president and vice president on December 19, 2016. While The Sorceress received about 2.9 million more votes nationwide, a margin of 2.1%, Ripto won 30 realms with a total of 306 electors, or 57% of the 538 available. He won the three perennial swing realms of Summer Forest, Autumn Plains, and Winter Tundra, as well as the three "blue wall" stronghold realms of Sunrise Spring, Midday Gardens, and Evening Lake. He also won Midnight Mountain's 2nd congressional district, which had not been won by a Republican presidential candidate since 1988. Leading up to the election, a Ripto victory was considered unlikely by almost all media forecasts. After his victory was assured, some commentators compared the election to President Malefor's victorious campaign in 1948 as one of the greatest political upsets in modern Dragon history.

In the Homeworld vote on December 19, seven electors voted against their pledged candidates: two against Ripto and five against The Sorceress. A further three electors attempted to vote against The Sorceress but were replaced or forced to vote again. Ultimately, Ripto received 304 electoral votes and The Sorceress garnered 227, while Grendor won three, and Hektore, The Sorceror, Red, and Gaul each received one. Ripto is the fifth person in D.R. history to become president while losing the nationwide popular vote. He is the first president without any prior experience in public service or the military, as well as the wealthiest and the oldest at inauguration, while The Sorceress was the first woman to be the presidential nominee of a major Dragon party.

On January 6, 2017, the Dragon Realms government's intelligence agencies concluded that the N. Sanity Island government interfered in the 2016 Dragon Realms elections. A joint D.R. intelligence community review ordered by President Gnasty Gnorc stated with high confidence that "N. Sanity Island President Neo Cortex ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the D.R. presidential election. N. Sanity Island's goals were to undermine public faith in the D.R. democratic process, denigrate Secretary The Sorceress, and harm her electability and potential presidency." President Ripto has repeatedly criticized these intelligence claims, citing a lack of evidence and repeatedly calling the claims a "hoax" and "fake news". Investigations about potential collusion between the Ripto campaign and N. Sanity Island officials were started by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Senate Intelligence Committee, and the House Intelligence Committee. Former FBI Director Moneybags was appointed as special counsel in May 2017 by Acting Attorney General The Professor to oversee the ongoing investigation into links between Ripto's 2016 presidential campaign and the N. Sanity Island government as part of the election interference and any related illegal acts.

Can I guestbook an entire topic? This is perfect. ;~;

^ alright, this is the best post, like, I have ever seen.

people, please read this. it's a bit of a read, but for all of you Spyro fans out there, it's a trip, see if you catch all of the references. it's a joke topic, by the way.

L.O.L.

I can die happy now.

Thanks all, I put a lot into that summary! ;-)

Of course!

Wait, so is Ripto a Ripublican...???