Last week, I posted about how setting yourself apart from the political mainstream can put you in a position where people hate you, but only because you’re so different from the norm.

The response to Debra Saunders’ columns demonstrates my point. She is the Chronicle’s token conservative and penned a column questioning the “so-called war on drugs” last week. In the column before that, she wrote about the injustice of mandatory-minimum laws. In today’s letters to the editor, Howard Wise writes:

Has Debra J. Saunders lost her edge? Has she been working too long with liberal journalists, or is she is really a “liberal democrat” (to quote Tom Delay) in wolf’s clothing?

First, she wrote a column on the injustice of mandatory sentencing. Then, a few days later, a column on legalizing marijuana. As a confirmed and proud liberal, I agree with her on both counts.

I used to love to hate her, and now I may hate to love her. Must I now find another right-wing-supporting journalist to rant about over my morning coffee? Debra come back! All is forgiven!

And so begins the progression from “love to hate”, to “hate to love”, to just plain love. This guy may not be convinced all the way, but the most important thing is that he now realizes that the right is by no means uniform. Maybe if the right candidate comes around, he or she can capitalize on this phenomenon.

On a side note, Saunders spoke to BCR a few weeks ago and I thought she was pretty interesting. There is an interview with her in the upcoming Patriot.

Big news for anyone who cares about liberty, “Mexico Set to Decriminalize Some Drug Use“:

Mexico’s Congress approved a bill Friday decriminalizing possession of small quantities of drugs for personal use — including cocaine and even heroin — raising potential questions about joint U.S.-Mexican anti-narcotics operations….

“No charges will be brought against … addicts or consumers who are found in possession of any narcotic for personal use,” according to the Senate bill, which also lays out allowable quantities for an array of other drugs, including LSD, ecstasy and amphetamines.

The law is both less and more permissive than European drug laws. Dutch-style shops selling marijuana may not be tolerated, but the list of decriminalized drugs in Mexico is much longer than almost anywhere else. It is a step in the right direction.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of all this is that the bill was pushed by Mexico’s conservative leadership:

“We can’t close our eyes to this reality,” said Sen. Jorge Zermeno, of Fox’s conservative National Action Party. “We cannot continue to fill our jails with people who have addictions.“

Basically, it would be like the Republicans suddenly deciding to decriminalize drugs in America. It may sound shocking, but I think this is a preview of things to come in North America. The illusion of victory in the Drug War becomes more unbelievable each and every day. The cost (in terms of money and liberty) is very high, while the gains (ending drug use) are nonexistent. In addition, the entire thing is an affront to the small government philosophy that conservatives supposedly believe in. Mark my words, it’s only a matter of time before the mainstream Right reverses course.

Until then, drug reform advocates and opponents will be watching our neighbor to the south very closely. The United States is now bordered by two countries with saner drug policies. If we cannot change our policies because of principle, then we may have to because of shame.

Just to keep everyone updated on what’s going on with the conservative movement at Cal, the Berkeley College Republicans are currently working on bringing the California College Republicans convention to Cal in Spring 2007. Here’s a link to our website. On it is a copy of our bid in its current form, along with an explananation of the theme.

From the website: “When President Reagan uttered his now famous ‘A Time for Choosing’ speech, the United States was at a crossroads. Americans could choose to stand up for freedom against the oppression of socialism or sit idly by. In the 1980 presidential race, America chose the former over the latter, and America won that battle.

“Today, America is again at another crossroads. Some enemies are the same. The ideas of Lyndon Johnson – those of the nanny state – remain a persistent threat to economic freedom and property rights. Though socialism has passed, terrorism compels us to act with courage and urgency.

“This Convention of the California College Republicans, hosted by the Berkeley College Republicans, seeks to emphasize the significance of preserving our American foundation. It also seeks to focus on an internal choice facing Republicans. The path we as a party and a nation will go down in the 2008 presidential election begins here and now, in the People’s Republic of Berkeley. By standing tall for freedom, in the most unlikely place, we as college republicans can profoundly impact the future of the party – our future. Together we must preserve and support the ideals for which President Ronald Reagan boldly stood, and choose once again freedom over oppression, the individual over the commune.”

I think this is just the thing Cal needs to revitalize conservatives and their ideas, and to get the political momentum going for the primaries and general election coming up in 2008.

One last thing: in case anyone is interested, you can join the facebook group “A Time for Choosing” to get updates and discuss ideas for the convention bid.

Let’s help put the fire in the cosnervative cause, CCR Convention at Cal, 2007!

The Daily Cal is reporting that voter turnout in the ASUC elections has soared this year, up over 4000 from last year. The rise is mainly attributed to the introduction of online voting, which more than made up for the apathy expected as a result of the perceived lack of competition.

