It's that time of year again: The temperature is heating up, and so is the race to succeed Duncan Pickard as president of the TCU Senate. We all enjoy the witty campaign slogans and the fact that we see the charming faces of every presidential candidate in every nook and cranny of campus, but there is a dimension of the race that appears to be even more prominent this year: the battle over organizational endorsements.
We all know that the Daily endorsement is, of course, a big deal, and many prominent Tufts student political pundits attributed Duncan Pickard's electoral victory to his ability to get the endorsements of both the Daily and the Observer. Though some cried "foul," Pickard was able to overcome the ubiquitous comparisons to Rupert Murdoch and go on to serve a respected year as president.
The current candidates appear to be emulating his strategy. Already this year, the scramble for endorsements has begun. On Tuesday, the candidates for president spoke with the Tufts Democrats in a bid to get the club to officially endorse them. It behooves us to ask ourselves, what is the point of these endorsements? Are they not merely an exercise in irrelevancy? It has been argued by some that this is simply another example of how student politics is really just an excuse to play grown-up so that those involved can close their eyes. Is there validity to this argument, or is it just nay-saying from people who wish they were involved but lack the skill or determination to break through the glass ceiling? In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth. Granted, the endorsements may not really mean anything, since even if the Tufts Democrats were to endorse a candidate, it's not really binding to anyone within the organization and thus wouldn't actually be worth anything, but isn't it more about mimicking how the real world works?
Here at Tufts, we are engaged in constant education, especially outside of the classroom. This semester has provided all of us with a few important lessons about representative government and the media. I hint — albeit thinly — at the appropriation of a rather mountainous amount of money recently allotted for a new Trips Cabin. But campaign issues like pretty pointless pork projects and government accountability will be irrelevant if the candidates play the endorsement battle correctly. In the end, it will not be the number of endorsements that decides the race, but rather if the endorsements are the right ones to take them all the way to the presidency.
The candidates must pick up the pace of their strategic scuffling. There are valuable constituencies at stake. Many claim that certain voting blocs have already been captured, such as the Tufts Mountain Club, but there are still groups up for grabs. It may be tempting to present the "fraternity vote" as a lock for Mr. Rattiner, but Mr. Morrison has skillfully unveiled the ace he had been storing patiently up his sleeve: He is, in fact, president of the Delta Tau Delta (DTD) colony. This is precisely the sort of campaign move that we should see more of between now and election day.
By the way, no one has yet asked for my official endorsement. The James Kennedy vote is one that has been highly sought-after in the past, and is feeling somewhat snubbed so far in this election cycle. Unlike the endorsements from a certain club or organization, my official endorsement actually comes with a vote guarantee. I must say that it does come with a price — and no, it is not a jet ski, because I could never hope to be as charming as John Edwards, nor do I think he should really be emulated anyway. Let's just say that I am ready to talk turkey, if said turkey is delicious enough.
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James Kennedy is a junior majoring in political science and Middle Eastern studies.
