December Pre-Standing Senate Poll Results

Calvin Coolidge

Spellcaster
Forum Administrator
Honoured Citizen
Citizen
In the Grand Hall, the Panda's Pen had a poll open from December 7-9, and received twenty-five responses. For the first time, we experimented with a satisfaction scale instead of a 0-10 scale, and the response was mostly positive on that front. We will likely continue down this path for future polls. And now, let's get into the data.

Anumia
Most Were: Somewhat Dissatisfied

The breakdown on the satisfaction scale shows that opinions were very divided over Anumia’s Speakership. Ten respondents were on the satisfied side of the scale, while ten were on the dissatisfied side, with five in the middle. Those who were impressed with his term cite his legislative experience and leadership as their reasoning for feeling the way they did, while his critic point to his focus on the wrong legislative proposals and seeming lack of interest in the position. Overall, it’s a pretty mixed bag for Anumia, so he’ll have to see how strong his support ends up being should he run in the next election.
  • Anumia was ineffective as a speaker this term. He is typically effective in the senate but this term was perhaps one of his worst in recent memory.
  • Anumia's a cool dude, good Senator
  • Explanatory Notes were a complete failure, Elections timing and the universal citizenship requirement have sat for a week and a half and two and a half weeks respectively without any comment, but I like the rest of his body of work.
  • Anumia is all around a great legislator that knows what he's doing and provides good advice for junior members. He makes a great Speaker.
  • I thought Anumia was supposed to be legendary in the Senate? Ever since I have been here for the last few months as a n00b all I've heard is high praise for god emperor Anumia and yet nothing was delivered here. Anumia seems to have had little interest in actually leading the Senate and more interested in just having the crimson title. I think even one Senator brought up the point that not even the voting records had been posted yet? Sad.
  • v gud job
  • He's been the most ineffectual speaker I've seen in Europeia.
  • Still a good legislator, but even without the mishaps of his Speakership not comparable to his last term.
  • Anumia wasn't efficient at keep things in gear. His own pet project fizzled into nothing after he spent large amounts of energy defending it.

Cat
Most Were: Somewhat Satisfied

With 60% of respondents saying they were satisfied in some way with Cat’s term, she has a lot to be happy about. Supporters cite her high levels of activity, as well as her ability to work with others as reasons to be satisfied, while her critics say she has less energy than expected, and speculated that she might out of her depth in the legislative field. However, since these criticisms were held by a small minority of respondents, they are unlikely to affect her chances in the next election, should she choose to run again.
  • Cat's arguments in the senate ranged from nonsensical to practically ad hominem when she was responding to people. She seemed out of her depth, and her line of succession amendment was terrible.
  • A bit more active than the rest, I think she was more busy with her Ministry.
  • Cat has shown strong activity and a willingness to work with others. She has great potential.
  • Not as awful as some of her colleagues but not exactly a shining star either.
  • A better cabinet member than a senator.
  • Cat is not cut out for the senate. Her lack of ability to present a well reasoned argument and habit of completely falling apart when people disagree with her is terrible. Worst senator this term, bar none.
  • Actively discussed, some good questions in nominations.
  • For someone who seemed very energetic campaigning I'm disappointed not to see that energy transfered to the Senate floor as well.

Celtian
Most Were: Somewhat Satisfied

The general feeling I got from looking at Celtian’s numbers, as well as the comments was that Celtian had a fairly average Senate term. The comments main thing with Celtian is that he did a fine job for his first term, without making much of an impact one way or the other, though he left respondents wanting in terms of his activity. His chances for the election are likely up in the air, and will depend on Celtian’s activity.
  • I really can't say much about Celtian's performance this term, it was middle of the road. Could have been much better, could have been much worse.
  • By far, the least active member of this Senate.
  • Not bad for a first term.
  • Less active than I hoped to see him be but still pretty decent. I would've preferred to see Celtian engage more but I understand he was sick.
  • Green, but enthusiastic.
  • I often forgot that Celtain and Ervald were senators. He disappeared for like five days while he was sick and I barely even noticed.
  • Never did anything moronic.

