A Defining Choice
“We are told that there two sides to every issues. In Washington, it’s a Democratic point of view, or a Republican one. Here at UF, it’s often Greek or independent, establishment or insurgent. These labels simplify our discourse, and make it easier to justify bland platforms and campaign rhetoric. Yet, these labels are imperfect, allow leaders to discourage creative thinking, and belie a more complex battle of ideas.”
“After all, what is an independent, really? What does it means to be independent-minded? Can someone be loyal to the cause but not to the tactics and those that use them? On the other end of the equation, is supporting an insurgent candidate over someone from the established order of things always the best course? Can’t someone think for themselves and decide on their own who to support?”
“At our wonderful University, the independent movement has been a cause of its own since long before I even went here, and has been ongoing ever since. But in all this time, the questions I just posed to you have never been fully explored, for the heat and intensity of campaigning even for Student Government has left you with precious little time to reflect.”
“As I know from first-hand experience in 1999-2002, to be part of that movement derided by some as god-damned independents is not easy. It has a history, a connotation, and an ideology all of its own. The only thing it does not have is a leadership honorary and its own permanent office space on the Third Floor.”
“The core ideology of the independents can always be traced back to the common rhetoric of all its past campaigns – greater access for the student body to its Student Government, with an end to legacy appointments, greater transparency in its activities, and a stronger advocacy for the student interest as the official voice of thousands of residents of Gainesville.”
“One need not be anti-Greek or even anti-FBK to support that cause. Indeed, some of the most successful insurgent campaigns have been coalitions between the battle-hardened core of the movement and segments of the Greek/minority coalition who rise up to demand a more diverse Student Government.”
“The fact remains that while every Student Body President in modern history has been a member of that infamous leadership honorary called Florida Blue Key, and patterns of legacies persist in appointments, the Student Government benefits from the campaign between establishment and insurgent, between complacency and creativity, between incumbent and opposition.”
“But the question to be decided in the Spring 2009 election is not just the merit of rewarding a Gator/Unite Party that will keep the same folks in power despite their rhetoric about change or the merit of bringing in their opposition. Now UF students will get to choose between campaigns that are mimicking President Obama’s rhetoric and logo (Unite), Obama’s social platform (Progress), or Obama’s committment to good government and respecting the rights of the minority party (O&B).”
“This campaign will give UF a chance to break the mold of its decades-long campus politics, by redefining the terms on which SG elections are fought. No longer is it good enough to merely be the guys already in charge or the guys clamoring for power. Whoever wins this election will have to convince a politically engaged student body that they are justified in representing the entire Gator Nation.”
“It has the possibility of being a defining choice.”
