The Crazies Are Coming

Just when you thought allegations of early campaigning couldn't be anymore outrageous and frivolous, Michael Kingery enters the fray with this absolutely ridiculous Facebook group:

Students Against Rigged NISG Elections! was created to express outrage against NISGelections.com, which functions as an “independent” media outlet covering the NISG election cycle. This website is written and monitored by a single individual, Trevor Boeckmann, a current member of NISG, and he has recently explicitly claimed that he engages in editorializing and that the website functions as an advocacy medium. 

I've heard that if you "put" quotes "around" something, it "automatically" makes "it" suspicious. To be fair, Adam Haselhuhn is the co-founder and has written a number of posts as well.

NISGelections.com is nothing but a blatant attempt at electioneering and propaganda.

...what? Editorializing is electioneering? And who is this propaganda for?

Not only do we feel that this is a disservice to UNI student voters who are being manipulated by biased coverage, but we feel this website takes the power out of individual candidacies in campaigning to voters and places it within a shadowy behind-the-scenes entity. We feel that students should be able to make their own decisions, and should not be subjugated to the undue influence of a single individual who has stakes in the election outcome.

Then don't listen to me. Seriously, it's not that difficult. And, for what it's worth, NISGElections.com is an attempt to bring things out of the shadows.

We feel that an entity monitoring election coverage should not be advocating a specific way to vote. However, the site has also endorsed multiple candidacies and has called for specific rulings through the election commission. Nisgelections.com, we feel, has not only committed numerous NISG election rules violations, but due to the timing of its posts has also engaged in early campaigning.

NISGElections.com should really strive to be more like The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Chicago Sun-Times, and the countless other publications who endorse candidates every election cycle. Welcome to the world of media, where endorsements are commonplace.

The Election Rules Section 1 definition of formal campaigning is:
"Actions of formal campaigning include but are not limited to, making buttons and t-shirts generally available; posting flyers; holding press conferences or rallies; communicating to a group of students; creating publicly available electronic social networking groups; posting the location of or information on a campaign website; issuing/allowing the dissemination of information through e-mail, text message, postal or campus mail; etc."
We believe NISGelections.com has certainly communicated to a group of students, has posted information on candidacies on a website, and has disseminated information widely related to the elections. Posts began as early as January 18, 2011. On this date, the author, an NISG senator, introduced himself and the Presidential/Vice Presidential tickets. Information on candidates was disseminated prior to the election campaign season beginning on February 1, 2011. Therefore, according to the election rules, NISGelections.com has engaged in campaigning and early campaigning.

Election rules govern those running for office, not the press.

We feel that this site is entirely illegal. It may have been approved by the Northern Iowan, but has not been condoned by NISG. The Northern Iowan is an NISG recognized student organization, and must in turn follow the rules of NISG.

"Illegal" does not mean what you think it does.

We believe this entire election cycle has lost its legitimacy and we call for the Northern Iowa Student Government to take action to either 1)remove NISG recognition of the Northern Iowan or 2) censor NISGelections.com

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Not only is what you are proposing absurd, it's actually illegal. Best of luck to Kingery is his bid to censor the press.

In the meantime, NISGElections.com will continue to provide you the best coverage of this year's election. Stay tuned in these next couple of days as the elections unfold.