Let's give credit where credit is due. Whatever the results tonight, PANTS has truly embodied the Independent Party superfluously! They have worked against the odds, against a very real Machine (backed might I add by FBK, the large Greek house leaderships, and the equally despotic AA leadership). Let's also not forget to mention the traitors, PANTS has been able to carry on without the turncoats.
And let me just say the video with Tommy Jardon, I believe that too was dirty campaigning. The video was shot w/o Executive permission, the video is for candidates (Jardon is the ONLY non-candidate participant), and on youtube the preview image is not that of Bruce Haupt (who went first) or the PANTS Exec )which went last), but that of Tommy Jardon (which clearly took some work digging through the footage). Whether implicitly or explicitly from Tommy Jardon or not (his drunken state is a great defense) the video made many Indies think Jardon had crossed back, when in fact nothing had changed. But once again PANTS bounced back.
The PANTS fliers UNLIKE previous "Independent" fliers had no sponsors, they didn't sell space on the Student's Platform to private companies and PANTS unlike other parties aren't pushing platform initiatives to satisfy what is to become the initial wave of private businesses becoming "lobbies" at UF SG.
The recycling bin in the middle of Turlington, that's old Iron Fist right there. I'll have to tell my friend Dan Fitzpatrick about that one. Just a bin to the mainstream kids, to the GDI's that's the real deal.
The candidates are blue-collar, they talk to students, they sweat in the trenches alongside their staff. While the mainstream parties are working on improving this part of their image, they're still glamor whores and snobs; I've seen system candidates in '02, '03, and '04 decked out, dressed better than John Gotti, more dapper than the dapper don just stand there, I've seen would-be voters try to shake hands with these suits and the suits tightly smile and look over at a campaign worker to come deal with this undesirable trying to touch them! You think I'm embellishing? I'm NOT!
After interviewing the great Nina DeJong I guess I also seriously raised the bar (that was already high to begin with) insofar as women leaders go...only to see women dressed less than professionally, using skills of seduction, and not even talking about their platform or their party, merely talking about the convenience of voting, it's pretty depressing. If somehow I could have these women sit down and listen to Nina, I think she'd make a really positive impression on them. I could care less if you support PANTS or GATOR, but if you don't respect yourself as a person, why are you even out there?
I see it election after election, even being away almost two years, first thing I saw when I got back was the same tired, humiliating campaign tactics -- the Gator Party whether knowingly or not is benefiting at the polls through the exploitation of women and I am up to debate anyone on this matter, b/c I know how they're told to campaign and they'll talk if need be. It's a real shame, so even if Gator wins tonight, look how low they've had to go...there's some things parties, namely GDI Parties just won't do, b/c looking yourself in the mirror is still more important to some folks, that a celebratory toast at the O&B.
**NOTE: Important Note from Video: "people going into cars." This refers to handing stickers through passenger window and/or leaning inside, also refers to people following would-be voters to their cars. I've put this note up at the same time as the video.
