Why the NZ Right are demanding you ignore what your eyes saw and pretend their hate wasn’t the reason Jacinda resigned

1. Sorry Martyn, but I’m going to disagree with the premise that middle aged pakeha women are going to sympathy vote for Labour. You often point out the middle class bias towards beneficiarys and Maori. I do not for one minute think that these same women will look past their self told lies that Kiwis in general are good kind people, when they vote it will be in self interest. Add in the fact that from now untill the election, the MSM will be hammering out the right wings usual election time bull shit that National/Act are better economic managers… I wouldn’t put money on these women being Labours saviors.

   • Labour needs to define what a ‘woman’ is first before anyone complains about them ‘women’ not voting for them.

     • Well National don’t need to because they are a party for men only. The females are just there to make it seem like they’re diverse.

       • Silly comment.

       • National and ACT have the same problem. But currently neither one of them is the government.

       • That is mighty sexist of you of you to say that the women – human females are only window dressing. J.A got the job because Andrew Little could not get elected. 🙂

     • RB I know lets define a man first before you start defining women

       • A ball bearing human….

         • I don’t normally comment on any site, but I like that grumpy and it has been noted to use at some future date.
           Great wit.

       • Perhaps RB could define what a man is? Oh, who are we trying to kid? If he constantly has to ask “what is a woman?”, then there is no way in hell he could define what a man is…

2. Ryan ‘Pretty Gnashers’ Bridge’s only purpose is to entertain. He has nothing else to offer. Neither has the simpering soubrette at his side. Both were scraped from the same wastewater pond as Luxon.

   • Nothing toxic in your comments there PtP. So what’s not good for the goose is good for the gander.

   • is that sexism or just good ‘lefty’ humor?

   • Prunella you certainly have a nasty streak.

3. Even Verity Johnson (Dompost opinion-piece today) is rightly slamming Luxon for his Ryan Bridges-like response to the abuse women (esp Jacinda Adern) suffer online.

   Get a grip, guys (or maybe that’s really your problem!!)

   • Verity Johnson……pffft. The self-confessed president of the Jacinda fangirlz club. Not really neutral. Some people need to get out of their Grey Lynn, Public Servant echo chamber.

     In the burbs the end of Ardern was celebrated.

     • Frank there is no neutrality in hate, we all should be calling it out for what it is. Verity Johnson highlighted the fact that Christopher Luxon had a golden opportunity to call these people out ,he chose not too. There is no winning in denying hate and vitriol is real there are only losers . The likes of Ryan Bridge and his ilk should know better than to stir the flames of hatred however people like him fan the flames for their right wing zealot masters who pay his wages. The reality is he probably doesn’t have an original thought in his brain.

       • Sorry Queenie, the question to Luxon was if women get more hate, and that is difficult to prove.

         There is no other woman pm in NZ at this moment, and comparing hate mail for Current female PM to current male leader of the opposition party or to any other male in any other position is comparing apple to orange.

         I recall Key getting huge amount of hate from the left in his last term. I am sure there was no other female leader in nz who was hated as much!

         Jacinda will be missed, and best wishes to Chris.

         .

         • Well said Benny.

         • Benny don’t make excuses for Luxon, he is supposed to be a grown up not deaf and blind to these obvious issues in New Zealand. This hatred is aimed at all women in public office. This man wants to be PM. for all New Zealanders not just a privileged few. No one said men are immune.

