From the box:
California: 1849
Where the mayors of stupidly rich Gold Rush towns can squander teh resources of their citizens on pretty much whatever they want.
This month, it's a race to the Moon.
Will it work? Probably not. The real goal is to earn enough votes to become governor. But it seems the best way to impress your pioneering constituents is by doing something grotesquely stupid and dangerous, like blasting them into space.
It's one false step for Mankind, one giant leap for you.