tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932158055298887404.post7602582741749069506..comments2024-02-06T23:47:42.873+14:00Comments on KiwiFirewalker: Elections 2017: So you say you want a coalitionE.A.Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11041002150165406443noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932158055298887404.post-14704664875517399872017-10-03T00:07:21.115+14:002017-10-03T00:07:21.115+14:00Hi Geoff:
Very true, which is why I have long sta...Hi Geoff:<br /><br />Very true, which is why I have long stated that come the crunch Winston will back Labour.<br /><br />My issue with him is really why it takes so long given that that is the only real option open to him. The recent idea in the media that he could sit in the middle and play both ends against each other ignores exactly what people vote for in the first place.<br /><br />I am very curious to see if Winston has learnt his lesson after the two previous attempts at this because if he has then may, just maybe, Kiwis wont get the government they deserve (as you note).<br /><br />You are right about the electoral dynamics but forgive me for being more cynical than yourself about how this would play out as I see parties willing to consider electoral and parliamentary chaos rather than return to the ballot box.E.A.Blairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11041002150165406443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932158055298887404.post-38990895804639834982017-09-30T12:39:06.232+14:002017-09-30T12:39:06.232+14:00Your allegory makes the very true point that it ta...Your allegory makes the very true point that it takes two to tango. Winston cannot force anything upon the major parties. All he can do is exploit their hunger for power and turn it to his own advantage. If National, Labour and the Greens truly believed that Winston in government would be a disaster for the nation, and if they decided to put the interests of the nation first, they would refuse to deal with him, and he would cease to be "kingmaker". That would necessitate either a new election, or Labour's acquiescence to a minority National government, but both are unlikely (especially the latter option because both parties would strike a deal with Winston rather than spend the next three years out of government.) <br />So Winston can skew the process of forming a government only as far as the representatives of some 80% of the voters will allow. Which to my mind means that the process actually continues to be quite democratic. It may be unpalatable to the many who demonized Peters prior to election day, but it is unreasonable to expect that democracy will provide idealistic outcomes in a nation where the bulk of politicians (and arguably voters) are at best "pragmatic", and at worst cynically opportunist. Politicians (the peoples courtiers) flatter the voters - "Kiwi battlers", "hardworking New Zealanders", "salt of the earth" and so on - while suggesting that the problem types ("dole bludger", "tax dodger" etc) are only a small minority. They could never win public favour by speaking the truth that neither the politicians nor the voters are any better than they should be. New Zealanders will get the government they deserve - Winston and all - and chances are it will be no worse than what they have had for the past nine years. Geoff Fischerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00509885628971898371noreply@blogger.com