AMS Elections bringing out the worst in candidates' supporters

There’s only two days left of campaigning and that hasn’t stopped the emergence of some of the dirtiest political tactics this side of the House of Commons.

Jasmine Ramze, a radical writer for the Knoll and fervent supporter of Stefanie Ratjen, is the worst of them.

Ms. Ramze was the one who reminded Mr. Poritz of his four-year-old quote about women becoming “more obnoxious and less traditional.” A terrible quote, but I found the tactic as ethical as that of Irene Mathyssen denouncing James Moore in the House of Commons.

Ms. Ramze has also tried and failed to swing mud at the candidates for VP Academic. At a debate last week she got up and asked them how they feel about alleged military funding for UBC’s International Relations (IR) program. Gordon Hawkins, the president of its students’ association, had to clarify at the debate that the Department of National Defence in fact provides funding for the Liu Institute, not the IR program. A little research wouldn’t hurt, Ms. Ramze.

Ms. Ramze hit rock bottom this past week when she put up a Facebook group called “Freeman Poritz Watch” which derided him for being in a fraternity, enlisting in the Israeli military and being xenophobic, with nothing to support the latter claim. The group was registered under a different name and the fact of her creating it disappeared from her Facebook mini-feed. A dirty, cowardly act if I’ve ever seen one. Freeman was hurt bad enough already.

In the dying days of the election, Ms. Ratjen ought to dissociate herself from these pathetic tactics if she wants to doff the “scary liberal” moniker. Maybe she doesn’t want to. Maybe she’s happy to have these types on her team. But who really wants them in the AMS?