How do you write a manifesto?

Read the Declaration of Independence for clues. The whole thing, not just the first rolling paragraph.

I will offer free personal ads in the student rag/website for single students.

I pledge that Beer prices will be frozen next year.

I believe that lectures should start at 10am not 9am.

'Vote Dom! (If you were running he'd vote for you)'

seriously, people will love that - such rapier wit can only win hearts and minds of the volkisch

OMG WTF PERHAPS I COULD POSE IN THE MANNER OF THE TRAINSPOTTING POSTER!!!!!1111 THAT WOULD SHOW THAT I AM TEH COOL!

Hang out in the beer halls. Toy with watercolors.

They say Marx liked to have a pint now and then. He was fined in London for throwing a cobblestone through a street lamp coming home from the pub.

When I ran for deputy editor of the student rag last year we were only told the deadline to submit manifestos on the day - a good thing, because everyone was in the same boat and I didn't have time to think about it too much. No one paid them any attention in the end. How detailed do yours have to be? Ours were literally like 250 words, so I just cobbled together about three ideas, used the word 'liaise' and won off the back of making all my friends wear customised punx0r t-shirts with my name scrawled on them in board marker.

A good photo for the posters is of utmost importance though.

Does it have to be of me?

Judging by the campaigns at Exeter at the moment, what you need is either a; a picture of you in your pants photocopied so that you're next to a naked girl sitting on a giant cherry, or b; a picture of you looking smug next to the slogans "I care!" and "I can and WILL make a difference!".

Yeah, ideally... there are always some candidates who put a picture of Bill Clinton or whoever on their posters but it never works, people need a face they can put to a name and it helps with identification and all that. The advantage of running for editor of course is access to and knowledge of the God Photoshop - I helped airbrush another candidate's bad hair into a decent shape, though my photo was flukily excellent as it was.

It depends what people in your uni tend to pay attention to - images above words for most Cardiff students I'm afraid.

Also, make friends with the campaign teams of the candidates running for different positions because those are people who will definitely be voting.

Incidentally, my editor photoshopped his face into a TOTP CD and replaced all the text etc - it looked very impressive and he won it by a landslide. Although the lesson to take from his success could just as well be "being fit as fuck really really helps".

Quirkiness is good too, the guy who got elected Union president used white tape to make outlines of dead bodies on pavements. Completely irrelevant but it looked cool. Now we've had to suffer his religious fanatic control freakery for a year.

Lex, you muddyfunster, sign on MSN.

Simon Reynolds reviews a book of manifestos:

http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0120/reynolds.php

OMG. You're standing as SCAN editor?

This thread makes me feel old, having done this sabbatical election shit at Looncaster...

Basic tip for winning Scan editors from an old timer:

- You're poster must look good. You are asking to produce their paper
- Your must be reasonably witty. The paper must after all be not dull
- Don't be wacky. They don't want an arsehole Timmy Mallet
- Campiagn hard. Go big in your opponenents college. Get minions to campiagn in your college for. Do not ignore this one - this is the key!
- Eat little. Look slightly tired as it shows how hard you have been campaigning
- Work the bars
- Work lecture theatres
- Work above again.
- Work the accomodation blocks until about 4am
- if there is a sure fire canidtae in another post, hook up with them and get an unofficial slate going.

Ps - is it week 8 already?

So... yeah, that's the vague ideas I had. I'm just not entirely sure... basically, I've ignored campus politics for three years, and now expect it to do something for me.

Define "work". I understand the tactic of turning up at part one lectures and shouting at the kids there, but... bars as well?

I'm planning on hitting up the block that all the foreign students are in pretty hard as well. Nobody ever targets them, they all live on campus, plus: my surname.

Basically poster the fuck out of campus, right?

It's week six. Nominations close Monday Week 7, which is hustings. Soapbox Wednesday week 8, voting Thursday week 8, my suicide Friday week 8.

Absoliutely. Do they have poster limits still?

Beware - you will lose lip skin.

Yes. Most vote in a blind way -who, of these candidtaes, have I heard of. You're simply going for name recognition. You want to get into the bars, as you need a ripple effect; it will be discussed by many people, and you want them to be thinking 'that Dom fellow was alright'. Under no circumstances must they think 'weirdo'.

They must think nice thoughts, or at least non-negative thoughts.

Have some gags ready. The caht needs to be in full through. Apoloigise for distrubing them. Say shite like 'I'm sorry, and I'll bet the election isn't important to you really, but it is to me. I want this job so much; I've wanted it for 3 years, and I'd be greatful if you'd vbote for me.' Some will get into chat - take the opportunity, but do not get too sidetracked. If they look askance, or smile sweetly, thank them for their time and move on.

Foreigh studetns is good. You also can't beat corruption, as most Chinese postgrads don't vote, so get a freidns to staff the eelction desk and vote like the clappers.

Do not believe the radio Bailirgg exit poll.

Hah, Bailrigg's policy for this year is to "work in tandem with SCAN" for the elections, ie, we do the work, and they just read it out.

As well as being a candidate, I also used to have a professional job running the election. So the count will be totted up using a Spreadsheet I designed 7 years ago. Happy days...it is a piece of beautiful work.