Founding Fathers Forum Game: A republic, if you can keep it.

Also, in response to player questions:
We are still in era A for state electoral vote values.
New York does not connect to New Jersey on the election map (I’m assuming because New Jersey’s political establishment was more influenced by Pennsylvania than New York at the time of the founding).

Thomas Jefferson chooses Aaron Burr as his running mate. @Ironsight does Burr accept?

After a stinging defeat in the last election at the hands of the vile backstabbing Amish, Aaron Burr has handed over faction leadership to John Quincy Adams for now.

Aaron Burr respectfully declines.

Thomas Jefferson would like to ask Albert Gallatin to be his running mate.

I believe you should “@” him. @Cuthbert

Msr. Gallatin cannot stand as a member of the Democratic-Republicans, with their pro-French sympathies, while Switzerland is crushed under the French boot. Gallatin courteously declines

I think @Panzeh needs a running mate, still.

I was going to beg off on age or nationalization grounds but apparently Gallitan is eligible on both! The more you know…

Gallatin sounds suspiciously French to me. Hmmmm…

Well, we have some sympathy for this man. We judged him unfairly earlier. The man is a refugee from bloody Jacobinism and now French tyranny.

He is from Geneva, apparently!

Thomas Jefferson chooses James Monroe as his running mate. Does @Brooski agree?

Yea verrily!

James Monroe accepts vice-presidential nomination on The Jeffersons ticket.

@Navaronegun

Mr. Hamilton (@Cuthbert), if you accepte the selection as my running mate, I think we shall use this for the publick pamphlets for our newly renamed Federalist-National Party.

Hamilton accepts

The Election of 1796

The sectional split in American government became apparent in the election of 1796, when the newly christened Federalist-National party nominated John Adams and Alexander Hamilton, two Northeasterners. Meanwhile, the Democratic-Republicans selected Jefferson and Monroe, both from Virginia. This would be the first of many North-South conflicts in the Nation’s history.

Elections recap: Each candidate places cubes to claim states. On the first turn, the candidates place in their home state or, if that is not possible, as close as possible to their home state. On this first turn only, either or both candidates with positive public support my elect to place second. On subsequent turns, the candidates must place cubes adjacent to their previously placed cubes.

Home state order does not matter here, and Adams places in New England, Hamilton in New York, and Jefferson in Virginia. @Brooski, does Monroe place in Carolina or Maryland?

A minor technical point on first cube placement that does not affect placement in this election, but might in future elections. A VP candidate who can’t place his first cube in his home state places adjacent to his running mates cube, not as close to his home state as possible.

Edit - Page 8:

Claim States by placing Party cubes on State Cards. The first
cube is always placed on the Statesman’s Home State, unless
there is no vacancy. In this case, if a presidential candidate, the
cube is placed as close to the Home State as possible. In the
case of a vice presidential candidate without a vacancy, the
cube is placed adjacent to that of his running mate (the player
choosing one if he has multiple running mates); if there is no
adjacent vacancy, the vice presidential candidate may only
place in a State which is not contiguous with those of the east
coast, e.g. California.

@Ironsight is correct, sorry. This doesn’t matter here, but could in the future.

Monroe places in Maryland

The election is currently 50 to 33, with 68 electoral votes needed to win. @Navaronegun, Adams is hemmed in by Hamilton. @Cuthbert, Hamilton to place (I believe only valid territory is PA).