My wish for election day - watching the mainstream media squirm
It was a Saturday last year. Sean Plunkett looked like he had urinated into his pants, there was a tear trickling down Duncan Garner's cheek, Patrick Gower had gone home sick. There was an uncomfortable silence on the set of TV3's 'The Nation', and it was finally punctured by a weary looking Metro Editor Simon Wilson when he said, "well, something just happened here that the entire mainstream media missed".
It was the 2010 Auckland Mayoralty race and despite the now infamous Herald digi-poll declaration on the eve of voting that the race between Len Brown and John Banks was 'neck and neck', Len Brown had won by a 49% landslide to John Banks 35%, watching the mainstream pundits who had called it for Banks suddenly having to explain how they got it all so wrong was more satisfying than Len winning.
The Herald digi poll simply didn't have the landline penetration into South Auckland to represent the opinion of voters and as such came up with a prediction that was 15 points out.
On Saturday one of three things will happen, National will either re-write the political rule books and win by an outright majority, National will enter into coalition Government or the landline bias that has consistently under represented the voices of those suffering most from the recession will make themselves heard with all the shock of Lens win.
Personally I'm of two minds, if the sleepy hobbits of NZ are really so thick to vote in the vacant aspiration of John Key and his policies which benefit the wealthy while making the poor pay for them, then I shall delight in being that 'I told you so' guy as our assets get flogged off and punitive redneck social policy produces counter productive result after counter productive result, however if Labour, the Greens, NZ First and MANA manage to have the majority, watching the mainstream media pundits try and explain how they've managed to get it wrong for 3 years will be more enjoyable than Phil Goffs victory speech.
I'd be surprised after the 3 year mainstream media honeymoon if John Key didn't win 80% of the popular vote. They are so biased towards Key, that he could punch a puppy in the face live on Close Up with the Walrus of News Mark Sainsbury and the Dominion Post would still criticize the puppy for flinching. They're undying love affair with Key has been our first cult of no personality, hell even when Key went nuts and turned the Police on them over the Epsom Tea Party tapes, they still booty call him.
John Key doesn't get interviewed on ZB, he gets heavy petting and the less said about the broadcasting handjob Radio Live gave Optimist Prime, the better.
If Labour manage to win on Saturday, the entire Herald editorial team will go on suicide watch.
posted by Bomber @ 7:05 pm
8 comments
8 Comments:
VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!
Bomber, don't you think it's also possible that National (+ United Future and Maori) will be rendered an impotent lame-duck government by an opposition bloc of Labour+Green who could end up with roughly the same number of seats, with NZ First and Mana, who don't enter any coalition or but generally vote against National on various issues?
The media manipulate the voters with the polls and I for one ignore them - loved the way Hone spoke of the feel on the streets - I get the same feeling when I talk to people - a lot of people would never take part in a poll but will tell you straight out in the supermarket exactly what they think of Key - I feel a backlash coming for Key & Co. tabn
Fuck! I hope you're right Bomber. I've started drinking tonight, as I think I need to be seriously pissed come Sat nite in order to cope. so depressed at the prospect of 3 more years of that slithering arsehole Key.thanks for the blather.
You’re not wrong Bomber, this is a poll on the “polls” too for sure. The difference is more rural ground to cover than Orcland, more sheep shaggers and compliant don’t want to know hobbits.
I email Jim Mora each week with a “bring back Bomber” message. He finally replied today after I said everyone on Afternoons “should hang their heads in shame” having the gargoyle Farrar on in election week.
Slack, Mora and Farrar were all chortling away. Jim said “I won’t” (not up to him surely?) and that I had obviously not been paying attention to the left wing panels of recent weeks. He reckons the righties criticise him too for too many lefties on air. Heh.
What next, 24 hour radio gargoyle wired free into everyone’s dwelling incase they missed his multiple media presence-Herald, Stuff, blogs and polls.
We do need more public intellectuals in this country, but there will be no shortage of activists either if the dirty filthy nats sleaze back in.
Bomber, you think you've got it hard with your northern tory organs, try being us here in post-earthquake Christchurch where every morning "The Press" tells us we are all so grateful for being left abandoned up to our nostrils in Jerry Browneye's putrid faeces while the Nats bail out the big insurance companies.
'Optimist Prime' - I nearly fell of my chair laughing at that!
Sadly, I think you're right - there's been so much 'John Key is a decent, ordinary bloke like you and me' propaganda that people have bought into it wholesale without even knowing what he stands for and what he and his cronies are planning to do, and so many people are prepared to vote in National's favour just on the strength of the belief that Key's a 'good bloke' that I really despair of Kiwis' overall level of intelligence :/
Wow I hope your right/left - correct. My feeling working at an engineering/manufacturing firm, is that there are a lot of young people who will vote for John Key because the media has assassinated PhilGo Baggins. No matter what the policy is.
I have become a decided voter this week with deciding to go Mana over the Greens, my partner and most of my family will go Greens although there are still Labs in us.
My Partners brother who is out as part of the Red Army door knocking says there are a lot of people voting Labour which is good. However as with any election the very poor are highly disenfranchised.
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