Gordon Ramsay to run for Rector

[Steveo]

What, Ben, do you make of the stories that Mr Ramsay is actually a nice guy when you remove the persona placed upon him for the camera?

I think he'll have the ability to be damn forceful when he needs to be, as seen on TV, and I'm sure he's not going to be a heartless bastard when it comes to student welfare and so forth.

[Dave the Explosive Newt]

Run him Mr Joss, run your 'name', and we'll run more than that against him.

Who are you planning on running?

[hr]

Will Watson. Medical Student. Cake Lover.

[exnihilo]

More importantly, where on earth is all this bile coming from? That last post, benesq, was ludicrous in the extreme. Have you a 'worthy' candidate with no 'name' and you're upset that he or she is being challenged?

If so, who is it? I'm sure given a choice the students will vote for the candidate they think best able to represent them. Don't like Gordon Ramsay, don't vote for him, that's your right. But dismiss him as nothing but a 'name' and you reveal your ignorance and your unreasoned bias .

You also reveal in your response that you didn't bother reading, or understanding, other peoples posts. Whatever, let's try to keep it friendly, yes?

[David Bean]

Quite. And your comments accusing me of being a KK supporter and telling me that I look down on people, quite frankly beggar belief. I support freedom of association on whatever basis, and if I thought a group like the KK was in the habit of looking down on people, my response would be simply not to join, not to take up a campaign of arms against them - hardly an unreasonable position to hold, don't you think?

Also, I'm not the one who goes around calling people 'idiots' for thinking well of candidates I don't agree with, or claiming that they're not up to the job based on no evidence. But this isn't an ad hominem argument. If you'd like to debate the merits and demerits of any given candidate calmly and rationally, without taking or giving personal offence when people disagree with you, then we can do business. Otherwise, I'm sorry to say that we can't.

[hr]

I'm your Guardian Angel.

[Prophet Tenebrae]

I have to say that all this ill will from benesq seems rather pointless - and dare I say childish.

Run him Mr Joss, run your 'name', and we'll run more than that against him.

So... is that a thinly veiled threat of negative campaigning? Or are you going to run a legtimate candidate against Mr. Ramsay?

If you're going to engage in the latter, by all mean extoll his virtues to us.

[hr]

IMAGE:www.btinternet.com/~brother.war/white10-2.gif

[BenEsq]

Apologies if I got carried away in an overly dramatic fashion - sometimes I do about things I'm involved in. Reading back, yes there was a lot I said towards the end that was arguably phrased in a stupid way. You're right, it should really be kept friendly. We all get carried away sometimes, this was one of my times. I'm convinced by the candidate I'm helping to run (let you know later this week, not my call), you are yours - I must respect and accept that.

Having thought about Mr Ramsay, I don't believe that he'd be suitable though. However, if you can show me another side to him, it would be great to see that he had at least some alright qualities. There's no debate that he'd be better than Yusuke anyway(if he's still running), though that hardly needs saying (sorry Yusuke). I still don't think that I'll be convinced, mainly because the fact he is a celebrity detracts from people thinking a great deal about what the position of rector really means. I don't know if you can separate that when a lot of people don't know what the rector does. "Is that all they'll see when they vote, the 'name'?" that was my concern. You probably think differently though, which is why of course you're supporting Ramsay. I truthfully thought that before I gave my support to the candidate I'm helping out.

Bean, you endorsed the single sex clubs coming to the fair and I've been informed that they recruited. It's that support or at least indirect support, I don't know what is. I'd never (although may have at first)propose an all out campaign against the KK, I'd rather promote the values I have generally, which would conflict with theirs.

I promise not to rant in future, which was what the last post was towards the end. Hold that against me if you will, as no longer being half awake or mid-rant, I realise the taunt at the end was indeed childish. I still stand by a lot of what I said earlier on though, about really exploring the potential of the role of rector. Apologies if I have offended anyone - all people in question I owe pints, coffees, teas to and you the chance to tell me I'm an idiot if I think ranting is going to get me anywhere. Even so and even though I will seem like an idiot myself to a lot of you now anyway, it would be great if the full potential for the role of rector was explored and promoted this election. I am usually capable of being rational you know, so please test that out sometime soon.

[hr]

Lions and tigers and bears...Oh my!

[BenEsq]

Whoops, double posted

[exnihilo]

I absolutely want the role to be taken seriously. I stood myself three years ago in the hope of getting it taken seriously, in the end the students voted for a name. I think there's little or no hope of any alternative, so if they're going to vote for a name it is incumbent on those who are getting actively involved to pick a Rectorial candidate who has talent as well.

