The curse of Pat McGee?

As juniors, we have often found class officer elections predictable, even boring. The officers elected during our first weeks on campus have easily won reelection up through the ranks.

However, the aura of inevitability that usually surrounds class elections was shattered last night when Azalea Kim '05 and Christopher Lloyd '06 both beat out incumbent candidates for their class' presidencies. When an incumbent loses the election, it is almost always surprising. Such a dramatic shift in student government begs an obvious question: Why? Did the incumbents not organize dances properly? Did they forget to order a vegan option for class study breaks? It is tempting to think that, once elected, class officers would have no problem keeping their posts — just ask for suggestions, and follow through. Like most things, though, we are sure this is easier said than done.

The campaign slogan of Frances Schendle '06 — the incumbent president of the Class of 2006 — was "Don't take chances; Reelect Frances." It appears, however, that this was the wrong approach to take. Freshmen and sophomores were interested taking a chance and hoped the grass would be greener on the other side. Aside from the outcome, both elections had another interesting feature: strong voter turnout, with more than half of both classes participating.

The Opinion Board is always in favor of a robust debate. Even when challenged incumbents win, the race keeps them on their toes, forcing them to respond to class concerns.

It's often hard to say why a particular election turns out the way it does. Looking back and trying to read the tea leaves, though, we note that there is one man who brings losing candidates Schendle and Harbour together: Pat McGee, whose visit they cooperated to organize. Future candidates, we fear, may conclude that victory begins where Southern music ends. — The Daily Princetonian Opinion Board