Ervald
Most Were: Somewhat Dissatisfied

It’s clear from this poll that many did not think Ervald had a good term in the Senate. He had the highest amount of dissatisfaction from our respondents (48%), and had very few positive comments left for him. The commenters felt that Ervald was not very active, and his contributions did not add much to the discussion. Judging by this feedback, Ervald seems to face a very tough reelection campaign, should he choose to run.
  • Ervald is in much the same boat as Celtian, he had a middle of the road term. I'd rate his performance as worse than Celtian's though. At least Celtian's replies didn't leave me cringing most of the time.
  • He made quite a few posts, at least
  • Ervald has good potential, and demonstrates his improvement in the Senate.
  • Hy-any-go.
  • aight
  • I frequently forgot that Ervald and Celtian were senators. Ervald's sold contributions this term have been to agree with what better senators have offered.
  • While active in some threads, not much valuable contribution otherwise.

Pichtonia
Most Were: Somewhat Satisfied

Pichtonia has a lot of support coming out of this poll, with 60% of respondents being satisfied in one manner or another with his term in the Senate. Those who rated him highly seemed to temper their praise by saying he was good in comparison to the rest of the lackluster Senate, though they praised his energy and timeliness. Many commenters, both supporters and critics, however, also stated that was too quick to argue/fight with other Senators. Should he stand for reelection, he will likely have to deal with the combative issue, but he does seem to have enough support to not have to worry too much about it.
  • One of the two best Senators this term, though he replied in a timely manner, usually with what seemed to be well thought out arguments. He also moved to table that god awful line of succession amendment.
  • Made a few real arguments, did an OK job.
  • Was a big help in a less experienced Senate.
  • Pichtonia is active but disrespects the rest of the Senate and talks with an air of condescension that has not been earned, nor is appropriate. I have not been satisfied with his performance.
  • Not perfect by any means. A little too eager to dive into debates with elbow bombs but at by comparison to the other members "highly satisfied" is a low bar.
  • u did a v gud job boyo
  • Pichtonia has not been great. But he's been better than most.
  • Active and good in nominations. Should do more than criticising though.
  • Way too invested in personal politics, let it get in the way of legislating. He would frequently derail debates to make personal attacks against almost the entire Senate. I wish he had been reprimanded for his awful behavior.

Rand
Most Were: Somewhat Satisfied/Neutral

Rand earns some moderate praise for his work in the Senate this term, with a few commenters dubbing him the best of the term. Again, however, much of that praise is qualified by saying that it is in comparison to the lackluster Senate colleagues he is working with. The consensus seemed to be lukewarm approval, with his high amount of neutral scores, and mild comment praise. If Rand runs for reelection, I doubt many will oppose, due to the reception he earned this term.
  • Rand was one of the two best senators this term, active and engaged without all of his efforts seeming like a waste of time.
  • Active, but seemed needlessly combative at times.
  • Rand has done a decent job.
  • Never did I think I'd live in a world where I would've preferred Rand to be Speaker than Anumia. It's 2016 so I've learned to expect whatever.
  • Active enough, but painfully contrarian at times.
  • Rand has not been great but when he was filling in for Anumia during Anumia's absence the senate seemed more active. So he gets the highest rating from me.
  • This term's best Senator, but might still have only been average in a different Senate. Learned from his mistakes.

Overall
Most Were: Somewhat Dissatisfied

This Senate will not be remembered well, if the respondents have anything to say about it. Over 50% of people who took this poll were dissatisfied with the Senate this term, and that’s pretty harsh criticism. Many commenters point to a lack of activity and legislative progress as the cause of their disappointment.
  • Not very active, not very involved, it took them how many days to confirm Noto as a justice? This senate has a lot to answer for. This was not a good term.
  • inactiveinactiveinactiveinactive
  • Two pieces of legislation and CAIN have been presented to the President this term. Whether that's a function of long-term projects or inexperienced Senators, it's a tad disappointing.
  • Most of the Senate was good, Pichtonia was the only real downside due to his negative attitude.
  • Definitely one of the worst Senates in memory. There are things sitting on the floor right now "actively" that haven't even had a post in them. What happened with Explanatory Notes? Oh right, nothing. This Senate compounded a problem we've found our Senates having for the last few terms: focusing too much on a singular issue and then circle jerking themselves into exasperation over it.
  • Needs more visibility.
  • I'm probably not voting to reelect any of them.
  • The senators tried, but they Senate lacked overall knowledge and experience in both legislative and legal matters, which made a lot of the discussions inane and resulted in some weird directions being taken without consideration for the pros or cons.
  • It was just very disappointing. Very little was achieved and on the few matters that were voted on they were soundly rejected.
  • Lots of average performances, and little progress.

