This constituency has a history of dirty elections with votes bought and sold and even the local PTA willing to take a bung to smear the other guy. But maybe times are changing! Then again, maybe not.
Do you have what it takes to become the put-upon MP for Rottenborough-on-the-Take? Are you willing to go the extra mile for your voters’ approval? Are you going to be the one to “be the change” and win the seat without breaking the law?! Let’s be honest, it’s unlikely. Things here have been done a certain way for a very long time and maybe the people like it like that! Who on Earth are you – Mr Public School Educated New-Comer – to tell them how to do politics?! Eh?! EH?!
Over six weeks (rounds) of campaigning you’ll earn people’s trust (or buy it) and hopefully their votes (or buy those too) as you spend your ever-dwindling campaign fund on honest ways to win (or dishonest ways). How you do it is up to you! Place ads and put up posters! Speak at public meetings to the local Working Men’s Club darts team, a hall full of bored politics students or the Women’s Institute, among others. Eventually face your opponents at the Hustings! Or just pay everybody off, expensive as it may be. But remember, not everyone who SAYS they’ll vote for you WILL! Come Election Day you may find your loyal supporters are anything but.
For 1 – 6 players, using cards (2 decks), cubes (loads) dice (many) and… test tubes?! “Rotten Borough” could be a great game! I might throw a prototype together some day soon.
Concept by Gareth Bundy,
Cartoon from Google Images.
