When considering a blast email to MAAA's, remember that many Members are probably no more familiar with the events of the past month beyond what they might have read in the New York Times and AAA emails.
Tom might gain additional support by making the case that Tom isn't really contesting the slate of four candidates; instead he's running for a position that was inappropriately deleted without member input.
Currently, the only opposition to Tom's candidacy is the question of whether four or five directors are to be elected. So technically, it's not a "loss" if the AAA board collects more proxies than Tom.
Of course, getting proxies for Tom is still important, since it adds PR weight to the argument that the reduction in the number of elected board members is inappropriate.
Now, if the Academy adds a fifth name to the recommended slate, then it does become a true contested election. But if that happens, Tom will have won a short-term victory regardless of who holds the most proxies by virtue of having made the Board implicily agree that the change in board composition was inappropriate. The Academy having to explain the change in slate should help provide some of the foundation for making a case for the amendment to the bylaws.
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