LJ Idol Presents:

I stand over my husband with a big stick and make him vote for me. That's about as desperate as I get :oP

But this is exactly it. There are ways and means of drawing attention to the competition without offending the sensibilities of some who think it uncouth to beg for votes. And to be honest, even if someone does beg for votes, it is their choice to play the game that way. It's not against the rules and if it works for them, why not? Anyone else always has the option not to vote for them.