     • “In the burbs the end of Adern was celebrated.”
       Was it. And you’d know. Coming from someone with a track record of knowing fuck all I’d say nothing much has changed. Thus pfffft etc.
       People, myself included, must try their best to remember that when it comes to democratic politics, it is we, the people, who are the political force. Not, politicians. Politicians are merely management. And when they cease to be [that], we should perhaps understand that [they], have been got at.
       Now. Who could get at our political management then subvert that management to do their bidding? The homeless? Did they climb the tree they shelter under and shout “Fuck Adern!” ? Hungry kids? Did hungry kids living on cheap, high sugar junk food use their brief sugar high to run into the street from the back seat of the old car they live in with their mum and dad and shout ” Fuck Adern! I want a higher class of political management because this sucks! ” Or was it our primary export industry representatives, our farmers? Conversation at the mail box. ” G’day Bruce?” ” Yeah g’day Brian. ” ‘goin? ” “Naap. Bit shit mate.” ” Yep, me too mate. Bit shit. Fuckin’ lamb’s down, fuckin’ meat’s down, fuckin’ wool’s down, fuckin’ milk’s down, everything’s fuckin’ down mate except the fuckin’ grocery bill, that’s fuckin’ up so whaddya fuckin’ reckon then? ” I reckon thing’s are a bit fuckin’ fucked alright.” Yeah mate. Fucked-as mate.” ” Whaddya reckon we can do about it then? ” ” Nuthin’. Can’t do nuthin’ about nuthin’ mate except maybe blow our fuckin’ heads off but I can’t afford bullets, dunno about you.” ” Yeah me neither, aren’t they fuckin’ expensive!? ” ” Yeah mate. Like everything else in New Zealand. Them fuckin’ greenie, leftie fuckin’ tree huggers mate.” ” Yeah mate” ” By the way… you see one o’ them nine multi billionaires are now $3.5 billion richer because of covid an’ that?” ” I did, aye! Fuck! We need one o’ them to run the fuckin’ country! They’d soon sort it I reckon?” ” Yeah mate, they’d soon sort it.” Meanwhile, the fly in the spiders web in the letter box is thinking as the poison seeps into its little fly brain ” Man, what a couple o’ dipshits…”
       Despite how dumb we are, how weak we are, how gutless we are, how cowardly we are, how lack lustre and low brow we are and of how mean we are, we can still live in luxury in a Paradise of a country. Unlike these poor bastards.
       So far, so good, Aye Boys? You’re still managing to avoid the blinding glare of the public stare.
       The Guardian.
       ‘It used to be like heaven’: the Iraq wetlands decimated by the climate crisis
       https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/gallery/2023/jan/23/iraq-wetlands-hawizeh-marshes-climate-crisis-in-pictures

     • Quote from the same article….” I could probably vote National”. Jacinda fangirlz club, indeed!
       Pffft, to you too, F the T.

   • Verity what a nasty person you are.

4. How can anyone listen to Ryan Bridge? This is a man who found man buns appealing.

   • Unintentional pun of the day Wheel…

     Bridges is a bit of pest really, he criticised climate disaster protestors a couple of years back-the irony, public protest helped win NZ Lesbian and Gay rights, I was one that marched for Homosexual Law Reform in the 80s.

5. The Left burned her too, with the constant demands to be transformational, demands which fell on deaf ears. Hate may have been a factor, but the looming failure at the next election was more likely to be the reason. No one really wants to give their all to a losing cause. With Chippy, they now have a chance.

6. “An online hate tracker found Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was the target of 93% of toxic posts against seven high profile politicians and officials, with a total of 5438 abusive messages.”

   Well that proves nothing as she was the most high profile of them by a country mile. She was the PM.

   Its the same reason the PM is almost always the most preferred person to be PM

7. Jacinda has looked dreadful ever since she had Covid. The trolling while grotesque and truly disgusting is the appalling reality we have created for ourselves. Education is required. Basic psychology now needs to be taught at primary school level as social media is truly toxic and ripping what is left of society to shreds.
   We are our own worst enemies. Politically Ardern had painted herself into a corner she did the right thing for herself her daughter and her country. Move on!

   • Good comment Shona. I think the COVID thing has been underestimated by many in respect to Jacinda Ardern. COVID is real, it kills and causes major health fall out. A mate of mine who had it said he felt like he had been run over by a truck, and his brain function has still not really recovered several months later.

