IT'S OVER: Rob Maxim Beats Logan Dobson in EVP Runoff

Former SA Senate Secretary Rob Maxim defeated Sen. Logan Dobson Thursday night by a 51.9% to 48.1% margin. Maxim, a junior, will succeed current Executive Vice President Jason Lifton, who will serve as SA president in the fall.

Dobson was the top vote getter in the first round of the EVP race, with Maxim in second place. Sen. Josh Goldstein, who finished fourth, endorsed Maxim in a Facebook message to his supporters Wednesday night.

Tomorrow on News in Depth...

Coming up on "News in Depth," EVP candidates Logan Dobson and Rob Maxim face off on the issues, heading into the much anticipated runoff election.

Also, W. Hunter Patterson, editor-in-chief of the "GW Patriot," drops in with guest commentary and analysis.

WRGW News' Jared Pliner and Dan Keylin co-anchor from Washington, D.C.

You don't want to miss this edition of "News in Depth," from 12 to 1 p.m. on gwradio.com and campus cable channel 22!

Jason Lifton, Logan Dobson Video Interviews

Jason Lifton Elected SA President, Dobson, Maxim Head to Run-off

Jason Lifton defeated Xochitl Sanchez by a shockingly close 51.5% to 48.5% margin.

Logan Dobson and Rob Maxim head into a run-off for the EVP contest.  Dobson finished in first, Maxin in second, Jon Binetti in third and Josh Goldstein came in fourth.  Dobson recieved 28% of the votes, and Maxim had 26% of the vote.

The JEC announced that there were a significant amount of violations, hinting that many winners could be disqualified.

We'll post a full election recap, results, and in-depth analysis tomorrow.

WRGW News Poll: EVP Race - Dobson, Maxim the Frontrunners

A WRGW News Poll of 369 undergraduate GW students conducted February 21-24, shows that EVP candidates Logan Dobson and Rob Maxim are neck and neck.

Taking into account only likely voters, Dobson leads the field with 21.9%, followed by Maxim with 20.6%.  John Binetti comes in third place with 11.7%, and Josh Goldstein gets 10.7% of the survey respondents.  35.1% of the likely voters were still undecided.  

Maxim leads among female students, while Dobson leads among male students. Binetti does better among females, while Goldstein does better among males.  

It's important to note this poll isn't scientific; it's just a general survey of GW undergraduate students and their potential SA candidate preferences.  An important bloc of voters, graduate students, are not included in the poll.  Graduate students tend to vote based on the endorsements that their relevant organizations make (like the Student Bar Association or the Graduate School for Political Management Student Association), so the candidates with those endorsements could expect a bump.  

Results for the SA presidential news poll will be released tomorrow.

Here are the results of the EVP poll:

Logan Dobson  21.9%

Rob Maxim  20.6%

Jon Binetti  11.7%

Josh Goldstein  10.7%

Undecided  35.1%

Voter Likelihood 

Very Likely  26%

Likely  32%

Unlikely  29%

Will Not Vote  13%

Male  46.6%

Female  53.4% 

Non-Greek  71.8%

Greek  28.2%

Based on 369 Respondents.  For candidate preferences, only likely and very likely voters were used in the calculations.    

Thanks to: Alex Laska, Alexa Vogel, Roxanne Martin, Jenn Neuner, Clara Pak, Jared Pliner, Ryan Waye, and Joey Rabinowitz.   

Logan Dobson for EVP: Why the Hell Not? - An Endorsement

Sen. Logan Dobson has been, perhaps, the most controversial SA senator over the past two years.  His blog, "Inside the SA," has revealed much of the inner-workings of the dysfunctional group, and he has gained the reputation as a strong anti-establishment force within it.  Dobson has promised that if elected EVP, he would continue to maintain the blog, thus enabling a standard of SA transparency not seen previously.

Current EVP Jason Lifton has repeatedly admitted that his knowledge of parliamentary procedure is lacking, even though it has shown to be a governing advantage. Dobson knows the rules, bylaws, and inner-workings of the SA Senate better than anyone currently serving in the organization. This would enable him to conduct Senate meetings efficiently and effectively, without being side-tracked by attempts to wade through procedural minutiae.