Very briefly (because I didn't start this thread to campaign, merely to find people interested in running the campaign - as I'm not in St Andrews), here's why I think Gordon will be good.

He's a very successful businessman.
He's an able communicator (don't be fooled by all the swearing)
He's a thoroughly nice bloke off screen
He's determined, and doesn't do things in name alone (viz previous refusal to stand)
He's not a man given to half measures, when he does something he does it well
He knows exactly what the job entails, I've communicated it to him in detail
He has the sense to know what fights to have and what ones not, and the sense to take the President's advice as well as other officers and his own assessor.
He cares about his staff's well being and if he drives them hard, they tend to love him for it later

There's more, but that's for the campaign. Yes, we should avoid electing someone because he's a celebrity, but we should be even more wary of ruling out a first class candidate for the same reason!

[Prophet Tenebrae]

I wouldn't worry about it Ben, people have ranted over far less for far longer than you. It won't be the first time or the last time this kind of thing happens the best thing to do is just move on.

I'll be interested to see who your candidate is.

[hr]

IMAGE:www.btinternet.com/~brother.war/white10-2.gif

[La Jouissance]

I'm not to sure about whether Gordon Ramsay would be a good candidate or not. Surely what should be more concerning is that it seems like the only person to have proposed a serious candidate has long since graduated! (No offence ex nihilo, obviously, glad that someone is showing an interest!) Is there no one left in KY16 with the nous to get a decent campaign together?

I was involved in the Sheridan vs. Neil campaign (on the losing side) and I thought that was a case of two strong candidates which was in the end a close run thing.

Just my tuppence worth.

[exnihilo]

I'm only involved because both six and three years ago I made a major push to find a good candidate. You'll struggle to find someone more concerned about his alma mater, and more seized of the importance of the Rector, than I.

That said, the reason for this thread was to hand on the Ramsay campaign to 22 (and as many more as want!) enthusiastic young things to do the actual campaigning.

[Steveo]

I'll re-state my intention to sign my name up, and help the campaign.

[Guest]

Quoting David Bean from 14:08, 26th Sep 2005
I support freedom of association on whatever basis,.

Including whites-only clubs???

[exnihilo]

I have a horrible feeling I'm going to regret this, but can people interested in getting involved in the campaign please email me for details.

Tobias Joss - btjoss@hotmail.com

Thanks.

(And, no, that's not my actual email address, just got it for this purpose!)

[David Bean]

Hey there! Just stopped in to say thanks, Ben, for your kindness. On the specific issue, if the KK and Lumsden were recruiting, it was entirely behind my back, because I spoke to both of them (and the CU similarly) and they all promised that they'd do no such thing - but in any case it wasn't my decision to have them there in the first place, since it was considered to be a commercial issue, and thus handled by Chris.

But now we're back to debate on the merits and demerits, I still agree with Tobias because I trust the value of his word, but if and when I get to meet Gordon Ramsay I'll doubtless make up my own mind.

On the other question, Do I support white-only clubs? No. Do I support their right to exist in a free society? Yes. Does that mean I'd join them, or use public money (such as the Association's) to fund them? No, absolutely not. You can't say to a group of people, these are the terms on which you must admit members, on pain of imprisonment - it simply doesn't work. I think there's a very big difference, and as a libertarian I say this about virtually all issues (drugs, prostitution, duelling...), between permitting an action, and condoning it.

[hr]

I'm your Guardian Angel.

[exnihilo]

You're very kind. And, I shall make it my business to ensure that as many people as humanly possible meet Gordon before the election.

[Laura]

Should anyone believe that Ben's ranting without purpose, I'd just like to say that there will be another candidate in the election who does have all the virtues he has mentioned- we're just not putting it out there at the moment other than collecting our signatures and so on. He isn't a celebrity. You probably won't have heard of him. But he is absolutely cut out for this job. We'll let you know soon.

Also, it was mentioned to me by Sir Clement that there is a third candidate- but I am yet to hear stuff about that from anyone but him.

We'll see.

[hr]

"Twenty years to the week since I was President of the Oxford Union, editor of isis, jeunesse doree I find myself the early morning toast of the ITV telethon: standing on my head, unravelling the world's biggest jumper, leading the dawn sing-along with Rustie the Caribbean Cook. Something's gone wrong somewhere..."

[exnihilo]

The more the merrier, I say. I heartily encourage as many people as possible to nominate candidates. It all goes toward preventing the election being the farce it is at other institutions.

[Eliot Wilson]

I take it, then, that Sir Clement has decided not to seek re-election?

[hr]

Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."

[exnihilo]

Supposedly Sir Clement is one of Gordon Ramsay's biggest fans. Isn't that nice?