Label takes a light hearted look at some of the biggest obstacles that the Exec Candidates will have to face in this year’s elections.
1. If you are not what people want, you’re going to get scrutinised:
A lot of people take these yearly elections very seriously. Manifesto points are where people make their judgements and one small issue with a manifesto can alter a person’s campaign drastically. The challenge with the manifesto is getting the balance right. If a candidate is too ambitious, people will call them unrealistic and if a manifesto contains only simple alterations, a candidate can be criticised as being bland. This is what the elections can do; it creates debate and separates the best from the rest so the candidates have to make sure that the manifesto is not only what they want but what the students want as well.
2. Having to maintain a high level of enthusiasm:
Yes, I know it’s only a couple of weeks but the campaign process looks like a strenuous one. The key is to form a campaign team big enough to take some of the weight off the candidate’s shoulders. By doing this, people will feel like they’re voicing their vote and the candidate’s confidence will be boosted by the amount of support being shown by fellow students around them. However, it can be horrible if a rival suddenly looks like the favourite and you have to readjust your campaign.
3. Having to deal with the ‘you do realise this is a paid job’ vibe
Probably one of the biggest boundaries that every exec candidate has to overcome is the fact that people will nonchalantly say that ‘they’re only campaigning because they can’t be bothered to look for other jobs’. Not true in most cases! It seems apparent that every candidate this year is adopting a serious approach to campaigning and although people may think candidates are taking the easy route, the best person who’s right for the job will ultimately prevail.
4. Being R.O.Ned
I’m not sure if ‘being R.O.Ned’ is a thing but most people will understand what I’m on about. For those who are unaware of this, R.O.N stands for ‘re-open nominations’. This basically means that students can vote R.O.N if they are unsatisfied with the candidates running for the position and they would instead prefer to find someone else. Therefore, students would be encouraging somebody new to campaign instead of the original campaigners. This is probably what every candidate fears, losing to a better candidate isn’t too tough but being R.O.Ned must be hard to take.
5. Mastering the Bubble Debate
For those that are unaware of the Bubble Debate, think of the Brown, Clegg and Cameron TV debate but a lot more exciting. If a candidate can get through the difficult questions imposed at the Bubble Debate, the chances are they’ve got what it takes. The Bubble Debate has only just taken place and all the candidates coped well under the pressure. The debate is something that again separates candidates in terms of their suitability for the role and a lot of voters will make their decision based on how the candidates perform.
Matt Bourne
