people who theoretically are his biggest competitors for votes.

Because if you end up the strongest of those competitors, you not only get to have your votes, you get to have theirs too.

When writing about this to various supporters, I made amusing references to the movie Highlander. For the three of you who haven't seen it, the basic premise is that immortals walk among us, but are competing amongst themselves to be the final remaining living immortal. When one immortal slays another, he (because of writer stupidity, all of the immortals in the original were men) receives a "quickening" which in the movie is shorthand for part of the power, experience, and skill of the slain immortal.

Running for CSM8 is a bit like being an immortal, except to ain his favor. He's another returning member of CSM7, he's had a year to build up a lot of contacts in Russian player organizations, and there only a couple of Russian competitors which is going to concentrate that voting base. I think he'll squeak in.

14. progodlegend or Ali Aras (too close to call)

This one is just going to be too close to call and completely beholden to STV mechanics on the low end. In fact I think when we get down to the final couple of rounds, it's going to be Ali and progod fighting to see who gets eliminated due to the lowest number of votes rather than any particular strength of #1 votes that each brings. If progod gets the seat, it will be because he