Cunliffe hits the mark
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7:02 am, June 1st, 2010 - 27 comments
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Tags: David Cunliffe
It’s been a few days but I finally had a look at David Cunliffe on this weekend’s edition of The Nation and what a pleasant surprise it was as he hit the mark while talking about the budget.
I particularly liked the bit where he countered the lines about reckless spending. Well worth a look if, like me, you were despairing of a Labour or Green polly ever making a good job of running left-wing economic line again. It’s just a pity about that suit and tie combo…
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I am more impressed with David Cunliffe the more I see of him. The suit and tie give a hint of eccentricity, something the left needs rather than the blandness that is predominant nowadays.
Notice the moderator is doing the ‘trick’ much lampooned by Jon Stewart – “we are running out of time” when they are getting to the guts of an issue. For gods sake if not here when.
Havent yet seen the report Cunliffe promised for Monday ??
Good to see they actually let the panel ask questions directly, the Q+A system seems so 1970s where the panel just have a few comments amoung themselves. To get real results they need the panel questions to be more direct , not the questions that have been asked elasewhere
Can’t help but agree IB. Cunliffe has performed pretty consistently and gets his points across.
The more you see of Cunliffe the more Goff looks an uninspiring legacy based choice as leader. The Nat’s changed the game with sideshow’s stye over substance approach but Labour chose the next in line which by itself isn’t a bad thing……then you hear Goff drone on instead of giving a 10sec soundbite answer which doesn’t give the msm a useable segment and that’s one reason why the message doesn’t make it through as we don’t have the type of msm that can use Goff’s replies.
More of Cunliffe please Labour and get Goff using some more punchy slogans…..he’d be a great PM but alone he’s never going to win back power.
For Labour, the winning strategy is the team approach, where stars like Cunliffe and others are allowed to articulate policies of substance. Goff is the captain of the team but he doesn’t have to be the star player, in the MMP competition.
Couldn’t agree more IB, Cunliffe is impressive. A real firm grasp of the facts and able to articulate in a simple, easy to understand way. The suit though… mmm?
He successfully answered all the panel’s questions – they looked a little stunned. The lack of follow-up questions from the panel was telling. Looking forward to some head to heads with English in run up to Election 2011!
Slightly off-topic (but only slightly) – there’s a good article from Gareth Morgan in todays Herald – “One step forward, and then a stumble”. It shows that Bill English doesn’t have a clue about the tax changes he has made.
I read that and was quite astonished. He was the first to be interviewed post budget and was literally gushing how brilliant it was – despite the fact that it totally ignored around 98% of the work he submitted via the TWG.
Solid interview reasoned and succinct and he adds a perception of depth to the opposition. Surely Labour need Goff’s star to begin rising slowly as the tarnish spreads on Nact? He must be better handled though- strategic moments and issues so media bias is negated.
I especially enjoyed the bit where he said he has no time for being lectured to by Bill English about fiscal responsibility.
Having previously only heard Mr Cunliffe during Question Time, I am now also a fan given his succinct confident performance on Nation. Wow factor! The panel also gave him the opportunity to speak.
And what a pleasant surprise the suit and tie is.
Cunliffe was brilliant at last night’s Post-Budget meeting in West Auckland. Was faced with a difficult question from an obvious Tory, he was quite disarming and very engaging. Chris Carter on the other hand went off the deep end…
I’ve been thinking for a while that should Goff go, he’d be replaced by Cunliffe. Which is probably why he isn’t the deputy at the moment, makes the switchover all the more ‘fresh’.
Haven’t seen the video (can’t watch from work), but will have a look this evening.
captcha: able
Just as well his suit/tie combo is the ‘point of difference’ this time instead of the previous hair colour
Cunliffe is seriously smart and speaks very efficiently and passionately.
He has that ability to sum up difficult concepts using simple language. He is probably the tories worst nightmare, highly educated, middle class, and is able to relate to all sorts of people.
He has a strong understanding of economics but he also has tribal Labour DNA in him.
The tories should be very afraid.
If the Tory commentators who visit this Blog increase the attack on David it will signal “The tories should be very afraid.”
ppfft..LOL !
Yes he’s good…but he aint the future leader. Deputy PM and finance ala Cullen…but their new leader needs mongrel as well as the gift of the gab.
Labour will certainly need a diverse set of draws to take the soft vote off National at the next election. Cunliffe is an excellent spokesperson for the educated, but they need leaders that have the common touch as well, which is especially important given that right now, they’re mostly stuck talking about finance. Labour needs to think about what it can promise to draw other voters.
I think you’ll find he has a bit of mongrel.
Annette King, however, seems to have more mongrel than Goff and Cunliffe put together.
She also (like many in Labour) has a nasty authoritarian streak. See this for example: Self-serving, knee-jerk authoritarianism and she was police minister when tasers were introduced.
For Labour to win in the next election they need more performances like the one Cunliffe delivered on the Nation.
The Nats are shit scared of Cunliffe, Goff needs to use his team more because the next election needs to be about policy not personality.
As Rachel and now her daughter says . It wont happen overnight but it will happen.
Its a mistake to bust your gut and expect one election cycle to sweep National away, because then you end up ‘doing an English’
90% is capitalising on Key and his mistakes, not Labour having a rabbit out of the hat.
i do like the cut of his jib eh and i didn’t even notice that jacket…no really !
but jeez…a 9 billion dollar hole left by lost taxes to top earners is certainly gonna take some clawing back.
Thanks Bill. You’re the man…NOT !!!
Cunliffe has the ability to wipe the floor with Minister English,selling kiwibank is stooooooooooooooooopid,
In any economic evaluation of it’s pros and cons selling it is a fucking stooooooooooooooooopid idea.
English has no rational economic strategy, he never has, he is a yesterdays finance minister. He needs new text books,the ones that measured the last 30 years of financial fuckups and invisible trickledowns.
http://inthehouse.co.nz/node/3060
jeez English is a lying tosser
wage growth by over 6% yeah right