[hoosier]

Alabama's Machine may be the longest running/best known, and the secret to their success was secrecy, political skills, maybe a little money from alumni, and organization.

If almost all of Alabama's Greeks can vote for the Machine's candidates, they win.

And if an outstanding dedicated non-Machine candidate runs, he might find he's also opposed by several attractive non-Machine-ites, and the non-Greek vote is split - Machine wins.

And if the non-Machine guy happens to win, he faces a student govt. already filled with Machine allies, and few real changes are possible.

At UGa, it is said that the (Gridiron?) machine Student Body Pres. is promised a seat in the state legislature as soon as he gets a law degree.