Greens need to urgently play to their strengths now

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The facade of the bloated Green Party support base has been stripped bare.

It looks now like the Green Party vote has been propped up by disaffected Labour voters who have been tired and disappointed by Andrew Little. The vote has gone rushing back to Jacinda as Labour cannibalise the Green vote.

So what do the Greens do? Attracting middle class voters has failed, not only are they easy voters to poach because their values are aesthetic, but that strategy only works when Labour are weak.

The Greens need to stop with the vision and dense policy solutions, they need to get down to serious retail politics mode and get radical where Labour won’t.

This is a survival thing right now.

The Greens have to step to the left of where Labour are policy wise with ideas that make direct impact on the voters they can attract.

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The lynching of Metiria by the media has dealt a serious body blow to the Greens, but it is Jacinda’s rise that is eclipsing all.

The truth of course is that Labour are going to do sweet bugger all if elected so Greens have to push retail politic promises to claw back those smart enough to see past the dazzle of Jacinda’s smile.

Metiria’s courageous announcement required far better political management but the real change here is Jacindamania which is only going to build as the debates focus on just her and Bill.

The middle class gentrification of the Greens can’t work if Labour are storming towards 40%, it’s time to get radical or they will all be out on their arse come September.

 

 

20 COMMENTS

  1. You are right Bomber. It is the presence of the bourgeousie (middle class with pretentions) that have shackled the Greens to amateurish and naive processes and policy making.

    If they’re all drifting over to the pretty middle class lady with the teeth, then the true lefties still in the Greens can now manifest their policies with impunity.

    That would REALLY grab the missing million…

  2. I agree. Its time to draw a line in the sand
    Sometimes I think James Shaw is almost begging the media to play nice by apologising and saying the Greens haven’t been their best selves.
    Shaw can be staunch when he needs to be and now is the time.
    If we’re going to take notice of the polls… they are saying that the single issue most NZers are concerned about is inequality, followed by the state of our rivers and water.
    Double down, go hard, 3 simple messages
    End poverty
    Clean waterways
    action on climate change.
    No apologising, no appeasing.

  3. “… smart enough to see past the dazzle of Jacinda’s smile.” Yes Martyn, I for one, believe I am, but I am sure you and a million others would like to see National put away for four or more terms or even longer. And for now 51% for Labour might just be achievable based on the current trajectory of polling. Let’s wait another week or two before we discard that scenario.

    It is not clear to me that the Greens without Metirea have the ability to connect with the radical left or those who look to the radical left to help lift them out of the poverty rut. As I see it, much of the Green Party’s support comes from people who could just as well vote National if it made them look ‘good’. This doesn’t mean to say that the Greens wouldn’t fit well into a Labour led Government, but perhaps TOP is a more genuine option.

    The debate needs to urgently evolve around strategic voting, electorate by electorate. It would be really useful to have your and other TDB (perhaps John Minto’s) thoughts on this.

    • The instruction to be taken from the last 3 wks in NZ politics is that personalities, especially ones that any advertising agency for anything from cosmetics thru sports cars to chainsaws would drupe over, are what inspire political support. Policies come a distant second, or third perhaps after force of habit.
      So probably the most saleable Green has blown up, and at the same time by far the most saleable Labour leader ever has taken the reigns.
      At least watching the news and debates , and listening is going to be more enjoyable for a while.
      Good luck Jacinda you can’t do any worse than any other likely incumbent . Pity about Metiria.
      D J S

    • The problem with “strategic” voting is, what are we basing this “strategy” on? Polls. Polls which show us percentages of support, without showing the percentage of undecided, and then proceed to assign seats in parliament on the basis of these percentages. When we vote according to “strategy” based on polls, instead of on *policy*, the polls become the ultimate tail wagging the dog.

      The good news here is that Labour are back in the race, and they’re still talking about a preference to form a government with the Greens. What we need now is a strong Green recovery, back to at least 10%, without cannibalizing it back from Labour. It would also help if TOP can break 5%, without cannibalizing support from Labour/Greens. If that happens, there’s still a chance of a progressive left government after this election, and I think it looks more promising than it has at any time since the NatACTs took power.