We also feel that Dobson would form a phenomenal team with Jason Lifton, our preferred presidential hopeful. In such a hypothetical setup, we would expect to find Lifton serving as the student body's chief advocate, with Dobson augmenting advocacy efforts by ensuring that the SA sticks to the critical issues impacting students.  Dobson's passionate opposition to the previously proposed SA constitution indicates a fundamental understanding that the SA fails to properly allocate its precious time and resources. It is our opinion that a Lifton-Dobson team would be extremely productive in many of its endeavors.

Yet, despite Dobson's positive qualities, he can often times be a little too loose and liberal with his words and body language.  Although this certainly makes SA Senate meetings more interesting and lively, we are concerned what would happen if he were to conduct himself in a similar manner during meetings with high-ranking GW administrators.

Although we found Dobson's WRGW debate claim about the impossibility of publishing full legislative voting records unavailing, we appreciated his sincere and scholarly opposition, as opposed to following in lock-step with his fellow candidates on the matter. Sometimes a seemingly realistic 'no," is better than a blind collective 'yes.' 

In terms of Dobson's opponents, we feel that although Rob Maxim is knowledgeable and well-spoken, his debate performances were fairly unconvincing in proving why he should be elected to the position.  Josh Goldstein's major emphasis is on effective advocacy, but during his time in the Senate, has failed to sponsor any bill that would directly promote the interests of the student body. Similarly, Jon Binetti has also failed to sponsor any important legislation, and we are concerned that he seldom, if at all, speaks up at meetings.

Some may view Dobson as an insane and insufferable obstructionist, but this assertion could not be further from the truth.  The reality is, Dobson wants to see the SA get back on track and focus on the things that actually matter to students. And his election as EVP would give him a prime platform to reform the broken organization.  None of his opponents express any comparable potential. 

So, when deliberating over whether or not you should cast a ballot for Logan Dobson, be sure to ask yourself: "Why the Hell not?"

Logan Dobson - An EVP Candidate Profile

Logan Dobson

Major

Political Science, History Minor

Clubs, Activities, Internships, Jobs, Experience

Sigma Chi Fraternity, 2-year Student Association SenatorInterned at Women Impacting Public Policy and the US Chamber of Commerce Worked for GW Housing as a House Scholar

Why are you running for EVP?

I’m running for EVP because I know what’s wrong in the SA and I know how to fix it. While progress on some specific issues has been made, many parts of student life are being overlooked. We need an EVP with both the knowledge of the SA needed to make changes and the independent thinking to be able to leave aside typical SA shenanigans.

What is the number one most pressing issue that the EVP should deal with?

Certainly, anyone with any experience  working between student orgs and the SA knows that it can be a pain. We ask our student orgs to do so much; they provide the campus spirit we rely on, they bring the interesting speakers and political features to campus that makes this such a special campus. Improving their efficiency in doing that improves all aspects of campus life. We need to, once and for all, implement and advertise an online co-sponsorship and cut down drastically on the turnaround time between when an event occurs and when org leaders are reimbursed.

In the past year, who do you think has been the most effective member of the SA (besides yourself) Why?

Michael Komo, without a doubt. A strong and effective advocate, and an example of what just one student can accomplish.

If you couldn’t vote for yourself who would you vote for?

I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t think I was the best candidate, but Rob Maxim is probably the second best.

What will you be doing next year if you don’t win your election?

The same thing I do every day, Pinky. Trying to take over the world. I’m sure I’ll be involved in some way. I’ve been living, breathing, writing all things GW for a couple years now. Can’t just quit that cold turkey.

Who will you be voting for SA President? Lifton or Sanchez?

Lifton.

 Any additional things you would like to say to say about yourself?

I’d encourage you to check out www.loganforevp.com for a more detailed look into my platform. Throughout my time in the SA and working on campus, I’ve always endeavored to be clear and straightforward. We have some real problems here at GW, but it’s nothing that can’t be solved by direct and genuine leadership.

WRGW-SA Debate Report Card for the EVP Candidates

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views of WRGW News.


Overall, I think Dobson had the best night by a small margin. Maxim had a great night too, but Goldstein and Binetti were far behind their competitors for different reasons.