Re-Election Chances

Cat and Pichtonia lead the pack with both earning 64% of the respondents’ votes, should they run for reelection. Anumia follows close behind with 56%, but no other Senate breaks 50%. I’d take this chart to show that if these Senators run in the next election they will have to work hard to convince voters they are worth another term. Ervald in particular, only earning 24% support for his hypothetical reelection. This should leave the door open for some new faces to come in, but we’ll get to those possibilities later.


Biggest Accomplishment
  • Finally reforming the LoS
  • When it did manage to pass something, it was good.
  • Um... the Vice Chancellor Integration?
  • The Line of Succession wasn't even a great thing to come from the Senate this term, but it was the best thing they've done. So low bar, I guess. Other than that about the only positive thing the Senate did was reconfirm NES.
  • Uhhhhh
  • Did they really accomplish anything?
  • The Line of Succession
  • Nothing.

Biggest Failure
  • Not doing much of anything else
  • Activity.
  • Electing a Speaker who seems to show a disinterest in actually governing.
  • wat do?
  • All of it.
  • A lack of progress
  • The fact that they wasted a bunch of time defending the bad explanatory notes program then didn't even follow through. Showed incompetence.

Effect of Little Legislative Experience
  • Not much - lack of interest and drive seemed to be the problem.
  • A lot of the tenderfoots were scared to propose substantive changes, resulting in a lot of parroting... "I agree with my colleagues" "I support this proposal"
  • Definitely a lot. I think this may be the root for so many people support explanatory notes nonsense.
  • Less legislation being drafted.
  • I am about 100% sure that the lack of legislative experience contributed hugely to how horrible the senate was this term. Although since Anumia was the most experienced member of the senate this term and also one of the worst senators I'm not sure if legislative experience can be blamed for all of it.
  • None
  • It was the core factor in this bombshell of a term.

Are You Planning on Running?

If this poll is correct, we can expect to see at least thirteen Senate candidates in the next election, which should put a lot of pressure on the incumbents, many of whom will have a tough road ahead. Whether this will actually materialize remains to be seen, but here’s hoping.


Who Would You Like to Run for Senate?

Top Five: XIV (9), Drecq (5), Malashaan (5), Punchwood (4), United Vietussia (3)
  • XIV
  • Drecq, Malashaan, United Vietussia, XIV
  • Drecq, Malashaan, hyanygo, Notolecta
  • XIV, Punchwood, Kuramia, UV, Trinnien
  • Shin, Mal, Drecq
  • Mostly anyone.
  • XIV
  • Mouse
    Polling Booths
    Seven Deaths
    United Vietrussia
  • XIV, Drecq, Malashaan
  • XIV , Kaboom, UV, Punchwood.
  • Mal, drecq, trinn, XIV, Calvin, grav, kaboom.
  • XIV, Punchwood.
  • Punchwood
  • XIV, hyanygo, Calvin Coolidge, Kuramia, Notolecta

Who Would You Like to Run for President?

Top Five: Aexnidaral Seymour (10), Brunhilde (7), Writinglegend/Calvin Coolidge (6), Drecq/Trinnien (3)
  • Aexnidaral, Brunhilde, Pichtonia, Kuramia, Netz, Ninja Kittens, Calvin Coolidge, CptCarrot,
  • Writinglegend, Aexnidaral, Cat, Anumia, Calvin Coolidge
  • Aexnidaral Seymour, Brunhilde, Cat
  • Anumia, Brunhilde, Writinglegend
  • Writinglegend, Aexnidaral Seymour, Brunhilde, Ninja Kittens, Pichtonia, Kaboom, GraVandius, Lethen, HEM, Trinnien, Mousebumples.
  • Brunhilde
    Aex
    Kaboom
    Trinnien
    Calvin
    Please No More Writinglegend It's Getting Boring. #TermLimitsWhen
  • Aex, Brunhilde, Calvin Coolidge Trinnien XIV
  • Aex,
  • Aexnidaral Seymour, Brunhilde, Drecq, Writinglegend
  • WL, drecq, Mal, Calvin.
  • Aex.
  • Aexnidaral Seymour
  • Writinglegend, Drecq, Calvin Coolidge, Malashaan, Rach

Final Comments
  • pls D:
  • Just kill me.
  • Pandapolls are best polls.
Until next time, this is Calvin Coolidge, tipping the scales.

Data.
 
Top 5! Get in!!!! :D

Pretty interesting results. While I expected this Senate to be unpopular it hasn't done nearly as bad as I had first thought it would. This also looks like it mirrors the real world at the moment where it seems it would be easier to win by not being in the Senate.
 