8. I base voting decisions on performance of a party. Im normally left leaning considering the disability because generally a left wing party helps disabled people but……
   Not a damn thing has changed in my life since electing this Labour govt in fact they have done more to help rich people than the voter base they used to get into parliament therefore Im now left with the Green option but the way the Greens just roll over and go with what Labour wants every coalition agreement shows they arent that great at the negotiating table and thus wont be able to push through policy so I dont really see them as viable either.
   Doesnt leave any other option but to walk away altogether.
   Im sure many other people are walking away too, there is no viable option for those of us at the bottom. Too much focus is on the well off getting wealthier no matter what party is in control.

   • Ryan and Mellissa are dumb especially when it comes to scientific /engineering matters. When the Rotorua motel lot were left out of a survey because they were less than 5%, she couldnt understand that the 4000 probably came from poverty to the motel. She also doesnt know that 4000 of 240,ooo children are within margin of error.
     The second one was the pot holes – they didnt realise it was national that increased axel loads that they knew created the damage.
     Then they get some ignorant farmer who said that the road at Cambridge cannot be improved and that it was in Jacinda’s court. They should have asked him if he was happy to sell part of his property to be used for highway.
     Then on Monday he gave luxon to rave on about the state f NZ economy. He then spent 20 W.minutes with Hipkins trying to catch him out. Luxon should be asked HOw
     I think labour should put forward Wood, Nash, Willie on the Tory am show. Do away with all the kindness. Cant wait for Parliament to show how inept luxon, NATZ and ACT are.

9. Guilt.

   • Guilt or guilty Martin C? If you promise to come up with fuller comments well thought out instead of a snap judgment you’ll be forgiven. It is hard to believe how many brain cells we have and one word does not do justice to the spectrum of possibilities to add to the discourse.

10. I think the incessant hatred and threats not just on social media but emerging in her public appearances were the tipping point for Aderns resignation. The public expression of her unpopularity would have intensified during an election campaign and completely derailed any message Labour were hoping to campaign on. Without this increasing willingness to be uncivil she may have considered leading one more campaign.

11. Looking at the images, how can clear thoughts get through to the bearded man with all that face-fuzz over-heating his head? Whereas Leader Jacinda looks lean and ready to examine and consider all points as to where to apply the right application.

    That’s the sort of simplistic thinking that goes on in the minds and brains? of right or left avoiders from reasoning when trying to make real decisions.

12. It’s hard to be a populist leader, when you are no longer popular.

    • Winnie does ok! Lol

    • No Helen its hard to be a leader grounded down by hate not only for herself but her family. This hate is driven by right wing zealots and not called out by Christopher Luxon until he was made to to do it by his deputy leader Nicola Willis. Hate will survive if it is not called out, hate will maim and kill. Anyone who denies this hate exists is condoning it and feeding into it. Ryan Bridge condoned this hatred on national tv.What does that say about us as a nation that we accept these platitudes and excuse’s without question. I call it shameful and hypocritical at best not really sure what could be any worse. Did anyone call for his resignation, no because these programs and their presenter’s have become puppets for their overseas masters and obviously hatred sells.

      • New Zealand (or is that Aotearoa) has become a much more dangerous & divided country since Labour came to power. They divided & disappointed a lot of people, and have let crime spiral out of control, while the poor continue to suffer. I’m not surprised there is so much hate & anger about. Sometimes you reap what you sow.

        • Correct on all counts there Helen Beck.

          • While Bob and Helen decry Jacinda Ardern don’t they realize they have actually given her superpowers. Jacinda has single handedly done all these things all by herself. No self responsibility required from us mere mortals out in fairy land .

            • There is a long line of selfish, greedy, Neo-liberals that have got us to where we are today, the current Government included. Ardern, Labour & the Greens were supposed to be a solution, not make things worse.

        • Helen Beck there is absolutely no room or excuses for hate. You don’t have to look far back in history to see the consequences of that.

