Let's be honest, very few modern democratic elections aren't won and lost on style. Of course, the substance matters, but style is very often the determining factor. This year's Executive Elections will be no different.
Who is more attractive? Who speaks more eloquently? Who has the higher social status? The meaningful policy points are interesting, the Union Hustings are always tense and the new Media Hustings will hopefully exhibit strengths and expose weaknesses, but are they really going to win and lose an election?
Audiences for such serious debate will probably be dominated by campaign teams and the Union clique, votes that while important, do not hold great sway amidst an electorate likely to total about one-third of the University's 20,000 students.
Kennedy, Blair, Obama and Cameron; all great public relations operators. In our own tiny bubble, those that will be triumphant come March 7 will have combined a sufficient understanding of their executive position so not to be shown up in debates with a superior visual campaign.
Of course, that's where their teams come to the fore, especially a few of the Loughborough veterans that have been at the centre of previous elections victories on campus.
If you have any news over the elections period, I'd love to have it. Please send me an email or a tweet, whichever is preferable. It will be worth you keeping track of the #execelections hashtag too, as all those involved in the campaigns will be using it.
