But I read the updated article this morning, and my eyes just about came out of my head.

Almost fourteen THOUSAND dollars on an ASUO presidential election? There are state legislative campaigns that don’t spend that much money. I don’t even know what I’d have done with that kind of money. And some of it coming from businesses (what the fuck?)

I mean, look. I helped run campaigns, I placed a ton of advertising in Eugene publications for various reasons. And unless the OAT folks were buying TV time, I can’t figure out how you’d burn through that much cash. Or for that matter, where you’d get it.

As to the substance of my claim, it would be abundantly obvious to everyone had the ODE actually covered the grievance process at all this year. I understand their decision not to: campaign grievances are typically petty, irrelevant and uninteresting. But this year (probably because the ODE was not covering them) grievances were unevenly heard, ruled on and enforced. A few examples of this are available on this blog, but there are more that the OC didn’t even cover.

None of this should come as any surprise. Kendall Tylee was McLain/PAC8’s most dedicated campaigner last year, and was Kari/RTY’s most partisan advocate this year… despite being the supposedly neutral elections coordinator. The Constitutional Court was likewise subject to partisan influence by people both on and off the bench… both bodies published opinions written by partisan advocates and passed off as their own work.

Do I have (in hand) smoking gun evidence for this? Of course not. With OAT’s victory and a new generation of independent leadership set to take over the ASUO, there’s no need to go through the legal processes by which these assertions could be proven. Moreover, Sam and Johnny have told me that their experiences this year have made them understand the importance of reforming the elections process so as to avoid the kinds of partisan influences they have struggled against.

Ultimately, this win by total outsiders proves that the ASUO can be redeemed from the shadiness and soft corruption that have ruled it for so long. When Gulley said “it’s easy to buy an election,” he was speaking from experience. His brand of politics involves buying elections through runaway spending on favored programs in return for votes in the spring. Sam and Johnny did not “buy” this election any more than McLain, Axelrod, et al bought their elections. The difference between OAT and the party of business as usual at the ASUO is that OAT did not buy the election using student money.

But that’s the whole point. Amassing wealth and power by fomenting racial discontent is a booming industry in this country, and those who stand to lose the most from the great ‘national conversation’ about race aren’t bigoted white people — they lost long ago — but rather those whose income and influence is derived from keeping the grievance theatre going.

Further, I swear there is a word list called “adjectives of the oppressor” that Diego and his ilk draw heavily from.

I made an attempt at explaining this phenomenon here, in case you’re interested.

CJ: I thought that was a golden juxtaposition myself.

So, what’s he saying? That UO students are avaricious, that they sell their votes? That UO students don’t care and only want money for their votes?

Damn. Where do I sign up to run for office? I’m expecting my economic stimulus check this spring and since it’s found money I want to buy my way to the top.

Help me Nate, help me help you.