          • Correct, but when you walk through our streets, do you feel safe? Do you feel surrounded by love?

13. “In the burbs the end of Adern was celebrated.”
    Was it. And you’d know. Coming from someone with a track record of knowing fuck all I’d say nothing much has changed. Thus pfffft etc.
    People, myself included, must try their best to remember that when it comes to democratic politics, it is we, the people, who are the political force. Not, politicians. Politicians are merely management. And when they cease to be [that], we should perhaps understand that [they], have been got at.
    Now. Who could get at our political management then subvert that management to do their bidding? The homeless? Did they climb the tree they shelter under and shout “Fuck Adern!” ? Hungry kids? Did hungry kids living on cheap, high sugar junk food use their brief sugar high to run into the street from the back seat of the old car they live in with their mum and dad and shout ” Fuck Adern! I want a higher class of political management because this sucks! ” Or was it our primary export industry representatives, our farmers? Conversation at the mail box. ” G’day Bruce?” ” Yeah g’day Brian. ” ‘goin? ” “Naap. Bit shit mate.” ” Yep, me too mate. Bit shit. Fuckin’ lamb’s down, fuckin’ meat’s down, fuckin’ wool’s down, fuckin’ milk’s down, everything’s fuckin’ down mate except the fuckin’ grocery bill, that’s fuckin’ up so whaddya fuckin’ reckon then? ” I reckon thing’s are a bit fuckin’ fucked alright.” Yeah mate. Fucked-as mate.” ” Whaddya reckon we can do about it then? ” ” Nuthin’. Can’t do nuthin’ about nuthin’ mate except maybe blow our fuckin’ heads off but I can’t afford bullets, dunno about you.” ” Yeah me neither, aren’t they fuckin’ expensive!? ” ” Yeah mate. Like everything else in New Zealand. Them fuckin’ greenie, leftie fuckin’ tree huggers mate.” ” Yeah mate” ” By the way… you see one o’ them nine multi billionaires are now $3.5 billion richer because of covid an’ that?” ” I did, aye! Fuck! We need one o’ them to run the fuckin’ country! They’d soon sort it I reckon?” ” Yeah mate, they’d soon sort it.” Meanwhile, the fly in the spiders web in the letter box is thinking as the poison seeps into its little fly brain ” Man, what a couple o’ dipshits…”
    Despite how dumb we are, how weak we are, how gutless we are, how cowardly we are, how lack lustre and low brow we are we can still live in luxury in a Paradise of a country. Unlike these poor bastards.
    So far, so good, Aye Boys?
    The Guardian.
    ‘It used to be like heaven’: the Iraq wetlands decimated by the climate crisis

    https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/gallery/2023/jan/23/iraq-wetlands-hawizeh-marshes-climate-crisis-in-pictures

    • Thanks countryboy I want to find out more about the Iraqi wetlands or is it the Marsh Arabs, or are they one and the same thing. I have the feeling the west has destroyed old established ways of living and growing things in a difficult environment.

14. identikit rightwing bro down to the scrggly beard..angling for a job with sky australia fuck him and all who sail in him.

15. She’s someone else’s problem now – see ya!

16. We have become a very toxic country indeed with toxic people everywhere, we saw it firsthand when we had a PI stand for Auckland Mayoralty with some very nasty people running around calling Collins a bonga and other racist names. The racism is appalling as is the misogyny for a country that prides itself on race relations and is supposed to be a world leader on women’s rights. We should be bloody ashamed, and another thing is the rudeness and uncaring attitude of many New Zealanders driving on our roads. The reckless uncaring behavior and blatant disrespect for others sharing the roads, impatience, speeding, failing to give way, tailgating, cutting in front of other cars, not merging like a zip, not stopping for pedestrians.
    Then there is the nagging, bleating and bitching about everything, never satisfied, very ungrateful yet other countries are worse of. Oh! and then we have the big group of Māori bashers who can’t stand for the Tangata te whenua to get anything or be acknowledged after 180 years of being treated like shit.

