Tammany Hall Reborn?

Walking around campus on these fine cool days, one cannot help but to notice the uprising on the the library bridge (and now even beyond). What are these on goings? Is it a student's revolt, a rebellion "against the man"? Perhaps a demonstration for the the oppressed, someone's whose rights have been suppressed by those in power? Maybe a demonstration, multi-day for the genocide in Darfur, the war in Iraq, Kenya, North Korea, WTO, NAFTA? No, it's just student elections.

Yes, student elections. The one time of the year when an elite number of people assemble, rallying their political power and buy votes for a position that to most of the student body is strictly ceremonial. Positional power is at the end, name recognition, maybe, but how many believe in the office, or at least the idea of the office. To change the campus, the university from the inside for the better, to continually evolve, or maybe to go reactionary for some.

It is just a byline on the resume, the road to a much greater political future it seems, a stepping stone. And the masses will follow them (for free gifts).

It takes a good bit of political capital to run for an elected office. Almost machine politics if you watch closely. How many candidates, the front runners at least, are members of social organisations, fraternities and sororities. Is this by coincidence. Absolutely not. This is a first step towards building connections and amassing political capital. Notice the size of said social organisations, very large they are. Almost larger than many of the other, loyal, voting social groups. Consolidate the vote of those that vote, the preppy more "social", facebook photoing ("tag me") crowd with positions in the campaign and if no room, multitudes of free gifts. Gifts which of course were paid for with the candidate's (parents'?) money. I wonder how much coupons numbering about 2000ish as a rough guess for an item about $2 per. I don't know, but it wasn't free, but if it was something may be going on there. But regardless, it's free to you right. They gives you a material possession and you assure them your vote...basically a gift for the next year's political future. That's a fair trade. Machine politics, maybe, as long as you vote early and vote often. Isn't it something that they call student governments in Europe "student unions."

Back in the day, these European student unions actually rallied. It was some crazy stuff. They shut down factories, started strikes, brought the government to its knees, and most importantly it was an experiment of breaking social norms and starting direct democracy. A guy who has a pig on a leash doesn't seem to me, this is to me, to be the type to wave a red flag, or even lead anyone. A guy with a pig on a leash tells me, one, I(he) look like a pig( because it is all about face/ name recognition), I(he) like bacon and I(he) am all about the power structure. Is it the people who take the goodies who become the pig on the leash or is it the candidate making himself the spectacle for the unseen order, the pig on the leash. You decide.

Or maybe your fancy is for food. Little freebies. I get you fat if you vote for me. A little treat of cold delicious goodness, all for your political future. I mean something that represents prosperity. A food item a, a refrigerated food item b, and c from a major franchise who brings in a good deal of capital and has highly restrictive franchising rules and regulations for ownership. (Married, 30+, Christian (regular churchgoing)). I mean, that sounds great.

The masses do come out though. More than they do for global warming or peace in the middle east, simply to take part in the grandeur of it all, the real politiks of the campus election.