hold one’s nose
1. Lit. to use one’s fingers to keep one’s nose closed to avoid a bad smell or to keep water out.
2. Fig. to attempt to ignore something unpleasant, illegal, or “rotten.”
One of the first changes Matt McCarten has implemented as Labour’s Cheif-of-staff is a weekly meeting between the Party Leaders and chiefs-of-staff to start discussing how best the parties that want a change of Government can better work together.
As they sit down to talk, there has to be some acknowledgement that progressive voters wanting a genuine change of Government must consider a nose holding strategy where they are encouraged to actually vote for the National candidate in one electorate.
Despite what the flawed landline opinion polls and the mainstream media may claim, this election will be razor close and if MANA, Labour and the Greens really want to defeat Key, they must consider using MMP tactically and promote a progressive voter guide that is communicated and spread online via social media and blogs.
As part of the using MMP tactically, there is one electorate where the MANA, Green and Labour supporters vote for the National Party candidate in the electorate. The electorate that progressive voters need to use this tactic in is Epsom.
NOSE HOLDING ELECTORATE: Epsom
REASON: If ACT win Epsom, they will enable a hard right Government with Key, it also gives ACT the possibility of a second candidate.
MATH: In 2011, ACT received 15 835 votes, National gained 13 574 votes. Labour + Greens + MANA vote = 5 977. If half those MANA, Green and Labour voters didn’t waste their vote on an electorate candidate who has no chance of winning and gave their vote to the National candidate, ACT would not be in Parliament.
TACTIC: MANA, Green and Labour voters vote for the National Party candidate in Epsom rather than waste their vote on their own candidate.
There are other electorates that require using MMP strategically, but Epsom is the only nose holding electorate.
If MANA, Labour and the Greens want to replace the Government, they must use MMP tactically and look like a Government in waiting that is co-operating with each other.
Woah! …that’s some thinking outside the square……
but awesomely logical!
Are there sentient life-forms in Epsom?
only time will tell, Dr Spock…
If the Left win this year the first thing they should do is implement the recommendations of the electoral commission.
Indeed, MikeSH.
And yes, I concur, Martyn. Epsom is one instance where, if I lived in that electorate, I would be holding my nose; wearing an oxygen tank, and ticking the box for the Nat’s electorate candidate…
Which shows how ridiculous the “coat tailing” anomaly really is.
I have a Leftie daughter who did precisely that in the last two elections, and gave her party vote to the Left 🙂
And make voting compulsory! None of the 800000 non-voters are Tories!
Evidence?
And let us not forget to mention that plenty of people must have voted with these tactics in Epsom last election – the numbers are pretty clear that there must have been a fair few Labour/ Left Party voters voting for the National local Epsom candidate.
How horrible for them – yet I very much appreciate that they tried to oust that rotten Act Party by doing so.
The only problem is that Tory trolls will be allocated these Daily Blog pages, much like the Youth Spies in Orwell’s seminal 1984.
So what will the strategy be to counter this nose-hold-voting strategy?
Michelle Boag on The Nation hinted at it with Murray McCully’s quandary about East Coast Bays seat, or being on the List like Bill English. Boag said ‘…the Party will decide and McCully will just have to grin and bear it …”
So if McCully is removed from the East Coast Bays seat by the Hollow Men just before the ballot papers are printed, it leaves what Whaleoil calls a “pervie wierdo” (as quoted on “The Nation”) as the ONLY right-wing Tory on the Election ballot paper.
What then for the nose-hold-voting strategy? ALL the Tory votes will go to Whaleoil’s ‘pervie wierdo’ (as quoted on “The Nation”). What then Matt?
Please don’t put the answer in the public Daily Blog domain. Save it for the backroom brigade to counter the counter-counter-nose-hold-voting-strategy.
I don’t know what you are trying to do here Martyn in lumping Labour Greens and Mana into one total. This is a complete distortion of the facts.
Labour 3,751 votes
Green 2,160 votes
Mana 66 votes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epsom_(New_Zealand_electorate)
As anyone can see the Green and Mana votes combined hardly made a difference, it was the Labour vote that lifted John Banks into parliament.
