annie for UC!

annie, my illustrious roommate, is running for undergraduate council vp on a ticket with john, a former harvard yard entryway mate. this election has been lowdown, dirty, and a joy to watch unfold. the other ticket--the "other john" and tara--have engaged in questionable politics. aight, let me be honest--they have been engaged in dirty politics. accusations of bribery and general tomfoolery are abound--buying the domain name of the other ticket, lying to student groups, offering upscale lunches, offering to buy out a third-party ticket, etc. i mean, really.

things look good for john & annie. quite frankly, the other ticket had things pretty wrapped up leading into the first day of voting. once these allegations began to circulate, the harvard crimson decided to rescind their endorsement of the other ticket. this is HUGE. question: why did the crimson endorse the other ticket in the first place? answer: politicking & a sudden loss of consciousness. the withdrawl of the endorsement is scathing, appropriately so. the withdrawl says:

"This trend of dubious and deceptive behavior calls into question Voith and Gadgil’s ability to lead. If Voith and Gadgil cannot control the actions of their campaign staff, made up of friends and trusted deputies, we question whether they could successfully lead the UC. Their alienation of the BGLTSA and HRC also introduces doubt as to their ability to work with student groups, which is a central part of their platform. "

the real shame is that the allegations hurled at the other ticket will follow them. i know i'm not the only one has googled a prospective employer, roommate, etc. in speaking with consulting recruiters, i learned that googling is a common if not necessary part of the employment process (i-banking & consulting, at least.) it's a damn shame, really.

one things is for sure. i still do love politics. i found myself generally disillusioned with politics in college. oh no, not any more. in my career, i need to be a publicist, write press releases, do damage control, gossip, mobilize, and keep an ear to the ground. it's what i'm good at but at the same time, it keeps my pressure up.

early monday morning, i sent emails explaining the allegations to the email lists i subscribe to--straightforward bullet points. a friend replied to my email:

so gangsta.

--signed

damn straight. i'd cut a bitch for annie. well, theoretically. as i explained to her, i'm the diddy to her biggie, the dam dash to her jay-z (that is, back before they severed ways.) i'm on the streets hustling mixed tapes out of the truck of my car. actually, i'm hustling for votes in a harvard election. the prinicple remains the same.

haddock-riley for uc!