In response to front-runner Eliot Spitzer's no-show at Monday's gubernatorial debate, governor rivals brought mudslinging to the foreground in an off-the-wall display of political stupidity. Thomas R. Suozzi, democrat, and John Faso, republican, joined forces during the televised debate to take jabs at Spitzer rather than expressing their own feelings about the issues that matter.
Monday night was a time to give these lower profile runners a chance to communicate their political platforms, but both candidates missed the mark by a long shot. Many voters are unfamiliar with Suozzi and Faso, and both felt it was more important to spit on Spitzer than to actually utilize the time to create good publicity for themselves.
According to a recent Quinnipiac University poll, an alarming percentage of voters (65 percent Suozzi, 73 percent Faso) said they don't have enough information to formulate an opinion about either minority candidate. Rather than spending precious debate time groveling over your opponent's absence, seize the opportunity of the free half-hour television spot and get your ideas and campaign promises out there.
Faso attacked Attorney General Spitzer's poor record with Medicaid Fraud, and then had little opinion of his own stance on the subject. To make matters worse, Suozzi attacked the Spitzer commercials that have recently bombarded television screens. He mockingly hummed the soundtrack of one of them, and then chastised Spitzer's lack of policies and platforms in those commercials.
With the reign of Governor Pataki wrapping up, New York State residents finally have a gubernatorial race to watch and care about; but unless the lower profile runners take a radical turn with their attitudes, this highly anticipated race will turn out to be just another political circus. Clowns and poorly executed tricks included.
AEarly Fall Fest threatens attendance
After seeing bands like Our Lady Peace hit the stage at UB, it's nice to see that the Student Association is not permanently stuck in the 90s. With their choice of Sean Paul for Fall Fest 2006, life is good for students avoiding musical memories of their junior high past. Sean Paul is also a popular-student choice according to SA officials.
With Fall Fest scheduled far earlier than in previous years, advertising will become the deciding factor for success. With only 10 days left to the concert, the SA needs to realize college students are busy and make weekend plans. A late ad campaign means some students that would be interested in the concert will not be able to make it due to prior commitments.
With a budget of $200,000 for Fall Fest, it's hard to understand why announcements on Facebook and blogs are the best they can do for advertising. SA has begun to campaign in the Student Union. Passing out quarter-sheet flyers with the show, date and time will definitely inform one student at a time, but in a school with 18,000 undergraduates, much more must be done to inform the masses. The SA Web site is also a good resource to get information about special events, but currently this medium is unavailable due to heavy construction and upgrades.
Aside from the coverage in the Spectrum, Fall Fest has had little exposure, leaving students confused and unaware. A successful, well-attended Fall Fest is in reach, but advertising is a must.
The clock is ticking, SA.
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