The question remains: who will benefit the most from the increased turnout? Previously, there was great opposition to online voting, as it would change the rules of the game. Now that the dynamic has been changed, I won’t be surprised if things turn out differently from what people expect. Upset victories in the executive races? More independent and third-party representation in the Senate? I predict opponents of the status quo will be pleasantly surprised come results time.

I’ve wanted to have polls here for some time, so let’s make this the first official Patriot Poll:

A few minutes after noon on Wednesday, I wanted to check out the Daily Cal. Since I was on Sproul I went to the large kiosk thing the Daily Cal has. After I grabbed the day’s issue (Wednesday’s), I decided to grab a paper from the day before. While I had already read Tuesday’s paper, I wanted to get an extra copy or two because they published an op-ed I co-wrote about the RSF fee. I looked in the bin right below the shelves where they put the latest issue. They always dump the old issues in the bin right in front of the shelves. I looked and I saw a few of Monday’s papers and even large stacks from the same issue from last week. However, I could not find a single copy of Tuesday’s Daily Cal. Why would this situation arise? The Monday issue had the voter guide but there were still voter guides and Monday issues around. The only thing special about the Tuesday issue was the Daily Cal endorsements for ASUC elections. The Daily Cal only endorsed people who were qualified, so who would have a problem with their opinion? Who could possibly not like the endorsement of an independent and a SQUELCH! party member over major party candidates?

In case you missed the Daily Cal endorsements or forget:

Executive VP: Ben Narodick

External Affairs VP: Igor Tregub

They endorsed a few other things, but I don’t think any of them would merit the seizure of all the papers 24 hours after they were printed.

Let’s say I think some people wanted students to forget about the Daily Cal endorsements. I don’t think it was Tom Bates.

For most of this past year, the Berkeley Blogosphere had been spiraling into the abyss. The number of blogs continued to dwindle; longtime Berkeley Blog fixtures closed up shop. Dark days indeed for those looking for campus and political commentary…

Then something happened. New blogs started sprouting right and left.

Alex Marlow has been pulling triple duty: writing for the Patriot, blogging on his own blog, and hosting his own podcast. He’s been doing a great job covering campus issues in an entertaining way. He’s a natural at this.

Nathan at the The Berkeley Experience started a few months ago and is already making an impression. He provides a fresh left-of-center voice that has been sorely missing from the Berkeley Blogworld. What I like most are his multimedia posts on campus events and figures. For example, here are some videos from the recent nude sweatshop protest, and here is his profile of campus funnyman Stoney Burke (plus some great footage). Also, here are some of his thoughtful posts on the nature of blogging and a slice of his life in the co-ops. Make it a point to read his blog.

The Middle East is one of the hottest subjects around, so it’s no surprise to see a few Berkeley blogs covering the region. Berkeley Forum shares with the world and Iranian-American perpsective on global news and domestic issues. They also occasionally cover the campus (such as the ASUC video I linked to previously) and present guest posts from professors. Another Berkeley Blog is Cal Divest, which focuses on trying to get the UC to divest from Israel. It’s a niche blog, but those interested in the topic from a student perspective should consider following it. Other issue-oriented Cal groups may want to follow suit and start a blog.

Last but not least is the UC Berkeley LiveJournal Community. They’ve been around for a while, but they have just recently been awarded the Best Blog in Berkeley by the Daily Cal. Some would argue that it’s not really a blog (which would mean the award would go to the runner up… namely us… next year then), but it’s the place to check if you want to know anything at all about campus.

Before I finish, let me give a shout out to some old favorites. I don’t know how he does it, but Beetle has been blogging for years and he still has funny and insightful things to say almost every day. Truly a Berkeley Blog icon. Then there’s CalStuff. It was a little slow-going earlier this year, but things are picking up again. Plus, the comment threads there are always priceless. I can’t imagine a Berkeley without CalStuff, so go blog for them!

Also, I’d just like to say that Chris, Mickey, and Ben are doing an awesome job blogging alongside of me. I can’t wait to see where this blog goes in the future.

So do yourself a favor and check out all of the blogs that I listed. Hopefully, you’ll be inspired to start your own. If you don’t know how, I’m sure any of us would be happy to show you the ropes. I hope to see a bunch of new arrivals next year. Let me know if you start a Berkeley Blog or if you already have one that I’ve overlooked. Happy blogging. Back to work…

We are lucky to have an exceptional candidate for External Affairs VP this year. He has been elected to two terms as a Senator. He also serves on a Berkeley commission and has worked to keep Top Dog open later on Northside. He works tirelessly to represent students, even if they are not his main constituency. Even when not holding elected office, he still served students. This man is none other then Igor Tregub.

