What Campaign' Write-Ins Prefer Passive Tactics

Insisting that they differ from other candidates in the GUSA election because they aren’t “politicians,” Clayton Keir (SFS ’07) and Patrick Sullivan (SFS ’08) have spent little time actually campaigning.

Though not among the official candidates in the election, Keir and Sullivan are running a write-in campaign that has garnered the support of the student association’s Assembly Chair Ed Duffy (SFS ’07), among others.

Defining themselves as “regular Georgetown students,” the two said that they believe their more relaxed approach is what sets them apart from the other candidates. That, and Keir’s attempt to bring Chuck Norris to campus to speak on his behalf.

Keir said bringing the movie star to Georgetown seemed like a funny way to get students’ support.

“Everyone loves him,” Keir said.

Unfortunately, Norris’s appeal extends further than the Hilltop, and an appearance by the actor carries a price tag of $65,000. That idea was quickly abandoned.

Instead of hosting a celebrity, Keir and Sullivan turned to Facebook.com to help them spread key components of their platform. The pair created a group, “Georgetown Needs Keir and Sullivan,” which allows students to view each element of their platform and now boasts over 100 members. At the top of the candidates’ agenda are proposals to establish a student bar in Riverside Lounge, reduce arrests for open containers and reform the university’s adjudication system.

Making GUSA a “leaner” organization by consolidating positions and changing its structure is also one of the campaign’s priorities, the candidates said.

“There should be one Assembly member per floor,” Keir said, adding that GUSA is plagued by individuals who have been appointed to positions as political favors.

Keir said that if elected, he plans to create new procedures such as mandatory interviews for people seeking appointments in the organization. He wants to see changes in several aspects of GUSA protocol, he said.

“GUSA doesn’t do anything to raise awareness,” Keir said, referring to the lack of communication between those involved in GUSA and the rest of the student population.

While they may not maintain the same rigorous campaign schedule as declared candidates, Keir and Sullivan will continue to concentrate their efforts on going door to door in each of the dorms and residences and distributing flyers to students. The two have also displayed posters around campus asking for students’ support.

While Keir and Sullivan may not have access to Thursday’s ballot, they said they’re focused on propelling their laid back and casual campaign to victory.