PM confirms Nov 26 election date

[MisterD]

the ABs lost and Labour won the election ...

You've got to say that it'll be less of a shock if the ABs fail again this time...

I can just imagine that if, as the Labour Fanzine reckons would have been the smart move, Key had gone pre-World Cup (get it out of the way blah-blah) then he would now be being pilloried for having no confidence in the ABs or some such nonsense.

[MisterD]

Unfortunately, Labour don't have an alternative ...

Oh they do, they just don't have an alternative who's prepared to lead into a near-certain defeat. They're all positioning for Goff's post-election rolling / retirement.

[Banditbandit]

Oh they do, they just don't have an alternative who's prepared to lead into a near-certain defeat. They're all positioning for Goff's post-election rolling / retirement.

Yeah .. trot out some names and let's see if we can keep a straight face ..

[Indiana_Jones]

Bring back Muldoon!

-Indy

[MisterD]

Yeah .. trot out some names and let's see if we can keep a straight face ..

Well old "silent T" Cunliffe seems to be the generally-accepted favourite...interesting analysis by Dim Post on Robertson's prospects

"Helen Clark was leader of the Labour Party for about fourteen years. My impression is that she generally promoted Labour MPs who made her feel comfortable, and that making Clark comfortable meant being personally loyal to her and lacking the ability to pose a challenge to her leadership. So such people became the bulk of Labour’s front bench, and the work of governing the country was carried out by Clark, Cullen, and very high calibre staffers like Heather Simpson, Mike Munroe and Grant Robertson. This would explain why Labour flew apart when most of these people left, and why Robertson advances through his fellow Labour MPs as if they were made of smoke."

[Banditbandit]

Bring back Muldoon!

-Indy

[Banditbandit]

Well old "silent T" Cunliffe seems to be the generally-accepted favourite...interesting analysis by Dim Post on Robertson's prospects

"Helen Clark was leader of the Labour Party for about fourteen years. My impression is that she generally promoted Labour MPs who made her feel comfortable, and that making Clark comfortable meant being personally loyal to her and lacking the ability to pose a challenge to her leadership. So such people became the bulk of Labour’s front bench, and the work of governing the country was carried out by Clark, Cullen, and very high calibre staffers like Heather Simpson, Mike Munroe and Grant Robertson. This would explain why Labour flew apart when most of these people left, and why Robertson advances through his fellow Labour MPs as if they were made of smoke."

The quote is accurate and why they are up shit creek in a barbed wire canoe for leadership material ...

Robertson's sexuality is a major issue - just think how KBers would react - and you have the reason why he's not a great choice right now.

[shrub]

I've always felt it's a bit funny for a MP to be a 'man of the people' if they've only gone to uni and then straight into politics. Sure I'm not saying one doesn't get life experiences from uni etc, just seems odd.
-Indy

You might be surprised how much one learns from university.

John Key went from university to the corporate world to Merrll Lynch first in Singapore, then in London. The National Party essentially head hunted him and he didn't work his way up through the ranks learning as he went. I have spent some years in the corporate world, not at the same level as our Johnny of course, but nonetheless I am very familiar with the culture and the people. It's not the real world and he is no more a "man of the people" than Helen Clark - in many ways his huge wealth is a barrier to being able to connect with the ordinary citizens.

He is also not a businessman in the same way as Mike with his plumbing business or Mary who runs a chain of retail shops. He was earning over US$2M pa running the foreign exchange division of Merril Lynch, where he worked with (almost entirely) foreign economists and traders - all of whom will have been university graduates, most of who were probably postgrads.

Tell me how that better qualifies him to be a man of the people than someone who has been in politics most of their working lives? Incidentally, most of politics for a backbencher involves dealing with your constituents, few of whom are highly paid foreign born money market traders.

[Indiana_Jones]

I never said Johnny boy was much better then clark, was just observing it in general. Most pollies are out of touch on the ground level I reckon, and have been for some time.

The other thing I did'nt quite get was how cullen laid into key for being 'a rich prick', I mean heaven forbid someone actually worked their way up the career ladder and earnt their own money instead of sitting on the dole all day....

-Indy

[MisterD]

You might be surprised how much one learns from university.

I learnt more useful stuff in my summer holidays from University, working on a farm. I did come away with an abiding dislike for student politicians though...

[shrub]

I learnt more useful stuff in my summer holidays from University, working on a farm.

Why does that not surprise me?

[MisterD]

Why does that not surprise me?

Because even you're sensible enough to recognise that diesel mechanics is more useful than the quantum variety?

[shrub]

Because even you're sensible enough to recognise that diesel mechanics is more useful than the quantum variety?

Yes, we will always need people to do the shitty, dirty jobs and people like you will always fill a useful role in society. Not a role that adds anything, but a useful role all the same.

Good on ya

[Mully]

Oh they do, they just don't have an alternative who's prepared to lead into a near-certain defeat. They're all positioning for Goff's post-election rolling / retirement.

Yep - I've been thinking that for a while.

Come the end if 2011, Goff and King will be rolled (probably by Cunliffe) and Labour will start preparing for 2014.

Unless some twilight zone thing happens, and we end up with a Labour/NZ First Gummint next time.

(BTW, how the FUCK does Winnie "I won't take the baubles of office. Ohh, pretty baubles" Peters still get any traction?)

[Swoop]

It is pleasant to see that Phill-in Goff will work with the mafia.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10704908

Looks like National for another 3 years.