Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Progress, Orange And Blue

The Independent movement is at war - there's no other way of putting it. Compromise at this stage is still possible, it will be possible up until the day of slating - be clear on that fact! However, it's time to validate what's been said on this blog for sixty days now - there are factions, there is an ideological divide, and Dictor does have a tangible base of support.

The Officials have governed with Iron Fist... and the excuse that McShera was biding his time until Sam Miorelli announced his, is simply unacceptable. As recent as three months ago, McShera expressed no clear-cut desire in executive office of any sort. With the news that Miorelli would leave, a gap appeared out of thin air, and The Officials' hasty attempt at filling it - failed!

Fall 2008 also signaled the advent of new beginnings. The largely untapped, disillusioned (with SG) Left answered Dictor's call - and - as opposed to Officialist thinkers like Joe Trimboli & Kyle Huey, SDS is not (by majority) with them.

There is, however, something to be said about SDS Leader Skeet Surrency. Leading Progs cite that Skeet has been inactive in recent terms and that new SDS Leadership will come about - a new leadership that will likely not include the likes of Mr. Surrency.

Conflicting reports have made this lone SDS'er's loyalities somewhat ambiguous. The Officialist-line believes Surrency will not only be loyal to its faction, but that he will capitalize on O/B-Holdouts in the organization and bring about org.-wide support for McShera.

The Progressivist-line begins be refuting these assertions in that 'SDS doesn't run that way...' meaning that no single one person can turn the group. The Progs also cite that Surrency has already pledged his support - and - it wasn't to The Officials. So where does Skeet really stand and is it even relevant to SDS or the GREATER LEFT that Officialist thought has consistently refused to credit to the now splintered-off Progressive Faction of the Orange & Blue Party?

The question of reconciliation cannot be addressed until The Officials address their former comrades with the respect they're owed. Do I agree with the Progs voting down of an O/B'er? Partly, I do and partly, I've personally instigated the notion on this blog.

How can the Progs speak of ideological separation per the upcoming elections yet act inconspicuously in chambers? How do prospective supporters of the breakaway O/B Faction comprise their ideals to fall out of line and support a rebel, when that same rebel and that rebel's supporters are still in-line and actively promoting the very agenda that they're campaign literature states (or will state) they've broken away from?

Ideally, both factions will unite, but I am of the opinion that Ben Dictor offers the greatest amount of good for the independent movement and that McShera was largely thrust into the gap in a hasty, somewhat messy chain of events. I am also firmly of the belief another splinter, this time within the Officials (hereinafter dubbed "the Pragmatists" or 'the Prags') are more open to dialogue and concessions that holding the line against their populist rival faction's executive selection(s).

Institutionally speaking, however, the Officials et. al. (through Article IV. & creation of a strong Party Chair position to offset any difficulties with Miorelli's replacement) are both unprepared & unwilling to eiter share power or much less, hand it over.

64 comments:

Anonymous said...

So, you have watched the show Oz before and know the definition of a "prag," right? Is that intentional or are you clueless on this fact?

Christian Duque said...

I'm clueless. TV is a propaganda tool. I don't watch, I'm sorry.

francisco said...

The internet and a blog is also a propaganda tool :lol:. Just putting it out there

Anonymous said...

This is not a healthy development. The two indie factions cannot possibly win on their own, and might not win with a united front. They certainly aren't going to attract a quality Greek to expand their voting coalition with this disharmony (unless that greek is deeply unhappy with the deal they made with the System).

There's always been two ideological components to the independent movement - one that is more socially liberal and one that is more fiscally conservative and good-government technocratic. The GDIs have usually been able to make this work because the two divisions don't conflict as a set of ideas - it's always been more of a question of personalities and how the campaign is presented.

But in real terms, the Prog Platform and the Official Platform are going to be virtually identical on the core matters of SG, since they are both Indie parties and both want to see the power and corruption of FBK diminished.

I still don't understand why the two groups can't reconcile. Your chances of winning the Exec will be better, your chances of filling the Senate slate and winning seats are better, and as it stands it's not like Dictor and McShera have a chance of winning without the other's help.

I stand by my earlier call. Let the two sides split the 47+ senate slate, and one side gets President and the other Treasurer, so both can run separately and yet together in the same party.

This fight is nonsensical as long as it remains a fight over a nomination that cannot matter as long as the movement remains divided.

I know that seems counter-intuitive. But it's true.

Divided the GDIs fall. And divided, there's no reason for the nomination to matter.

