WRGW News Poll: Presidential Race - Lifton Leads

A WRGW News Poll of 369 undergraduate GW students conducted February 21-24, shows that presidential candidate Jason Lifton has a solid lead over his opponent Xochitl Sanchez.

Taking into account only likely voters, Lifton captures 43.5%, while Sanchez has 29.4%, with 27.0% of respondents still undecided.  

There is a stark difference between male and female respondents.

Lifton leads Sanchez among men, 44% to 24%, while his lead among women shrinks to 41% to 33%.  

As previously mentioned in the EVP post, 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.  Grad students are not included in the survey.

Here are the complete results of the WRGW News President/EVP poll:

President

Jason Lifton  43.5%

Xochitl Sanchez  29.4%

Undecided  27.0%

EVP

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.    

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

The Colonial Cabinet Advantage in SA Elections

During our WRGW SA election survey, we noticed that many freshmen students were voting for Rob Maxim (EVP) and Xochitl Sanchez (President). When asked how they made their selection, the freshmen students answered that they remembered their names from the Colonial Cabinet. Both Rob Maxim, and Xochitl Sanchez were 2009 Colonial Cabinet members.

Before students even step foot on campus, brochures are mailed out to the incoming class introducting them to the Colonial Cabinet with their smiling faces. "The Colonial Inauguration is our first interaction with upperclassmen. It could impact the freshman vote because of the name recognition," said Jason Maney, a current freshman.

The freshmen class is not always targeted in Student Association campaign platforms, but they represent a quarter of the undergraduate population. Despite Sanchez being an outsider, with a majority of the freshmen vote, she has got her foot in the door.

Xochitl Sanchez - A Presidential Candidate Profile

Xochitl Sanchez

Major

International Affairs

 Clubs, Activities, Internships, Jobs, Experience

STAND, Phi Sigma Pi Honors Fraternity, 2009 Colonial Cabinet, College Democrats, Capitol Hill Intern Congressman Rodriguez D-TX, Leon H. Sullivan Foundation Intern.

 Why are you running for President?

I am running for president because for the past two years I have been disappointed with the job the SA has been doing in regards to advocating for students and their needs. The SA needs to focus on student orgs and other student life issues to make student’s time at the university the best it can be. Problems regarding advising, dining, and student life shouldn’t be hindering students and their overall GW experience. I plan on tackling these issues head on and advocating the needs that I see students have.

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

The most pressing issue facing the SA and the SA President is communication and advocacy for and among students and student organizations. The SA President is not there to follow the agenda of the GW Administration but rather she is there to represent the needs of the students and inform the administration of those needs. Communication is a huge aspect of the job and ensuring that student orgs receive the help they need by frequently communicating with them and students is a necessity.

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

I believe the most effective member of the SA would be SA senator Michael Komo. He has been a total advocate for students and student organizations. He worked so hard to bring real change this year and I hope if elected I will be able to work with him next year to advocate for the students.

 What would you do differently compared to your predecessor, Julie Bindelglass?

Communication with my executive cabinet and EVP would be the most different thing that I partake in as SA President. Julie did a great job advocating for students but the lack of communication in her administration made it difficult for others to get initiatives for students accomplished.

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

I would continue to serve the students of GW in the same way I have for the last three years, as a student organization leader. This is the most effective way to help integrate GW students into campus life and it is very rewarding since it allows me to build more personal relationships with students. I’m also an active member in my Honors Fraternity and plan on staying involved with them as well as the College Democrats.

 Who will you be voting for EVP? Maxim, Dobson, Goldstein or Binetti?

I have yet to decide who I will be voting for since all of the candidates bring something valuable to the table. I really like that Dobson brings a great attitude in regard to tacking the issues the SA has and that Goldstein is advocating for a stronger voice for students. Maxim is a great friend of mine and he has great character and knowledge to help him be a great EVP. Binetti shares in my view of a stronger student life throughout the university. I know all of their platforms well and would be able to have a great working relationship with all of them.

WRGW-SA Debate Report Card for the Presidential Candidates

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

Overall, both candidates did very well and came off as polished, confident, and potentially good advocates.  Xochitl may be the overwhelming underdog in this race, but she more than held her own.

Jason Lifton - Lifton gave a laundry list of his extra-curriculars, and talked about the necessity of communication in an SA presidential administration, a point he hammered throughout the debate.  It was a decent opening.  

Jason was assisted with an infomail sent out the day of the debate announcing the doubling of the number of CCAS advisors, a huge victory on his part, and a point he effectively used during the debate. 

He handled every question very well, and came off as highly informed and deeply connected, although at times he sounded a little pretentious in comparison to his opponent.  

He surprisingly criticized Julie Bindelglass for her failure to effectively communicate her agenda, and he called cabinet meetings "ineffective" when asked why Bindelglass has held only 3 all year.  

Lifton also took a shot at Xochitl's lack of experience, which she sharply countered.

His closing statement was a summary of his advocacy as EVP, which was helpful.

Overall, Lifton had a very, very strong performance.  It's hard to pinpoint any missteps since the message he was trying to drive home (communication, advocacy, experience) were consistently present in each of his answers throughout the debate.  

Grades:

Opening Statement: B

Closing Statement: B

Style: A-

Substance: A-

Final Grade: A-

---

Xochitl Sanchez - With absolutely no idea of what to expect, Xochitl's performance can be considered a resounding success.

Her opening statement framed her candidacy as an SA outsider tired of the SA.  Nothing too ground-breaking, and it was a little predictable.  

Xochitl came across as down to earth, articulate, and informed on many of the issues that were discussed.  She probably did enough to quell the concerns of some students who thought she had no connections with the GW administration or wouldn't be a good voice for the student body.  She came off as highly likable and seemed like the "average student" rather than a member of the SA.  I'm sure that was her intention, and she succeeded.  

Xochitl also very wisely called herself a tool at one point in an effort to be seen as a credible candidate.  She cited her personal relationships with GW administrators, and her experience with student organizations to build up the legitimacy of her experience and knowledge.  

Her only true weak point came when defending the vagueness in her platform, which she answered with even more vagueness, responding that it represented "the needs and wants of students and student organizations."  

Sanchez's closing statement was a reiteration of her outsider status, and saying she wanted to leave a legacy at GW.  

Grades:

Opening Statement: B

Closing Statement: B+

Style: A

Substance: B

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

SA Outsider Announces Bid For SA President

Xochitl Sanchez, a member of Colonial Cabinet this past summer has announced her candidacy for SA President.

On her website, Sanchez writes that "My philosophy in running, is that you don't have to be part of the Student Association in order to understand what concerns students at this University."

Sanchez should be an interesting counter-weight to current EVP Jason Lifton in the presidential contest, as Sanchez is running as a complete SA outsider, although at this point of the announcement process Lifton is the overwhelming favorite.  

Sanchez also has her own facebook group.*  


*Interestingly, when I tried to join the group I was rejected, a little unexpected for an SA presidential candidate trying to gain some support early in the campaign.