  4. The only problem is as party the Greens, for the past few years have come across as a middle class well to do urban party.

    They have talented people on the list but there is a certain uniformity about the Greens top list positions i.e. a lot of advisors, consultants etc.

    To pivot so close to the election is going to be tricky. This seems like a party currently built to appeal to a number of the same demographics that Labour are attracting back into their fold.

  5. I hate to say “I told you so” but, frankly, as I stated originally (and got shot down for here) Metiria’s confession was a massive miscalculation. Here at TDB, we are very much an echo chamber of left-wing rhetoric, and it makes us feel there is a genuine ground swell and support for what Metiria had done. No such pride/support/empathy actually exists among the vast majority of people (as TV polls were already alluding to). Her stepping down was a final nail in the coffin for the Greens, because Metiria was the BEST fucking thing about the party, and, given we live in a world where personality trumps (pun intended) policy, her self-immolation (as courageous as it was) was always going to cost them dearly with voters.

  6. Seems Marama Davidson is the only Green MP doing the hard yards out in the field, since Metiria resigned.

    Marama is coming across as the Green MP to keep the ball rolling as far as encouraging ordinary Kiwis to get out and vote and doing an excellent job of it in the process too. Go Marama.

    Kiwis need the Greens in government alongside centrist Labour for balance, to be the left’s champions against poverty, a voice for the dispossessed. To let the Greens slide into obscurity now, will be absolute defeat and letting our less fortunate fellow Kiwis down badly, because there is no other party dedicated to acknowledging and fighting the curse of impoverishment.

    Show the poor, we are on their side. Get out there, fight the creeping poverty afflicting far too many NZers, party vote Green … please.

    • That’s how I’m thinking in a way tbh. We need the Greens in govt. Happy enough with NZ First as well but we need the Greens,… you get all 3 in govt you get a dynamic assortment where there will be debate and thrashing out solutions. It’d be the best thing we’ve had for a long time.

  7. Here’s a tip. Less Neoliberalism?

    New Boss just like the old Boss.
    End ;

    The Housing Crisis,
    Homelessness Crisis,
    Poverty Crisis,
    Health system Crisis,
    Environmental Crisis,
    Infrastructure Crisis.

    Or just more of the same, incrementalism? the Left side is wide open.Nobody there.

  8. It’s disturbing that New Zealand could have a Parliament with no one it further to the left than a centerist Labour party.

    My boss said this morning that he is thinking of voting for the Greens just because they need to be in Parliament and he’s a conservative National voter. He probably won’t in the end but it was nice that he at least understood the importance of having the Greens in Parliament. Without the Greens there will be no-one batting for the environment (despite what other parties say).

  9. Metiria is needed at rallies.
    Many changed their vote declaration in disgust with the party.

    But her message had got to be “Forget about me. We need to help that idiot I was back then. And if a lady, smart enough to get a law degree, had to get herself in trouble like this to get out of welfare dependency, there are going to be tens of thousands of others who can’t make it.

    “Forget about me. Save those people from having to break the law. This isn’t about obeying the law, it’s about making it possible to live without breaking it.”

    • And if a lady, smart enough to get a law degree, had to get herself in trouble like this to get out of welfare dependency, there are going to be tens of thousands of others who can’t make it.

      Nicke, that has to be the Quote of the Year. I may use that quote in future writings. (Attributed, of course.)

  10. The Greens have probably become a bit redundant. National voters recycle and are uncomfortable with dairy farming and Labour have a better policy base for social justice. I’m not sure we need the Greens anymore.

    • There’s a lot of people in this country that are not well off and the Greens social justice / equity policy’s are vital.

      Personally ? , – I’d be more than happy to see a combination of Labour, Greens and NZ First running this next govt.

      It would be one of the most dynamically motivated govt coalitions we have seen in ages.

    • What a load of crap and you have the nerve to call yourself Veritas !
      I’m absolutely certain we need the Greens. Labour are too far Right.

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