Springfield, Missouri • 2036
I Was There WhenThe Robots Quit.
Bobby Tate saved Springfield with a CB radio, a cold beer, and forty years of know-how. Now he's running for Mayor.
October 9th, 2035
The Day Everything Stopped
Bobby coordinating rescue efforts via CB radio, October 9th, 2035
By 2035, Springfield had become the "Midwest's best-kept economic secret." OzarkOps AI ran everything—hospitals, logistics, traffic. People didn't understand how it worked, but they knew it did work.
Then, at 2:06 PM on October 9th, every system froze. Hospital kiosks displayed "Authentication pending." Autonomous vehicles pulled onto highway shoulders in synchronized rows. The digital trust layer had failed.
Bobby Tate was at Patton Alley Pub when his old CB crackled to life. He'd been a dispatcher for 30 years before OzarkOps made him "obsolete" in 2028. But that day, his analog skills were the only thing that still worked.
"The computers didn't know what to do. But I did. Because I've been doing this job since before they were born.
How Bobby Saved Springfield
Systems across Springfield freeze. 'CREDENTIALS UNAVAILABLE' appears on every screen.
Bobby hears about the chaos on his CB radio at Patton Alley Pub.
He heads to the old Kearney Street depot where retired dispatchers are gathering.
Using pen, paper, and CB radios, they start coordinating stranded vehicles.
Bobby directs vehicles with perishable loads to a cold hub with generators.
The city is stable. The humans held the line.
"The robots quit. I didn't."
The Man Behind the CB
About Bobby
Bobby Tate isn't a politician. He's just a guy who showed up when the computers didn't.
- 🚛Dispatcher for 30+ years
- 🤖Pushed out by OzarkOps automation in 2028
- 💪Spent 7 years doing odd jobs, never giving up
- 📻Never stopped keeping his CB radio handy
- 🏠Springfield born and raised
- 🤝Believes in neighbors, not algorithms
"They said I was obsolete. Turns out, I was the backup plan.
Bobby's Platform
The Common Sense Plan
"I ain't got a fancy policy team. I just got forty years of knowing what works and what don't."
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Strong public-private partnerships for emergency response
"When the chips are down, it ain't gonna be some server farm in Kansas City saving your grandma. It's gonna be the folks next door. We need real plans where businesses, hospitals, and regular people know exactly what to do - together."
Always Have a Backup
Improved PACE (Primary, Alternative, Contingency, Emergency) planning
"I keep jumper cables, a tow chain, AND a buddy's phone number. Why? Because Plan A doesn't always work. Every department, every hospital, every school needs backup plans that actually get used - not dusty binders nobody's opened since 2025."
Teach People to Think
Regional education for human judgment skills
"We spent a decade teaching kids to code, and then the machines started coding themselves. Maybe we shoulda been teaching 'em how to think instead. Critical thinking. Ethics. How to make a decision when the screen goes dark."
Keep Hands on the Wheel
Human-in-the-loop requirements for critical systems
"If it can hurt somebody - a hospital, a power plant, the water supply - a real person better have their hand on the wheel. I don't care how smart the computer is. Somebody needs to be able to say 'no.'"
Train Folks Right Here
Accessible local education and training
"Springfield kids shouldn't have to move to Kansas City to learn a trade that matters. Community centers, libraries, night classes - we got the buildings. Let's fill 'em with people learning skills that'll still be useful in ten years."
Eyes on the Road
Designated risk monitors in every critical sector
"Somebody's gotta be watching. I did it on the CB that day. We need people in water, power, hospitals, banks - folks whose only job is to know when something's going wrong before it goes wrong for everyone."
What Bobby Won't Do
On the Stuff That Divides Us...
"Look, people ask me about all kinds of hot-button nonsense. Immigration. Guns. Whatever's trending on the internet this week. Here's what I tell 'em:"
Most of that stuff don't change how much it rains in Springfield.
My job's not to fix Washington. My job's to make sure the lights stay on and your neighbor's got your back when things go sideways. That's it. Save the drama for someone who's got time for it.
The Bobby Tate Act of 2036
Legislation Bobby will champion as Mayor:
They Were There
Voices from October 9th
Bobby talked me through switching to manual mode. I'd still be on the shoulder of I-44 without him.
Jordan Wells
Gig Worker
Stranded on I-44 during the outage
When the dispensing cabinets locked up, we went analog. Bobby's the reason we had time to figure it out.
Carrie Holden
Nurse at Cox South
Cardiac unit during the crisis
We thought our skills were worthless. Bobby proved we were the only ones who mattered that day.
The Kearney Street Dispatchers
Retired Workers
The team that saved Springfield
Were you there when the robots quit?