So you guys better find a way to kiss and make up, or both factions will be throwing a way a great opportunity over nothing.

Anonymous said...

http://www.angelfire.com/ny/oz4life/lingo.html

Check it out. You might want to reconsider that term.

Anonymous said...

Christian, The Radikal is a propaganda tool. Your little person has done what for the independents? He enlisted the help of the same Josh who sold out independents. He communicates with the same Ryan Day that was in charge of selling out the independents. He blocked O&B supporter Cain Norris from the senate by voting with Gator pick the same Scott Cutshall who is a close friend and confidant of Ben Grove.

What else has Scott Ben? Yes, a Gator Party Senate candidate.

How many pro gator moves does DIctor have to make before you admit he dazzled you with his talk and he is now damming the independents to hell?

Justin Wooten said...

I've tried my own feeling out of the other side, and I believe that you've either overestimated the strength of the so-called "Pragmatists" or that they are not as 'pragmatic' as you think they are, Duque. It is my opinion that the entire O&B leadership has taken a completely defeatist line, and are unwillingly to compromise on anything.

Any possibility of uniting at this stage are extremely remote. The O&B leadership is committed to their self-fulfilling prophecy of defeat.

francisco said...

Justin, who have you attempted to reach out to? I am not O&B leadership, but I haven't heard anyone mention you having ever reached out to them.

francisco said...

And I am still waiting for my SDS invite :lol:...granted I have already shown up to a meeting now :lol:. It is too bad your meetings are during IRHA.

Anonymous said...

Where exactly is this "defeatism" crap coming from? Last time I checked, O&B are the ones actually concerned with beating the machine, while Dictor is busy nursing personal vendettas and splitting the indie movement.

Anonymous said...

First the O&B leadership is labeled as defeatist and ideologues.

Then they are portrayed as being cut throat to the point of breaking laws and orchestrating smear campaigns for the sake of WINNING.

Now they are being labeled defeatists (again).

It's really a shame Dictor and Simmons are taking people along for the ride in their suicide mission.

I don't understand why nobody has realized the key to all this is to get Simmons to once again, for a third time, flip sides and abandon his beliefs.

Dictor has no future in politics. I hope everybody else involved in his little suicide run has no desire to be involved in FL politics in the future either. People are watching. There are certain character traits that work in politics and leaving your party because you couldn't get your way and then working against it are not among them.

Anonymous said...

Ken, to answer your question dictor refused to earn the nomination, as soon as it became clear that he wouldn't win the nomination he dropped out before the vote and now their insane faction is insisting dictor for prez or nothing to rejoin, Fuck Josh Simmons that piece of shit sold us out once and came back to fuck us over one more time before he leaves

Anonymous said...

do you fear the Unite party?

Anonymous said...

Justin, why do you think the Pragmatists would agree to terms that you consider "unconditional surrender?"

Quit acting like you ever wanted a victory when you have done more to destory a non-greek victory than anyone we know. I bet Josh is jealous.

Anonymous said...

It is going to be interesting to see the officials squirm helplessly when the individual with REAL info on who was responsible for "Green Means Go" emails surfaces. We will laugh all the way into the Alligator. McShera will fail. JJ loses support from his own kind, and Ben Dictor sweeps everything from right underneath your noses.

I wonder who will lose more sleep throughout this mud-filled-mess. Will it be Huey when he's subpoenaed to the Alachua County Court for lifting emails from Mary-Grace Bells gmail or McShera when his own SBP bid falls to pieces when people see what his very own parties "real" principles stand for. This will make Reilly and Theta Chi look god sent by the time we're finished with this.

Anonymous said...

Duque you need to do more reporting on just how thoroughly the Progress Party is being ignored on the UF campus

Anonymous said...

http://speaking.kenkerns.com/?p=454

Thank goodness somebody is making sense between the two of you.

Anonymous said...

Ken has spoken.

Anonymous said...

I encourage 4:05 to post with an identifiable username.

Anonymous said...

5:18: Dictor the first rule of lying about someone is don't ask other people who won't lie for you to back you up.

IE: Telling the Alligator that Josh told Donte, Alden, and Ossip that Kyle stole the emails is stupid because when the Alligator calls to confirm, no none of the three have even the faintest idea of what you are talking about.

Wait, you do know the Alligator isn't as taken by your ego as Justin is right? That they do check their facts?

Anonymous said...

Why aren't we talking about Keg Party. Keg is going to sweep the Exec!

