To avoid confusion… this is written by new correspondent Ben Narodick, not lovable huggable Kevin Deenihan. So don’t harass him.

PS I’m running for senate too… #56 on the Squelch! Ticket.

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The Daily Cal endorsements are up!

I’m up finishing a paper, and while trying to procrastinate, I was shocked to find the Daily Cal endorsements on the web page. Here are the endorsements and some thoughts.

President: Misha Leybovitch, SA
2nd choice: Jake Kloberdanz, BEARS-United

Misha’s endorsement was really of no shock value. Most people had seen his spot as a lock, clinched by his impressive experience as a senator during years of inefficiency and a decent (not good, definitely not great) appearance at the DAILY CAL forum on Saturday. Jake’s 2nd place endorsement may carry some shock value and political gain for the BEARS-United party, especially by beating out perennial powerhouse CalSERVE’s candidate, Renita Cheney. Both Cheney and Kloberdanz performed strongly at the DAILY CAL forum and stuck to their platforms, but when it came down to it, the two were both outsiders to the complex structure of the ASUC leadership, and in the battle for second, Kloberdanz’s concrete plans and ideas carried him through to the number two spot.

Exec VP: Alfred Twu, Independent
2nd choice: Rebecca C. Brown, Squelch!

This decision was chock full of surprises, though neither Christine Lee nor Karina Sarabia-Delgado have struck anyone as great candidates for the spot. I think this was a statement of rejection by the DAILY CAL staff. Many insiders are saying that the major party slates are the weakest they have been in years, and by endorsing two outside candidates, the staff is supporting that opinion. In other news, I look forward to working with Rebecca in the Senate chambers next year.

EAVP: Liz Hall, CalSERVE

No surprise. One of the only executive candidates who truly seems to have all their marbles in a row, ready to hit the ground running when elected. Rest of the field did not shine.

AAVP: No endorsement.

Quote from the DAILY CAL: “No candidate has stepped forward and clearly articulated a coherent vision of what the role of this office should be.” Very true. Rocky Gade was not exactly a clear articulator during his speech at the Daily Cal forum. Meanwhile, Mike Sheen seems to be no more than a CalSERVE party man, and his financial history in the AAVP office seems sketchy at best. As for Squelch! Candidate Matt Holohan, well, let’s just say he didn’t get very fair questions during his individual period. Though he did articulate a coherent vision of what role the office should fulfill…

Student Advocate: Dave Madan, Independent

Once again, no surprise. This guy is endorsed by everyone. Including Kevin Deenihan, if nobody noticed.

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I think the most important part of this endorsement (other than the fact it really isn’t a barometer for student opinion) is the amount of candidates on the endorsement ballot outside of the two main parties. With the formation of BEARS-United and the surfacing of more independent candidates, it would not be surprising to see a truly parliamentary system evolve at Berkeley, fitted with coalitions and everything. I guess only time will tell.

Oh, and I got 3/5 in the Deenihan pool. Can anyone beat me?Email This Post!