Campaign Sadness - oh politics

I am currently running for the Lansdowne Director position at my school, and I am coming up again many moral and ethical conundrums on the way. At the beginning I told the two opposing parties that I wanted nothing to do with their... not so fun campaigning tactics. I wanted to be open about what i stood for and hope that people would vote for me by my platform - not simply a popularity contest.

Now I am faced with the choice to join in the negative atmosphere or tuck away my morals.

A few days back I started my visual campaign. The Power to Vote slate simply put a whole bunch of power on symbols all over campus. This means that it is very recognizable, but I and others still know nothing about what they are actually trying to accomplish. Sahra and Kelly and Rene and Hayley - the other slate, printed off small posters to put up with long lists about what they plan to do.

I took a different approach. I bought a box of colorful chalk and WROTE OUT MY PLATFORM AROUND CAMPUS. If there was space I would write 'I plan to host more events, advertise information networking so people can learn what is happening on campus, start a forum of events, petition for security cameras for the bike area..." etc.

All around the sidewalks and concrete walls, I wrote this and my slogan "Jaz Up Your Campus" Then for good measure I drew my Logo (two hands making a heart with 'clean campaigning' written on the side).

Where my problem comes in is this: Yesterday my friend Sahra came up to me in a tizzy when she found that the Power on to Vote had defaced my writing.

Turns out after I wrote out all my campaigning things a member of Power On went around drawing a big Power On symbol where I had canvassed. As in, I write Clean Campaigning on a wall, and they went up to it and put their symbol next to my name.

What do I do? They are making it seem like I am 'with them', when I am an independent. I don't wanna join the politics by bringing this up to Tag - the rule maker - but I can't just let them deface my campaign.

I don't want to think negatively about Power On, or Purple (the other group) they are just getting out of hand. But if I lose, how can I LET a group into power if they do so by mudslinging, cheating, and sabotaging all those who are 'against them'?

Their Leader is very scary in the 'if you aren't with us, you're against us' kinda fashion. He also tried to convince me to join his slate not by telling me what he stands for, but by telling me that his team is the winner, and everyone else is the loser, and the only way i can get in is by joining him.

I have tried walking away and letting Power On and Purple get angry with each other. Power On cheats, then Purple takes offense and mudslings, then it all goes down hill with them. What do I do when I walk away and still they come and mess up all my hard work?

I spent hours on my hands and knees in the gravel writing out what I stand for... only to have them claim it for Power On with a quick tagging of their logo. Do I stand true to my ignoring them and standing up for clean campaigning, or do I create a negative feel between all the people on that slate and chew them out for it?

I am so confused...