Logan Dobson - I thought Logan's opening statement was unimpressive (despite his dramatic claim of its greatness before the debate). But Dobson had some of the best one-liners of the night, and reinforced his public persona as being 'anti-establishment.'

His responses to most of the questions were good, but not great. His response to the question "would you release formal written documentation on individual voting records?" was surprisingly 'no,' but he gave a weak justification in saying there are too many procedural votes (why not just keep voting records of formal bills?). Whether you like Logan, at least his answers were honest, which can't be said about the other candidates at all times. Dobson was also the only candidate with the courage to say that the Greek community has too much influence over the SA.

Dobson had a great closing statement, in which he said the EVP should be working harder than the SA president since they should be advocating and running the SA Senate.

As expected, Logan matched his usual SA Senate meeting chicanery by making jabs at other candidates, constantly grimacing, rolling his eyes, and making silly faces as his opponents were speaking. It was kind of refreshing to see, and added a lot of character to the debate but at the same time let's hope these aren't his natural reactions when meeting with President Knapp or Bob Chernak.

Grades:
Opening Statement: C
Closing Statement: A
Style: A-
Substance: A-
Final Grade: A-/B+
---
Rob Maxim - I honestly didn't have very high expectations for Maxim before the debate started, but he turned out to be extremely capable at defending himself.

His opening statement was too idealistic, and too similar to what we've heard in the past (how we need new leadership, what his role as EVP would be, etc).

He argued his points forcefully, and gave off the impression he knew what he was talking about. As the only non-SA senator, he had liberty of answering in hypotheticals when discussing how he would have voted in previous Senate legislation.

Out of all the candidates, Maxim was best at saying what students want to hear, like his position on Senate voting records, and had a good point that he was the only EVP candidate that studied abroad (shielding himself from the lack of successful action on the part of the SA this year, according to many).

His closing statement, however, was a fairly weak call to "work together."

Grades:

Opening Statement: C

Closing Statement: C

Style: A-

Substance: A-

Final Grade: B+

Photos from the WRGW News-Student Association Debate

Candidates for the Student Association Presidency and Executive Vice Presidency met in the Marvin Center Ampitheater Friday evening for the first ever WRGW News-Student Association Debate.  Discussion topics ranged from campus dining to sustainability to alcohol amnesty to gender-neutral housing. Below are photos from the debate.  You will soon be able to see many more photos from the debate on our Flickr account.

Photos by Tylar Greene

EVP candidates Rob Maxim, Logan Dobson, Josh Goldstein and Jon Binetti

Jon Binetti Running for EVP - Sets Up Greek Free-For-All

Jon Binetti, a current undergraduate SA senator representing the Engineering School has launched his EVP campaign website, JonBinetti.com.  Logan Dobson, who himself is running against Binetti, asks who exactly his opponent is, implying Binetti is a low-key SA senator.

With Binetti now in the race, it now sets up a 4-way greek slugfest between the following candidates and fraternities:

Logan Dobson - Sigma Chi
Josh Goldstein - Beta
Rob Maxim - PIKE
Jon Binetti - Phi Psi

There are still two full days left to register with the JEC (2/16 & 2/17), so theoretically a non-greek candidate could still enter the EVP race.

BREAKING: Josh Goldstein Running for EVP

CCAS Senator Josh Goldstein has entered the EVP race against Logan Dobson, and he has his own facebook group and website.

Goldstein writes on his website that "the current state of the SA is unacceptable," a theme that is likely to be similar to Dobson's candidacy.  

Goldstein was appointed as a freshman SA senator last year, and won a CCAS seat last Februrary in a hotly contested race against 16 candidates for only 6 spots.  He ironically finished second - to Logan Dobson. 

Dobson had 586 votes compared to Goldstein's 537.

Logan Dobson Running for EVP

Current CCAS undergraduate SA Senator Logan Dobson is running for SA executive vice president according to a blog post on Inside the SA.

Dobson will likely face fellow CCAS Senator Josh Goldstein in a competitive election.

As for the latest election rumors this morning, Michael Komo is unlikely to run for either SA president or EVP, although nothing is out of question at this point. If Komo decides not to run, Lifton will be a virtual shoo-in due to his high name recognition, unless challenged by another high profile SA insider.