Justin Wooten said...

8:59 PM, at this stage there is no possibility for reconciliation. What I said was what could have made it possible. Given the completely defeatist attitude of literally everyone I've talked to on the other side, I thought that offer was quite generous. Frankly having to re-affiliate ourselves with people who lie about committing crimes was too much to ask.

I am not at all impressed with the ability of the "Officials" to run a campaign, given what I witnessed first hand. You're gonna learn the hard way the Left is the only reason you had any victories in the Spring and Fall. With incredibly talented people like Josh Simmons, Peter Laumann and Mitchell Tannenbaum on our side, under the banner of the best UF has to offer, we are going to win. There is no defeatism on our side. We are going to win, and you'll just be a silly footnote in UF history, like your other failed adventures.

Anonymous said...

Kyle Huey is teh h4x0r

Anonymous said...

Didn't think the FIST had it in them to get on that ticket.

Anonymous said...

Justin,

We cannot wait to kick your ass. I hope you enjoy getting 1000 votes.

Cordially,

The Officials

P.S
Nice rally today. A real mass movement, all of 20 people.

Anonymous said...

wooten, peter laumann and mitchell tannebaum are "incredibly talented"? more like incredibly arrogant and incredibly insane, respectively

as for "we will win" - get help. You will get a Voice Revival Party turnout vote of 8%.

Anonymous said...

I hear Delta Chi was responsible for the emails

Anonymous said...

"no defeatism here"

more like no sanity

Anonymous said...

Simmons, Tannenbaum and Lauman are a troika of fail. They are all widely loathed. Peters biggest accomplishment at UF was getting his ass kicked by Will Foster in a College Democrats election.

Simmons voted for Barack Obama only because the college republicans rejected him as the social incompetent that he is. When the Orange and Blue exec didn't want to be his friends he had no other way to make friends but to grovel at the feet of the Obama kids. How brave.

Tannenbaum has done nothing of note at UF until he decided destroying the indie movement might be his thing. See how much you participate in the Progress Party Mitch and how much Simmons and Dictor shove down your throat.

What a diverse and adroit group.

Anonymous said...

Frankly, the prospect that *any* of you could be the best that UF has to offer as a representative body is shocking and sad.

Just look at what's gone down or been said objectively. This is aimed at all three parties, and I can say this based solely on public actions and non-anonymous comments too.

Anonymous said...

Oh this is great. Everyone should read this a few times.

"I am not at all impressed with the ability of the "Officials" to run a campaign, given what I witnessed first hand. You're gonna learn the hard way the Left is the only reason you had any victories in the Spring and Fall. With incredibly talented people like Josh Simmons, Peter Laumann and Mitchell Tannenbaum on our side, under the banner of the best UF has to offer, we are going to win. There is no defeatism on our side. We are going to win, and you'll just be a silly footnote in UF history, like your other failed adventures."

It's amazing when reality surpasses satire.

Anonymous said...

Justin, I'm willing to bet you $100 that Ben Dictor will not win SBP. Hell, I even wonder if Dictor even has that much money to fund his campaign.

Anonymous said...

Justin Wooten is a psychopath.

$100 to anybody who can find a picture of him smiling.

francisco said...

Mr. Wooten, I am a betting man, willing to put some money on this idea that Progress is going to win? I have lost every bet I have made on SG elections, so that should be even more of an incentive...

Anonymous said...

Ben Dictor is the Ahmed Chalabi of UF.

He claims to have a broad base of support, and yet really has just himself and maybe 10 people

Anonymous said...

Where are Armando & Joey in all this?

Anonymous said...

Damn those Senate fireworks were spectacular tonight.

Anonymous said...

"I'm Slating With the Progress Party!"
25 confirmed, 95 awaiting reply (after two days)
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=47039889579

"Run for Student Senate with the Orange & Blue Party"
30 confirmed, 1789 awaiting reply (after one hour)
----
Dear Progs: Fuck yourself

Sincerely,

EXCOMM
---

Justin Wooten said...

I'm not really concerned about the anonymous comments of cowards, but yeah, it is kinda hard to find a picture of me smiling, lol. I had to show that one to my buddies also.

I can always count on anonymous blog comments for a good laugh.

Anonymous said...

Benjamin Dictor was willing to work it out. It's sad you were unwilling despite the overtures. 10 minutes ago - Comment


Ben, trying to buy people off with Senate seats is not an overture.

Anonymous said...

