What is a Shadow President?

Riepah

Riepah
Hi there.

I've been curious what a "Shadow President" is in the game. A lazy little search of mine didn't seem to yield any proper results and I've been wondering for days, ever since that news article that first mentioned Shadow President Hudson. So, what is a Shadow President and what does he do? If he's so shadowy, why are there news about him all over the place? If he isn't shadowy, why is he called Shadow President? Why is there even a second kind of President? Is this some sort of futuristic Vice President or something?
 

alexios

alexios
A Balrog with a constituency?

(Sorry, couldn't help it, I really shouldn't be allowed to post before the first coffee of the day well and truly hits me)

But yeah, what Jukelo said.
 

Riepah

Riepah
Ah, thank you for clearing that up. So he isn't any more or less shady than your average politician, then.
 

Cody

Cody
It's an odd choice of title though - the Leader of the Opposition is never referred to as the Shadow Prime Minister (as far as I'm aware).
 

Grendahl

Grendahl
Cody said:
It's an odd choice of title though - the Leader of the Opposition is never referred to as the Shadow Prime Minister (as far as I'm aware).
Click to expand...

His actual Parliamentary title is Leader of Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition. It's an official job so he/she gets paid a statuary salary & a few other perquisites
 

beelbeebub

beelbeebub
You're right, I think they're referred to a leader of the opposition (or "Her Majesty's loyal opposition", which I always found slightly amusing).
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The "shadow" bit does sound like a British thing, denoting the person is not in power but would hold that position if they were. It's probably a difficulty thing for the Americans to get their head around as the British political system is very different from theirs.
 

Susimetsa

Susimetsa
I must say that I was confused by the title "Shadow President" as well. Good to have it cleared up - if indeed this interpretation is the correct one.
 

zekone

zekone
I'd go with the opposition party theory too. The governments Home Secretary has a Shadow Home Secretary in the opposition party, for example. It's not too much of a stretch to imagine Westminster-style terminology transferring over to a federal government.
 

S'Rau

S
Yeah, remember Elite is purely an UK game.
Look at the kickstarter in £ or this political UK lingo or the trucks/cars in stations driving on the left or the prizes for the Elite competition first shown in £ etc ...
The thing that amazes me is that we actually drive the cobra from the left seat ... must surely be an oversight :p
 

Daeron

Daeron
Hehe. Love the British flavour though. Or else we would never get threads like these. Very amusing entries. :)
 

Suxamethonium

S
Shadow gets used down here in Australia as well, though not typically for the oppositions candidate for Prime Minister (who is referred to as the leader of the opposition). Other ministers have a shadow minister (shadow treasurer, shadow finance minister etc.)

So I just assumed it must be the opposition candidate for President.

Tsk, so much easier to just have an Emperor.
 

Fia

F
I did not notice that left seat thing but then we also drive on the left in Ireland so I suppose it would just seem normal. Hope they keep up the distinctive British flavour, there are enough America centric games out there already.
 
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Flavourless

Flavourless
In UK politics all the cabinet post have an opposite number in the opposition party who "shadows" the activity of that minister. (ie works against)
In the late 90's one particular Shadow Home Secretary had a somewhat sinister public image and was referred to by some as merely "The Shadow".
 

simpilotblues

simpilotblues
It's not an exclusive terminology to Britain or the Commonwealth, in Portugal we also use the terms "governo sombra" (shadow government) or "ministro sombra" (shadow minister) referring to relevant members of the main opposition party.
 
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