Igor “online voting” Tregub

One of his other services to students is online voting. Igor fought to establish voting that students could do from the comfort of their own home. When other senators wanted to delay and said it could not be done, Igor stood firm. Now we are on track to a high level of voter participation, thanks to Igor.

Me with the next External Affairs VP.

Aside from his unmatched experience, I can attest to Igor’s character. When I was sitting in senate meetings, hiding on the sides not saying a word to anyone, Igor came over and talked to me. He wanted to know what kind of student would appear at senate meetings and sit in the back taking notes.

Igor has a history of caring about students and experience working with external groups. He is by far the most qualified candidate for EAVP.

If you missed the CalStuff thread earlier, it is a good example of online election fighting. People fought over Igor’s qualifications for a while. My favorite comment is #140 which ended “No one from SA has trumpeted Jason’s qualifications yet. Impress me, really.” The silence that followed has lasted for ten days.

Some Executives just don’t care

On Friday there was an election forum held by the Daily Cal. While all the executive candidates were informed of it well in advance, some of them were too good to show up to the forum to educated students. All the Student Action executives missed the forum. They did not even care to send representatives. If SA cares this much about being in touch and answering student’s questions before they are elected, I shutter to think how far they will look down their noses at all of us when they are elected. I cannot in good conscience vote for a single Student Action executive.

GA MOU Referendum NO

The best commentary on this was done by Beetle.

RSF Fee Referendum NO

With this everyone will pay for the RSF even it they don’t use it. If we vote a fee for something optional like the RSF, we can’t say no to increased fees for necessary things like professors and better classrooms. Once again Beetle says it best.

Letter to the Daily Cal Against the RSF Fee. Thanks to Jim for his ideas and hard work.

Recap of Offices

Check out Alex’s commentary on the people running. I agree with all of his recommendations.

Like I said earlier, I am busy and can’t write a complete summary of all my reasoning. However we are lucky to have good bloggers such as Beetle and Alex who can keep everyone informed. If you have any questions about specific candidates or the referendum please comment so we can all find the truth together.

Here’s an event that might be of interest to some of you out there. From the email announcement that I received:

I am presenting a talk this Tuesday, 4/25 that may be of interest to members of Berkeley College Republicans and CalDems. The talk is entitled, Hacking the ASUC: What Political Hacks can Learn from Hackers and Vice-Versa, and it is co-hosted by CalLUG and the Computer Science Undergraduate Association.

The talk draws on my observations of the interaction between ASUC political hacks and hackers from the CSUA and OCF during the 2003 and 2004 ASUC elections. I have a unique vantage point because I led a team that hacked and, subsequently, helped secure the 2003 ASUC elections. The following year, I recruited and led the team that wrote the replacement election server. Members of the 2004 elections council called upon me to do this less than 24 hours before balloting opened.

In the world of politics, the importance of bottom-up, grassroots communications technologies that leverage the internet is growing at a phenomenal rate. This growth comes at the expense of traditional top-down media like television and newspapers. This is happening at all levels of politics, national, state, and even in the political microcosm of the ASUC. Because of its relatively small size, the ASUC presents a spectacular opportunity to examine how increased dependence on technology and the hackers behind it can impact a political landscape. The story that plays out in the ASUC may very well repeat itself at the state and national level over the course of the next decade.

Hacking the ASUC is written for non-technical audiences, but will feature elements of interest to techies, including the 2003 exploit code.

Time, Date, and Location:
6:00 PM
Tuesday, 4/25
306 Soda Hall (aka that big bathroom-green tile building on North Side)

The ASUC Voter’s Guide has just been posted online. It’ll also be available as an insert in the next Daily Cal.

These things are good for a few laughs, but I’m not sure how helpful they are in informing voters. Chris Page and Beetle’s alter ego give it a nice shot though as the official opponents of the two referendums.

Some observations below… (more…)

As hard as it is to believe, blogging is a form of speech, and just like television, radio, and print, most of it results in garbage, some of it is actually worthy of attention.

Whether or not this blog qualifies I’ll leave up to the general readers.

Anyway, like any other form of speech, having the freedom to post and publish just about anything you want (except for falsely yelling fire in a theater, or other such threats to public safety that can reasonably be punished) is sacrosanct in the US and most other free, democratic society.

So when I came across this online article on Iraqi blogs naturally I was intrigued. And then I got to thinking about how I, and probably most of us, take this blog for granted. Dictatorships around the world have upgraded to the modern era of instant communications. One need only look up “Tiananmen” on the Chinese portal of Google, and compare those search results to what you find on the American portal, to realize how even the seemingly free flow of information on the internet can be curtailed.

