I would not hit my child in a box.
I would not hit my child wearing socks.
I would not hit my child on a plane.
I would not hit my child in the rain.
I do not like Colin Craig I am
I do not like slapped legs & wham
I would not hit my child under chemtrails.
I would not hit my child around promiscuous females.
I would not hit my child near hoax moon landings
I would not hit my child for religious right panderings
I do not like Colin Craig I am
I do not like slapped legs & wham
Four posts in one day on Colin Craig – this is a good strategic lesson for the left in the lead up to the election. Think about how his strategists came up with this issue to tie us up over here in the left, it’s an attempt by him to set the agenda for a couple of days. In retrospect, it makes him look like a fool, saying it’s a bottom line when most people aren’t even thinking about it, we’re all still in holiday mode.
He just wants to distract us from something else that is going on.
Let’s think about ignoring his stuff, or analysing how the right strategises to set and control the agenda – this is a classic case. Three days ago, laws to make child bashing illegal weren’t on the agenda.
We flip this dynamic on its head and the world will be talking about the agenda that we set. What’s on your mind?
Exactly.
And if a niche politician only wants 5% of the vote, then all media attention is good attention. The posts on TDB attacking this weirdo are not going to convince 96% of voters not to vote for him, so stop being his mouthpiece. You’re just fanning his flames.
What’s Labour been up to?
And I couldn’t disagree with you more. This year, National’s main strategy is to paint the Greens out to be so far left and fringe that they will drag Labour all the way to a socialist utopia, by highlighting the utter lunacy of Colin Craig, it blunts Key’s main attack lines, it also helps solidify those against the current Government by thinking how much worse it could be under Colin Craig and John Key and it also turns moderate National Party voters right off.
This nonsense line that a sub 5% Party should be ignored totally because focusing on it only gives them fuel misses the fact that National are manoeuvring to give Colin a free run in East Coast Bays. Ignoring Colin is not an option.
Nah, apples and pears. Your acknowledgement that Nationals strategy is to paint the Greens as radicals is correct, but your solution is wrong.
Labour and the Greens are much closer to equal partners so National’s plan will gain traction with the RadioLive idiots. However, to apply the same logic to National and the Conservatives will be ineffective at best, or worse simply play into their hands. The voting public will (rightly) see the Conservatives as nothing more than a way for National to get back in. The Conservatives are not, and will not, be viewed as a coalition partner with any real degree of power.
That is the difference between the Greens and the Conservatives and that is why your plan will not work. Everyone knows that Colin Craig will not be able to implement binding referendums, nor will he be able to bring back smacking. Man on the moon publicity stunts are irrelevant.
So back to the original problem (National framing the Greens as extreme). On the Left, the best way to challenge this is to highlight the logic behind Mana’s policies, and why NZ needs Mana’s policies. This is the best way to paint the Greens as more centrist than National say they are.
If you continue to reply to ‘Green extremism’ with ‘crazy Conservatives’, then you are further entrenching John Key’s definition of our political spectrum – thus the Greens remain extreme and Key logic becomes normalised. We need to normalise Mana through the use of research, statistics, reason and level headed argument.
If you are worried about Colin Craig getting a free seat, then wait for the candidates to be announced and then target Craig within that electorate, but don’t do it now and don’t do it so broadly.
The Left needs to start having more confidence in their own policies. Time to talk up Mana and paint National as extreme. The Conservatives and ACT should not be given another thought!
I think too that the smacking deal is much too serious to be joking around with. Corporal punishment was pretty common in NZ, and the legal impact of the bill was minimal- but the social impact was appreciable. The referendum did not reach 80% by happenstance, a great many serious people have reservations about Sue’s bill. In an open democracy it probably would not have passed.
Sure the media beat it up – just as you are trying to beat Craig down. You’re a better journalist than this Martyn, tell it straight and the public will get it right. Craig is not tainted goods yet – he’s entitled to have a go. He might turn out better than ACT – lord knows it would be hard to do worse.
Let me tell you … I know that out there , there are many , many morons ready to vote for loony Craig The Whacker and his five million $ . When a country is broken in half this is the shit that falls out . Mad eye , sociopaths with a hunger to find their souls by being complete cunts to others . Never under estimate the gullibility of the NZ public .
Get stuck in Bomber . You’re right . We can’t let this nutter slip through unnoticed .
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