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Nap Time!!!

Friday, March 23, 2007
Predictions!

Time for predictions! As a disclaimer, I don't know what I'm talking about. Let's go!

Referenda (Keep in mind that, for all referenda, the fact that the proponents write the ballot question, and the fact that it is nearly impossible to find out what the question is if you're an opponent and want to criticize it will tend to lean them towards passage):

Terms and Lines of Succession: Will pass, because the three people who will understand what it says will like it. Don't be surprised by another majority-abstention.

TGIF: Will pass in a landslide, because everyone loves the environment! The fact that folks can run a business by selling indulgences suggests that folks won't mind the thinness on the "actual plan" side.

Student Life (SUPERB, etc.): Will also pass in a landslide, because most folks have their parents or financial aid offices to pay their fees, and who doesn't like SUPERB?

Student Life (Squelch): Do a find-and-replace on above.

Student Union Complex: Will pass with a high abstention rate. A referendum that does nothing (but raise fees) can still pass when proponents control the ballot question, voters don't pay, and a majority don't have to be convinced.

Dining Hall Polls: As this is the most sensible referendum out of all seven this year, it is therefore the least likely to pass. "Oh, no, not disenfranchisement!"

Money for Frats: This will probably pass as well because Greeks turn out in large numbers, and the fact that it's writing an exception to our anti-discrimination law will be hidden by the ballot question.

And now, on to the offices (We'll pretend the obvious winner, BEARS-United, drops out or something):

President: Ilana Nankin is so friendly. She could act friendly enough to get out of anything, like murdering a transgendered hooker in Florida, as a random hypothetical. So I think she's going to win.

Executive Vice President: Taylor probably looks hotter than Eunice. This will be enough. So I say Taylor Allbright.

External Affairs Vice President: Dwight Asuncion, through no fault of his own. Student Action can drag him through against a flaccid opposition.

Academic Affairs Vice President: Curtis Lee, for the same reason.

Student Advocate: Ajay Krishnamurthy, obviously.

Senate: I'll guess 9 SA Coalition (1 UNITE, 2 APPLE, 6 SA), 8 CalSERVE, 1 SQUELCH, 1 BCR, 1 DAAP. With no reasoning whatsoever, since I don't know anything about the independents or individual candidates.

posted by Beetle Aurora Drake 3/23/2007 01:19:00 AM #
Comments (9)
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Comments:
What is "Terms and Lines of Succession"?
 
I'm pretty sure Nadir Shams will get in. But it's too early for predictions. Have a good Spring Break, Justin and whoever else reads this!
 
Bobby:

http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=22721
 
sounds like a good referendum. did you catch the dailycal's error about it requiring 60% of the student body's vote (yes or no)?
 
Who do you think I am? Of course I did:

http://beetlebeat.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html#116965834154094801
 
By the way, Justin, your blog is a great service at getting information out there to students about ASUC Senate meetings, referenda, bills etc. Nobody else covers this stuff AT ALL, certainly not the crappy Daily Cal blog, and the Daily Cal articles are severely lacking too.

This is without even considering the great organizing work you did last Fall around the Student Action attempt to pay Oren Gabriel's fees, nor all the Judicial Council suits you've filed in the public interest.

You know that I disagree with you ideologically on most things, and I don't agree with all the suits you file or with most the positions you take on your blog, but you give out a lot of information that just isn't reported on elsewhere.

You deserve some kind of major recognition beyond merely dry Daily Cal articles about your filing some Judicial Council suit or other.

I seriously think you should actually try to win the Senate seat you're on the ballot for -- you would be way better than probably half the eventual winners.
 
sorry I ever doubted you :-p
 
Jim, if you want to campaign for me, knock yourself out. I have too much consideration for my fellow students to bug them about voting for me, though. I even joined the Facebook group to that effect!
 
I started a Facebook group (and clearly labeled it unofficial so no one would think you had started it) to test the waters ... I'm not going to harass people to join it, and I don't have time to do much more anyway (if I did have time, you know I'd be using it to convince people to vote for CalSERVE) but if people search for it and add themselves, will that convince you to campaign?
 
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