To me it’s heartening to see that Iraqis, for the first time, are able to make use of what I and most others in my generation pretty much grew up with. Next time I blog, either in livejournal or here, I’ll keep that in mind.

Anyway, these blogs of the Iraqi people are worthy of our attention. Three cheers for the internet, and freedom that comes with it!

I read blink by Malcolm Gladwell over the weekend. It was interesting and easy enough to read that I finished it in two sittings (one in which I was buzzed from Raleigh’s pear cider and cheap vodka shots… drinking and reading is a surprisingly effective combo). I remember the book receiving all kinds of accolades when it was first released. I didn’t think that it was that mind-blowingly awesome, but it was pretty good.

I’ll spare you all from my amateur book review and move on to something that hit me while I was reading.

In one chapter, Gladwell writes about how sometimes our impressions of things are totally off. He tells the story behind a revolutionary new office chair. This chair was more comfortable than any other chair on the market, but it looked so strange that it received terrible marks in aesthetics. Going forward with the product would be risky. The company took a chance, released it, and, to everyone’s surprise, it sold very well. Customers praised both its comfort and design while competitors raced to imitate what had been seen as ugly up until then. Gladwell explains:

The problem is that buried among the things that we hate is a class of products that are in that category only because they are weird. They make us nervous. They are sufficiently different that it takes us some time to understand that we actually like them.

I think we sometimes face the same situation when it comes to politics. Our culture and media condition us to believe that there are only liberal Democratic blue staters and conservative Republican red staters. Tell someone that you’re a Republican and they instantly have a profile of what you supposedly stand for. And in our unfortunately polarized world, you’re going to get a reaction that you really don’t deserve.

I lived in the dorms my freshman year. I’m not the kind of person who advertises their political beliefs. In fact, it’s pretty hard to get anything political out of me (besides on this blog, of course). But somehow, some of my floormates were successful in extracting that I was a Republican and I worked on the Patriot. They were dead set in seeing me as the stereotypical Republican, so I had to put up with the usual mocking (thankfully not mean-spirited). I tried to explain multiple times that I was a libertarian, but they still considered me the typical Republican and continued with the typical anti-Republican talking points. It wasn’t until many months later that they finally realized that their judgement of me was way off. In the end, they even admitted that they shared some of my views and that they wished all Republicans were like me.

It took almost a year to get those guys to move beyond their first impressions. I’ve been less successful with some of my other friends. I mean, even after explaining time and time again what I believe in, they still think I’m some kind of hardcore Bush-backer. I’m sure I’ll be able to enlighten them in the end, but it’ll take some time and effort.

We have the same problem on the national level. Our political offices are mostly filled with run-of-the-mill Republicans and Democrats, George Bushes and John Kerrys. Every now and then, someone comes around who breaks the mold, however slightly. We have the John McCains and Howard Deans of the world. The media correctly labels them “mavericks” since they really are, relatively speaking. The public has come to genuinely like these politicians.

We need more “mavericks,” especially ones that are even further from the political mainstream. We need candidates that make the voters uncomfortable. We need candidates that aren’t afraid to go down in flames. They aren’t going to win on their first tries, but they lay the groundwork for future victories. The voters like these politicians, they just don’t know it yet. The voters like these ideas, they just don’t realize it yet.

I’m doing my small part on this blog to get such “strange and uncomfortable” ideas out there. I’d like to see more actual candidates doing the same. Losing sucks, but not getting the message out is even worse. So go on and spread the word: they’ll hate you now, but they’ll thank you in the end.

Beetle has an overview of Friday’s ASUC candidate forum. I would’ve went, but it was a Friday. He’s endorsing Lauren Karasek and Ben Narodick; both are coincidentally my choices too.

The guys over at Berkeley Forum have a nice video of some campaigning on Sproul. If you haven’t been on campus lately, this is a pretty accurate slice of what you’re missing. With the added bonus of being set to The Police’s Every Breath You Take. Can’t go wrong. On a side note, send me links to your Berkeley blog and I’ll add it to the blogroll.

Enjoy the weekend.

Our April issue is out just in time for the ASUC elections…

Pick one up on Sproul or read it online.

In the issue, we endorse Oren Gabriel for President, Ben Narodick for Executive VP, Igor Tregub for External Affairs VP, Joyce Liou for Academic Affairs VP, and Victoria Mitchell for Senate.

Besides our ASUC guide, we also have a feature on the UC salary controversy, an interview with Tom McClintock, a defense of genetic engineering, and more.

Check it out and let us know what you think.