Cat said:
These results are interesting, particularly the disparity between comments and votes :p
Votes and comments have often had times where they've been in odds with each other. Partly because those most likely to comment are either very pleased or very upset. If everyone was forced to comment, it may be a slightly different outcome but could also result in a lot of "don't know/didn't care/just typing because it won't let me leave otherwise" responses which isn't particularly insightful other than to showcase voter apathy.
 
There's enough salt in some of those comments to give you hypertension.
 
I think some of the commentary for, in particular, Cat, was unfair bordering on mean, and there were obviously two commentators who disliked everyone in the Senate except Pichto and Rand (and I have a pretty good guess about who those commentators might be, but eh). That said, I had a pretty bad absence in the previous fortnight or so which unfortunately is in the middle of what is frequently the most active parts of many Senate terms, and took a hit for that. Fortunately Rand has been an excellent Deputy, and he kept things going.

As for Explanatory Notes, I think there may be a little more put to it than there really was - the fight lasted for a few days and then largely ended, and that was many weeks ago. As for it not doing so well, I intend in a final address at the end of the term to provide an evaluation of it, but I would like to stress now: this was a trial run of a suggestion from the previous term.

I stated numerous times that we would see how things go, and if they did not go as we hoped, I would not press for continuance in future terms. Those who think we dedicated massive resources to it to the detriment of other matters are wrong, and those who think I was somehow spending all my time on a pet project of mine are also wrong. We have run a trial, because we -should- run trials on things when they might be a good idea.

At the conclusion of the term, I shall be releasing an evaluatory speech and data on all that we have accomplished in this term, and would like to point out that my absence and the fair downvotes as a result of it notwithstanding, this term has been the youngest Senate in many, many years. Of course we were going to see a different level of activity and experience in general, and of course that was unfortunately going to reflect badly on these freshman Senators.

Ordinarily when we have a single young Senator or perhaps two, they are surrounded by experienced fellows, so all they need to is participate in a decent manner to be well-rewarded at the polls (while poor performance usually leads to fading away). In this Senate, that was not the case, and thus the...problems that many young Senators demonstrate at one or another time have seemed magnified because they have all come at once. Nonetheless I have greatly appreciated the contribution of many members of the Senate, who I intend to hold up in thanks in the final speech.

To be honest though, I'm not too unhappy with my personal results. Two of the comments are, as noted, from commentators who I'd wager would not have been positive regardless of how this term went. Couple that with my bout of inactivity (which I may or may not provide an explanation for...there's a personal thing that I don't yet have full details of, but we'll see), and it was always going to have a result that wasn't golden. Still, I have double the people who were highly satisfied over those who were highly dissatisfied, and only one more person than the high group were in the "somewhat" dissatisfied group, so I'd argue I'm sitting on neutral. Disappointed to have disappointed the self-described "n00b" though, but maybe that's just from comparing the bar set by listening to Shin, and reality. :p

As for our overall results...most of our To Do List is completed (except the elections part, and a few things that were leftover from Mal's suggestions last term which are either huge projects or require the dedicated attention of a senior Senator or both, and there's only me available for the latter), and we have had a great working relationship with the Citizens' Assembly thanks to the line of communication United Vertussia kept with me. Do I think we could have done better? Always. I pretty much always wish I and the people I work with can do better. Do I think we have done well? In terms of the quality we have produced, in terms of the import of some of the changes we have made, in terms of the dynamic and relationship between the legislature and the lay legislature - yes, I think we have done a good job.
 
Punchwood said:
Top 5! Get in!!!! :D

Pretty interesting results. While I expected this Senate to be unpopular it hasn't done nearly as bad as I had first thought it would. This also looks like it mirrors the real world at the moment where it seems it would be easier to win by not being in the Senate.
I think we in the Senate should choose to take this as a compliment. :p
 
Actually, just looking at the "who you would vote for" results, I am surprised Rand isn't scoring higher. He deserves to be higher in that question.
 
For the record, I recommend against requiring comments, unless you want me (and presumably others) to be posting comments of . or ' or random letters just to have posted something there. :p
 
Oh, also, brief explanation:

"% Satisfied" is % Highly satisfied + % Somewhat satisfied
"% Content" is that + % Neutral
"% Dissatisfied" is % Somewhat dissatisfied + % Highly dissatisfied

For point average, I assigned each rating a number value ("Highly satisfied" = 5, "Highly dissatisfied" = 1), and then... yknow... took the average.

Fun.
 
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