To all groups involved, but mainly just the people involved in OaB and Prog: You're lucky more students don't care enough about student elections to follow this blog (no offense to Duque). If they did, no one would vote for either of your parties after reading all of the childish name calling and personal attacks you lob at one another. Neither party, assuming the parties' actual members are the ones posting and not GP members, are mature or fit enough to be student senators. At least Wooten and Tannenbaum post under their own names -- OaB continues to hide behind anonymity.

Grow up.

Anonymous said...

I am not sure about Armando...but Ben Dictor has gone log jamming with Simmons and Scott Cutshall.

Anonymous said...

Where is your Kerns interview? Did you trash it because he didn't fall for the leader of your cult?

Anonymous said...

dead blog

Anonymous said...

"I represent everything that Mark McSheara's children will wish their father was."

- Dictor, Tuesday night

Anonymous said...

Justin Wooten needs to be Baker Acted.

francisco said...

So I take it that Mr. Wooten is not willing to make a bet then? Seems like you have no confidence in your party. This is just like Christian avoiding a phone interview.

Anonymous said...

Yeah what did happen to the Kerns interview?

Christian Duque said...

Ken's interview is only 75% complete without Edits 1 or 2. I know there's a great deal of interest here, but people will just have to wait until we can make it happen.

I assure you it will more than likely be released sometime in February 2009.

Anonymous said...

Word is that the Unite Party is running Tim Tebow as their Vice President.

Anonymous said...

How exactly Dictor can claim to be progressive when he says that Sen Goldmen is, "pretty but annoying, she would be better if she kept it shut, or had it stuffed with something, that would be best"?

I guess he confines his progressive views to labor issues in male dominated professions.

What a pig.

Anonymous said...

If 5:33 is anywhere near the truth of the statement, McSheara has the right to assault that assclown. No one - NO ONE - can make a statement like that.

That's the rubbish that we are used to hearing from full-of-themselves Florida Blue Key members. Case in point is JCB's rather haughty email to Duque last year - doubt Duque will ever forgive him for that. Either way, the Dictor statement is proof positive that he has become more similar than different to the very tyranny he purports to overthrow.

Vote Change. Vote Sense. Vote Orange and Blue.

Anonymous said...

Ken's interview has been 75% done for a long time. It's the same story as my latest novel - and I too hope to get it done soon, but who knows how long that'll be? Hehe.

Anonymous said...

No SDS invite and no bet, looks like Wooten is afraid to step up to the plate when challenged. What is even more hilarious is he is afraid to step up to wacko Braco.

Justin Wooten said...

8:24, the statement isn't proof of anything except some O&B cowards will write anonymous lies on a blog, which we already knew about.

I'm not sure how betting is stepping up to any challenge. Stepping up to the challenge to me is going to mean working hard to get our candidates elected, which I am prepared to do. People generally only make bets on thing they find frivolous. I'm taking this pretty seriously, so I don't plan to bet on the outcome.

Besides, Toto told me not to do it...

Anonymous said...

Nina Martinez refers to the Progress Party as "Ben Dictor's party".

And that, folks, is about all you need to know.

Anonymous said...

Justin, why won't you take my bet? If you're so serious about winning, why don't you put your money where your mouth is?

Anonymous said...

To hell with all this fighting between O&B, Progress, and Unite. Come join us in tapping the Keg Party!!!

Anonymous said...

People that are generally betting people bet on anything. I would encourage you to look the financial reports and volunteer hours to see which people take elections seriously.

francisco said...

Who the heck is this Toto kid and how the heck can he keep you from doing something? Is he like your keeper or something?

For someone that is sure they are going to win and relegate the rest of us to footnotes, you seem pretty unsure. It seems pretty defeatist to turn down a challenge, a challenge you believe you will easily win (and easily make money off of). If you ask me, it sounds like you are chicken or you have lost faith in your party's ability to easily win during this election season.

Perhaps Mitchell will enjoy taking my money on an easy bet more so than you. What do ya' say Mitchell, still up for a little wager like you said after Senate?

Anonymous said...

http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/Don%27t_Taze_Me_Bro

Scroll Down to Video Responses.

WIN.

Anonymous said...

dead blog, dead movement

Anonymous said...

Justin Wooten, Toto, and Frank Bracco should hang out.

Justin Wooten said...

Toto is apparently the imaginary person I talk, according to the O&B anonymous smear team. It's so ridiculously stupid, I can't help but make references to it whenever I can.

I don't gamble, Bracco.