In fact both the Greens* and Mana had an official policy in Epsom of encouraging the electorate to vote tactically. As part of this message of actively convincing the voters of Epsom not to vote for any of the minor parties (or Labour), the Mana candidate was quoted on the front page of the Herald as saying, he “wouldn’t know how to represent rich people anyway”.
It was the conservative Labour candidate that actively campaigned for the electorate vote and got John Banks over the line.
Right wing Labour MP David Parker flew all the way up from Dunedin Auckland to especially campaign for electorate votes in Epsom. Which he did aggressively actively helping give National the margin they needed to govern. Serious questions need to asked about his motive in doing this.
David Parker is viciously opposed to the environmental polices of the Green and Mana Parties, being on the record as saying that Labour and National are in basic agreement on deep sea oil drilling and coal mining.
The record shows that Right Wing Labour MPs like Parker would rather Labour do deals with New Zealand First and United Future than have to share power with the Green Party.
If Parker or any other ABC member do a repeat of his 2011 antics in Epsom in 2014, it will be a clear sign that Labour’s antipathy to governing with the parties to their Left extends to being prepared to stay on the opposition benches rather than go into government with the Greens.
*In fact the Green Party Epsom candidate, David Hay was disciplined for not pushing this strategy aggressively enough and was even accused by some of going against the agreed strategy of not seeking electorate votes. Labour candidate David Parker on the other hand who DID exactly this, was rewarded by the Labour Party being the Labour Deputy Leader under Cunliffe.
the same happened in Auckland Central The Very Green candidate Helped National’s Nikki Kaye Win by Splitting Jacinda Arderns Vote Same Stupid Ego of Denise Roache helped National win the seat that Jacinda should have won. so yes they should understand the Party vote is the only vote that will get the greens over 5% so they should use MMP tactically and Vote National in Epson, Oharia Belmont Peter Dunnes area but Support the strongest Labour people in other areas. I Used to Vote 2 ticks for Green but 3 years ago went with Labour….as I became dissolutioned by the New Greens…After Rod Donald,Jennette and Nandor were No longer in the Ranks the Party Changed Direction.and tried to be New Labour but Thought They Were more powerful than old labour….the Tail Wagging the Dog …Scary Power trippers…..
Do you not think that if it was identified that this was the let’s strategy in Epsom then National voters would back ACT in even greater numbers? It will take far fewer of them to shift than left wing ones and they can help deliver the government they want.
The fallacy of this comment is obvious. And is summed up in three words, ACT are lunatics.
Not even the people of Epsom could live down the embarrassment of being represented by these loonies.
This was borne out in 2011 where Banks trailed Goldsmith right up until the point when Key gave his very public but later embarrassing ‘tea party’ endorsement. John Key has said that he will not be doing this, this time.
Why? Because John Key knows that ACT is a damaged brand, and to be seen to close to ACT will damage National.
They are already represented by them and have voted for an ACT candidate in a number of elections. That would suggest your view is the fallacy not mine.
But don’t you think Gosman, that even Epsom voters may be getting sick of this procession of circus clowns to represent them?
Bah – I live in Epsom. Can’t see myself voting National though…
You may say “Bah” Paul, but what you are really saying is “humbug”.
Your choice Paul, is National or ACT. An electorate vote for Labour is a wasted vote. If you can’t bring yourself to vote Goldsmith. Just record a party vote.
However to not vote Goldsmith in Epsom is to get National in government with the help of ACT.
If Labour are serious about defeating National they should not run a candidate in Epsom. Full stop.
But Right wing ABC Labour Deputy David Parker no doubt, will again insist on jetting up from Dunedin, to make sure his huge ego gets in the way, of preventing a Labour/Green Government.
Aksing for party vote only is Green campaign policy across the board.
Good one Janine.
My advice for the Greens is contrary to that of Labour, and to have a candidate in Epsom. The purpose, to run an interference campaign against National and ACT’s strategy. The Green candidate’s mission will be use the platform provided by standing, to aggressively prevail on both Labour and Green supporters to vote tactically and not tribally.
The Right wing Labour candidate, David Parker, can not be trusted to run such an interference campaign, because he is quite content to collect his salary on the opposition benches than move to the Left.
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