University of Virginia Library

VPP Gimmick

The VPP has come out with its
most absurd campaign gimmick yet
and done it the day before the
election.

There's a new little VPP poster
now, placed above each of
Presidential candidate Tom Collier's
posters. The Collier poster features
a message about the importance of
electing Collier, signed by about 70
"student leaders" who support
Tom.

And then there's the VPP
production. Short and sweet, it
announces, in effect, that to cast a
ballot for a candidate because of
the people who support him is the
ultimate sin.

There are a couple of loopholes
in this. One, of course, is that
Collier's opponent is running on a
party ticket: All his campaign
literature has "Vote VPP" or the
party's name on it in letters larger
than the candidates' names. If
you'll forgive the expression, this
sounds like the pot calling the
kettle black: We, the VPP seems to
be saying, can announce that party
members, and whatever they stand
for support our candidates. But it
is wrong for Tom Collier's
supporters, and whatever they
stand for to announce their
backing.

Furthermore, it's a shame that
whoever created the VPP poster
didn't bother to read the text on
the Collier poster. It talks about the
importance of the Presidential
office and why Tom Collier is best
qualified to hold the post. Then it
says, "for this reason we support
his candidacy, and urge you to vote
for him."

Now, that doesn't sound like a
blanket endorsement by friends of
Collier, nor do the signers seem to
be the sort of people who would
sign that kind of poster. Certainly,
the VPP was distressed by seeing
the names of many of the
University's most prestigious
students on the Collier poster. But
it seems that these students are
chiefly concerned with electing the
man who, on the basis of his record
and abilities, can do the best job in
a very important office.

Now isn't this what counts?