17. I agree with Ryan.

    Many factors will have factored into the decision to leave. That doesnt make trolling acceptable but he is not wrong about the need for putting all this into perspective. Ardern made a good decision for herself and the country but she wasnt driven out by merciless trolls as the media has portrayed it (I suspect the -1% in the popularity stakes in the opinion polls or similar will have played a very substantial role). It’s very difficult to soldier on against the tide when people are against you, especially if you are a softer personality.

    The rest is a well oiled propaganda machine. I dont think Ryan is particularly right, probably centre right but AFAIK – dislikes Ardern but also isnt terribly kind to Luxon (Not that I watch him only read reporting on him).

    And yes, as with everything else, Luxon behaved like a dick. The election is now National’s to lose and rather than the downfall for Labour everyone is predicting, I think the odds of National winning shrinks every day because of Luxon’s tone deaf insouciance. ” No change here” he says – what a dick!

    • Good comment fantail. Ryan called out the failings of this government whereas the breakfast show wouldn’t. He also smells double talk. He picks over national policy in the same way but they’re not the government so Labour gets the focus. I would expect Ryan to call out National if they are found out reneging on promises. If he doesn’t I’ll point that out. I don’t care what party it is if they promise and don’t deliver they’ll lose my support.

18. Ardern deciding the election date, then running off – smacks of Bullshit from the former PM

19. Used,to be Prime Minister,as all prime ministers,should be adressed.Now,Jacinda,fucking S.T.E.L.A.R eH CAN!S ON,MAX, listen,Joy Diviston, eh! Transmissition’

20. Martin, the January 9 2023 (update of something written last year) by CS needs publicity – it sums up the campaign to drive her out of politics.

    FYI, a “left wing commentator” who opposed a CGT (because those of his generation/boomers would vote her out if she did it) now claims JA got what she deserved for not being centrist (for Three Waters/co-governance) after winning in 2020.

    It’s on that Wellington Lady site …

    • Stupid, stupid, stupid! Somehow Ardern and her colleagues had contrived to forget that New Zealand’s parliamentary term is just three years. Yes, she and her government could press ahead with the co-governance agenda laid down in the deliberately withheld He Puapua Report. Yes, Three Waters could be ram-raided through the House under urgency – complete with outrageous entrenchment clauses. Fair Pay Agreements, too, could become law – as trade unionists sang The People’s Flag and Michael Woods raised his red banner above the Labour Left. But with every “progressive” triumph, Labour’s poll-ratings fell, along with the prime minister’s formerly stratospheric popularity.

      Fear, anger and hate: these emotions may have twisted some minds, but they also caused the prime minister to forget her own words about the importance of securing the broadest possible support for important economic, social and cultural changes. What was the point of passing laws that would simply be repealed by the next bunch of bottoms to park themselves on the Treasury benches?

      Too late did Jacinda Ardern realise her error. Election year was upon her and, unless she could execute a series of dramatic U-turns vis-à-vis Labour’s most unpopular policies, Labour was headed for ignominious defeat. But the more she thought about it over the summer break, the clearer it became to her that such a course of action would involve Labour’s leader in the most god-awful stoush with her own caucus. Even worse, such progressive apostasy would entail remaining not only the prime target for the far-right, but becoming a target for the wrath of the far-left as well.

      https://thebfd.co.nz/2023/01/23/how-the-rot-set-in/

    • I won’t quote anything from this one by CS.

      https://thebfd.co.nz/2023/01/09/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-reprise/

21. The AM show is useless ….boring… and unwatchable. A big yawn…. so predictable and formulaic .
    What with those 2 immature simple minded robots at the helm, Bridges and Chan-Green giving their poorly thought through reckons on anything and everything as if they are so full of knowing and wisdom.
    All round savants in their deluded minds.
    Nothing could be further from the truth .
    It was a different animal all together for a brief stint awhile back, and very watchable, when Mike McRoberts and the spectacularly professional Amanda Gillies returning and filling in, but then, they are properly trained professional journalists with God given talents for that format and more worldly knowledge.
    Unfortunately, this show, as it stands, is destined for the scrap heap.
    Poorly produced, poorly directed and poorly executed with an obvious definitive agenda.
    With the super professional Anna Burns Francis back on TV1 the morning choice could not be easier.

