The problem for National in fewer than 100 words

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 14th, 2008 - 14 comments
Categories: articles, election 2008, john key - Tags:

OK – they are not my words. I could do it – but then again I really liked what Gordon Campbell wrote:

The financial meltdown poses a basic identity problem for National, the instinctive champion of de-regulation and market solutions. That’s a bit of a problem right now, given that Europe and the US are taking steps to partially nationalize the financial system of global capitalism. In that light, National’s traditional approach to the economy does look like something of a relic from a bygone era. On the weekend, John Key only crystallised their problem by offering his experience with Merrill Lynch as a positive credential for the current crisis. Many voters could be forgiven for treating the kind of job Key did before he became a politician as being part of the problem, rather than being a really big help. Nice of him to offer, though.

14 comments on “The problem for National in fewer than 100 words ”

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  1. T-rex 1
    14 October 2008 at 7:35 am

    The few ideas they didn’t reluctantly copy from Labour sucked, and it’s now abundantly obvious why.

    16 words. Does that mean I get to be a political journalist? Or do the two contractions push my true count out to 18 and myself out of the race…

  2. relic 2
    14 October 2008 at 8:03 am

    Succinctly put analysis from GC. Watch out though for that subjective “want a change regardless of what it is’ factor though amongst some voters. This is what has had serious commentators and Labour supporters perplexed for months in the face of positive statistics. Though the “National Party Newsletter’ aka NZ Herald and friends have not helped either. This perverse streak from too many aspirational tories (they can’t all be actual tories with 70% of kiwis under $40,000 per year) could see them vote National anyway.

  3. Felix 3
    14 October 2008 at 8:07 am

    God simply does not like their ideas.

    Seven words, no contractions. One supernatural being though, that could be a problem I suppose….

  4. Dom 4
    14 October 2008 at 8:40 am

    Well here’s an example of National’s problem – this is about their pledge card:
    “Mr Key says some might say the card is similar to the now well-known Labour Party pledge card – but it is not. He says the big difference is it was paid for by the National Party and not by the taxpayer, and they will not be breaking the law to make someone else cover its costs either.”

    Nothing about the substance of the card – the fact that it’s missing key issues (um, like the environment) – only the window dressing issue of how they paid for it. This party is bereft of ideas.

  5. gobsmacked 5
    14 October 2008 at 8:50 am

    48 surnames. 48 first names.

    One caucus, 96 words.

  6. forgetaboutthelastone 6
    14 October 2008 at 8:55 am

    interesting to hear g. espiner on one news last night:

    to paraphrase: “i don’t know what National is going to do over this coming week – and I don’t think they do either.”

    It’s been a long time since I heard that kind of strong criticism of National in the MSM.

  7. T-rex 7
    14 October 2008 at 9:04 am

    I’ve got a new one.

    —

    National: …

    —

    one ellipsis. No words, not even a letter in fact, yet says it all.

    Hell, it’s basically their pledge card!

    T-Rex = Winner.

  8. forgetaboutthelastone 8
    14 October 2008 at 9:16 am

    lol – 3 dots is two too many, but then one dot wouldn’t be descriptive enough. Are emoticons permissable?:

    JK then 🙂 and now ;(

  9. T-rex 9
    14 October 2008 at 9:27 am

    Oh damn, yeah that’d be pretty sweet.

    National: 🙂 -> 🙁

  10. gobsmacked 10
    14 October 2008 at 9:28 am

    The latest National problem:

    Nick Smith has told people to vote Labour or Green (on Morning Report, RNZ website, item at 7.34 am).

  11. T-rex 11
    14 October 2008 at 9:33 am

    A castle for the first person to bring me a link to the above.

    —

    edit: here

    Now I just gotta find a castle I like…

  12. randal 12
    14 October 2008 at 10:27 am

    wanting a change regardless is an indication of the infatilisation of the electorate who have been lead to believe that new and imnproved actually means what it says. the herald and all other newspapers for that matter rely on the novel and the gullibility of punters but in this case it is the childishness of the electorate. Now that it looks like Labour is going to win the dumdums have changed their stance to ok but helen has to go. If this is the level of sophistication in the the supposedly well informed ‘information’ age then soemthing has gone very wrong. Nobel economist Paul Krugman has called the republicans the party of “stupid’ and what we are looking at is the mirror image here. and I stress iamge. The Herald and the rest have colluded to effect a political change solely on the basis of popularity and used all their power to push their childish fantasys on a country that requires leadership and policy and not a gang of thugs in suits. Its almost like the media adoration of wiseguys. New Zealanders deserve better than this.

  13. Jasper 13
    14 October 2008 at 5:09 pm

    Key forgot to write on his Key Committments

    “Resign if National Superannuation is cut”

  14. jo zinny 14
    14 October 2008 at 9:48 pm

    Allow me say how the problem for national is — dah-dah— thenation!

    Another problem, more than a 100 words, admittedly. But hey what words..