WRGWnews.com will be comprehensively covering this month's election, so stay tuned.

Last Year's Student Association Election: A Look Back

As candidates begin to announce their candidacies for SA President and EVP in the next week and the election season ensues yet again, here are some of the "memorable" moments of last year's race.

Kyle Boyer Thrown Off Ballot - In the most controversial moment of the campaign, the JEC expelled EVP Kyle Boyer from the Presidential contest after not claiming a car as an expense on his financial report (in addition to previous campaign violations). Boyer was just 2 votes shy of winning the contest outright in the first round, adding to the element of tragedy. SA drama at its finest moment.  Note to future SA candidates: report anything and everything as an expense.

Dylan 'F.' Pyne Gets Hideous Mustache Hacked Off - The current CCAS Senator promised to get it shaved off if he won a Senate seat, and we're happy he did. The mustache  hair on his upper lip looked absolutely gruesome, as seen in the video below, right before he shaved it off in-front of WRGW News.  Even more of a travesty: Pyne's terrible campaign slogans ("He makes scents") and his signs (pictured).

Logan Dobson Sails to Re-election - After 16 candidates ran for just 6 CCAS under-grad seats, Logan Dobson finished first in a landslide.  As a popular second year senator, you'd think he'd be elevated in the SA by fellow senators when it came to committee appointments, right?  The former Rules Committee Vice-Chairman tried to become Chairman of the Rules Committee.  Didn't work out.  Chairman of the Finance Committee?  Nope. Vice Chairman of any committee? No way, no how, no Dobson. Logan will probably get the last laugh if he runs for (and likely wins) EVP.    

BREAKING: SA Senate Passes LGBT Bills

SA Senator and potential Presidential Candidate Michael Komo received two pieces of good news Tuesday night, as the Senate voted to pass the two LGBT bills he had been championing.

The Senate first passed the 2010 Expanding Academic Opportunities Act, which endorses the creation of an LGBT Studies Minor within CCAS, by a roll-call vote of 23-7.

The Senate later passed the 2010 Equal Housing Opportunity Act, which endorses gender-neutral housing, allowing students to apply for housing with students of the opposite gender if they request one another, by a roll-call vote of 19-11.  The bill had been tabled at last week's meeting.

"I am absolutely elated!  We have been working for months on these initiatives," said Komo after final passage of both bills.  "Our hard was rewarded tonight with the passage of both pieces of legislation. I am beyond happy that we have addressed the concerns of students and have offered positive solutions. The point of the Student Association is to help students in need. We have successfully done that this evening. I am very proud. I look forward to addressing more concerns of the student body at future Senate meetings."

Komo had added an amendment to EHOA during a recess to change the endorsement to a less "widespread" version of gender-neutral housing consisting of a one-year pilot program, with the university deciding at the end of the year whether to keep the program.

Senator Erik Ashida told WRGW News before the meeting that he will be retiring from the SA at the end of the year.  During the thirty-minute debate session before the vote, Ashida said that "the concept [of gender-neutral housing] itself is fundamentally sound," calling it "a sound policy we should endorse."

But Senator Giovanni Tomassi, who voiced opposition to both bills, said EHOA was "too broad" and "has too many flaws."

One of the lighter moments of the debate came when Senator Logan Dobson, talking about the potential costs of instituting campus-wide gender-neutral housing, said that "as a member of housing staff I don't charge by the roommate conflict," eliciting applause from some of his fellow Senators.

Click here to read the liveblog of the meeting.

Logan Dobson, Cadidate for SA CCAS-U Senator

Logan Dobson visited WRGW studios for last Thursday's news show. He is a candidate for one of the Student Association's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences undergraduate senate positions.

Dobson's main purpose in running is to help students become more trustful of the Student Association and how they handle the apportionment of money. "With the recent pass of the student fee increase, the SA has more of the student's money than ever," he said. "If elected, I want to make sure that when the SA doles out money to various projects, I want to make sure that they remember they are spending student money and not just some arbitrary big pot of gold that the university hands them."

Logan Dobson's Interview