Tauseef Khan

Welcome to the thread for this candidate. Information about the Candidate will appear here shortly. Feel free to discuss this candidate's campaign and/or ask the candidate questions. There are no guarantee your question(s) will be answered, but this thread is open to be used by the candidate to have open conversation with students and members of MacInsiders.

Be sure to follow MI Terms Of Service and Code Of Conduct rules at all times.

Threads deemed to be breaking these rules will be removed or moderated by MI Staff. If you find a post breaking our Conduct Code please report it by clicking the REPORT button within the post.

isn't this the guy who has had a youtube video up since last year ?? isn't that against the rules ??

To my Knowledge Mr Tauseef Khan has had the following items up online for quite sometime:

-A Facebook video using the words "Vote" in it from around April 2009(The Video was also removed last Saturday or Sunday)
-A Facebook Group Saying Tauseef Khan for MSU President 2010 that was up sometime in April 2009 as well (This group is still up with the aforementioned timestamp)
-3-4 Public Facebook Notes(That one of my friends was tagged in) saying Tauseef Khan for MSU President 2010 (The notes have since then been removed).

I won't comment on whether that constitutes pre-campaigning or not but a few concerned SRA members have informed the CRO of these events and he is aware of their existence. I believe one SRA member even commented on the youtube video informing Mr Khan that the video probably breaks a few elections bylaws

Actually a quick google search also brings up this blog site that has the video posted http://thisissjay.blogspot.c om/200...n-for-msu.html

What does the SRA do exactly?

Now while I respect bylaws and what they stand for, I think in the case of an election they're both outdated and inconsistent with the nature of an election. To see the most obvious example of its failing look no further than twitter. Certain candidates can leverage Twitter and Facebook (by having them already, more friends etc) better than others based on their pre-established personal brands.

And isn't that what this election is largely based on? Someone who is able to leverage the student body as a whole through their own personal brand. That is to say: the way they've interacted with people all along and conducted themselves day in and day out. Each decision they've made has contributed to this brand and in many cases the decision could be a simple one.

The results of the campaign might reflect two weeks of explicit media/announcements/discussion on the surface, but if that's the case then none of the candidates were fit for the position. The people who have wanted this have probably wanted it for awhile and as such have made plans and alliances to further their goals. This notion of "pre-campaigning" infractions is, in some cases, laughable. If I'm at a job and want a promotion am I going to work hard only when the promotion is on the table? Maybe. But someone else could've been working harder all year round.

I'm less concerned about if candidates held a position within the SRA or not etc. but rather what they bring to the table as leaders. What then do I base my decision on? Questions. Questions. Questions. The passive experience just isn't really enough (Reading websites, checking facebook fanpages). Reading up on platforms etc. works to a point, but what about the people behind them? That's the bigger issue and the reason I think all of this talk of fines/policing is sometimes blown out of proportion.

That said, best of luck to all candidates!

Originally Posted by McMaxwell

. This notion of "pre-campaigning" infractions is, in some cases, laughable. If I'm at a job and want a promotion am I going to work hard only when the promotion is on the table? Maybe. But someone else could've been working harder all year round.

I'm sorry Mr Maxwell but what you just said doesn't make sense as an analogy.

Blatant putting up of facebook groups, facebook notes and youtube videos isn't working "harder". Its just not going by the rules, you are right about people making plans and alliances for any presidential ambitions from months ago but most of it(for most parts bar a few occasions) is done under the table or atleast they try and remain inconspicuous. But putting stuff out in April 09 with the words vote for me in it and criticizing MSU in the video isn't called working hard by any chance. Bylaws are meant to provide a fair playing field, though that is under ideal assumptions but we cannot disregard them just because of the natural externalities. Also alot of "precampaigning" if you would like is in regards to gathering Campaign team members and other influential people, which is different then coming out and saying to the general population to "vote" they are two different and equally wrong ball games. But that's just my quixotic view, take it as you may!

If this is laughable then I should put up Huzaifa Saeed 2013 or 2012 and start campaigning from today?

what is wrong with precampaigning? (apart from it being against the rules)

Originally Posted by huzaifa47

If this is laughable then I should put up Huzaifa Saeed 2013 or 2012 and start campaigning from today?

That's exactly what I'm saying. Why can you only want to be President two weeks of the year? I'm just not sold on the notion that being able to campaign all year round isn't fair.

Originally Posted by McMaxwell

That's exactly what I'm saying. Why can you only want to be President two weeks of the year? I'm just not sold on the notion that being able to campaign all year round isn't fair.

Oh I get what you were trying to say now!

Unfortunately being a Bylaws & Procedures Geek I have a very hard time comprehending the abolition of pre-campaigning bylaws but that's just our subjective opinion!

Now we can argue that there is a "reason" why laws exist in the first place but that's a different off topic argument entirely!

Originally Posted by huzaifa47

Oh I get what you were trying to say now!

Unfortunately being a Bylaws & Procedures Geek I have a very hard time comprehending the abolition of pre-campaigning bylaws but that's just our subjective opinion!

Now we can argue that there is a "reason" why laws exist in the first place but that's a different off topic argument entirely!

Either way I appreciate your view. As I said, the bylaws "are" there for a reason and I acknowledge that.

I don't think that there is something wrong about pre-campaigning, but I think you can view it in two distinct ways.

I think that its fine to work throughout the year to form relations and accomplish important goals that can put you up above the rest. Just like with your job analogy, you don't start working right when the promotion is announced, but just like your job, accomplishing things throughout your entire time there, that positively reflect on you is an important step to getting yourself out there, and I think you could technically call yourself pre-campaiging in this.

But, in my opinion, going around and gathering supporters through groups and videos is different. This is someone trying to gather the masses to their side in advance so that they have the leg up on the other candidates, and this is what I feel the bylaws are protecting other candidates against, to offer a fair chance to each person.

This is just my opinion on the matter, so take it as you will.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh2jHyqU7YE

YES WE KHAN!