22. I’m doubtful of narratives that seek to canonise one person or group and damn a vaguely defined ‘other’. Especially in the absence of meaningful data “Hate and Extremism Insights Aotearoa.” research is difficult to put in context without knowing the other people included, broadly the nature of the abuse. Plus she is the PM so you would expect her to receive the most.

    That is not to say the abuse is in anyway ok.

    Additionally while women get the most abuse, when it involves men especially on the right, media don’t whip up an emotional frenzy. It is the jostle of adversarial politics and even a source of hilarity. For example look at the media response to the research that showed Ben Shapiro was the target of the overwhelming majority of antisemitic abuse online. (I’m not a supporter of Ben Shapiro).

    As too few journalists have pointed out, did the NZ public that used to support Ardern at over +70% magically become a land of misogynist trolls now she is -1%? Similarly did the roughly 8 million americans who voted for Obama twice suddenly become irredeemable racists by voting Trump?
    A politician’s landslide popularity can evaporate rapidly if you fail to deliver on key promises, look at Boris (I’m not a fan of Boris or Trump either).

    No, we’ve seen this playbook before it is Walter Lippmann’s politics by “Emotionally potent oversimplification” which is a tactic in manufactured consent.

    Arden herself denied misogyny was a factor in her decision:
    ”It did not, and my strong message to women in leadership and girls who may be considering leadership in future, this is a place where the foundation was laid long before me to make it possible for us to be in these roles.”

    This graceful comment is in stark contrast to the key message the media and others, including this blog are pumping. This is the left’s tendency to shoot itself in the foot. Consider how many smart capable young women and girls are going to look at this media narrative and decide politics and seeking office or leadership is definitely not for me?

    • So well put Tui.

    • “Ardern” herself denied misogyny was a factor in her decision:
      ”It did not, and my strong message to women in leadership and girls who may be considering leadership in future, this is a place where the foundation was laid long before me to make it possible for us to be in these roles.”

      Because the prime reason was because she was burnt out (workplace stress) and not able to return to the job – not uncommon (and for a varying range of reasons).

      Factors in her case

      1. covid infection and limited rest and recovery because of the job
      2. threats to her safety in public places including when out and about with family
      3. aware that the worldwide right had organised a hate campaign against her because of the success of her pandemic response, which might undermine the government’s chance of re-election (because some are influenced by how the world sees us)
      4. awareness of the extent of social media hate for her personally (see 3), which might get in the way of a campaign based on the issues
      5.

      Sure the fact that there is evidence that misogyny is greater on the political right and for women in leadership in particular struggles to make it into the top 5.

23. Cindy is a world recognised legend, no real journo is going to mess with her. She looked frail and buggered the last year and that was it. I have 3 mates who are Cindy haters for mad hater reasons. Two of those mates can fuck off forever and the last one has an exemption for his outstanding motorcycle engineering skills, that’s called compromise.

    • Lolz.

24. Graham Adams puts “misogynistic” abuse of Ardern into perspective https://theplatform.kiwi/opinions/the-martyrdom-of-jacinda-ardern

    And no she didn’t resign because of misogyny. She resigned because she had painted herself into a corner with her clueless policies and her posturing.

    • “The fact Ardern was facing a resounding defeat at this year’s election has mostly gone unremarked”

      Whitemansplaining bollocks.

25. If we’d been under different circumstances during the last five years then I’m very positive that Jacinda Ardern and the Labour party of New Zealand would have won the 2023 general election as well.

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