Why I hate SUSU election campaigners.

Student politics. The time when students are busy vying for your votes for the (rather numerous) SUSU positions for next year. The campaigning is everywhere – ‘shout-outs’ in lectures, colourful t-shirts with snappy slogans on campus, facebook groups and so on. But when I say ‘everywhere’ I really do mean everywhere.

Indulge me for a moment as I tell you of a rather horrifying situation that occurred the other night that left me speechless.

So there I was in Vodka Rev’s downing cocktails with some friends and having a great time. It was a typical good night where everyone was drinking, wearing fancy dress, and busting out some awesome dance moves, but it was made sullen by a minority of annoying individuals who kept on bothering people – and no, I’m not talking of drunk, violent, testosterone-fuelled Solent students.

I am referring to the SUSU election campaigners. I had one earnest individual come up to me whilst I was mid-conversation with someone else and ask who I was voting for whatever position – just like one of those irritating political people who knock on your door during general elections. I nearly hit him.

I mean, honestly, campaigning to drunken students at midnight inside clubs? They aren’t even going to remember talking to you let alone who you want them to vote for. And even if they did there is a high chance they won’t vote for that person simply for the reason that you annoyed them.

I can’t remember exactly who this guy was or who he was campaigning for (which is frustrating because I might accidentally vote for them now) so that effort from him was all a waste of time anyway. But what else did he expect? Did he really think that I was in any state to discuss changes in SUSU policies or even wanted to at the time?

Why yes, my good man, I would like the union to do more to buy me another cocktail!

I can see why lots of them do it. Once one campaign starts doing it the others kind of have to follow suit so they don’t lag behind in votes. It’s like an arms race but with less nuclear war.

This happened to me again last night in Clowns. I actually spoke to a candidate himself. I was still seething with rage from the last idiot who spoke to me in Rev’s so I just said I’d vote for him to get him to leave me alone. But I must commend one friend of mine who cheekily asked him to recite his entire manifesto only to wander off whilst he was mid-sentence after having spent about 15 minutes talking to him.

Again, neither of us can remember who he was. So much for campaigning in clubs.