Chris Hipkins is copping the standard new PM honeymoon treatment from the media, albeit somewhat muted. It won’t last and the government will be thrashed in October. The only thing which can save it is World War 3 breaking out.
Chris massively fails an all-important test I originated in the highly politicised mid 1970s, this after Bill Rowling inherited the office following Kirk’s death, namely no-one could ever be elected as PM if one could imagine him in a scout master’s uniform. That was easy with Rowling who as it transpired had indeed been a scout master.
It also applied emphatically to four subsequent Party leaders. First National’s Jim McLay then Labour’s Geoff Palmer, both as a result, short-termers at the helm. So too, overwhelmingly with Bill English and it was the major factor in Andrew Little’s reign at the top.
It certainly applies to Chris Hipkins and there’s absolutely nothing he can do about it, unfair as it is.
What it reflects is just how important imagery is in political success.
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I think it pertinent to point out that at the 2017 General Election the National Party under Bill English won 44.45 % of the vote, just under 200,000 more votes than Labour led by Jacinda Ardern. Given that National were seeking a fourth term and that English was replacing a very popular leader in Sir John Key I think he did an admirable job and his image was not at all any encumbrance, I think the public recognised a person who had been a outstanding minister of finance and had led the party admirably.
It wasn’t his fault that the great charlatan Winston Peters defied normal political convention and went with the party who had only received 36.89% of the votes cast. Look what a fine mess that decision has led to.
Western governments are being bankrupted by politicans who are clearly out of their depth.
Along the central banksters, they have manufactured a system which is based on short term outcomes and rewards for themselves; and media have been (bought) into it. Pun intended.
I spoke to someone from St Vincent de Paul this morning, who indicated the working class poor are now regular clients, while those with eight children and solo parents are getting $5,000 a fortnight from WINZ, live in a high rise apartment paid for by WINZ and still help themselves to food parcels….
Time to provide food canteen and more suitable accommodation that can be monitored for this lot, rather than cash…but it wont happen under this government….they perhaps need to be neutered also, or the child removed at birth if the father isnt identified through DNA…that would fix them…Again Pun intended..
what happened to personal responsibility….ohhh thats right it has been removed by idealists…
Haha interesting to apply this test to the current crop of politicians. Chris Hipkins – certainly applies although would look more like a boy scout than a scoutmaster. David Seymour – applies. Chris Luxon – no, so he can be PM. Equally, Nanaia Mahua – couild never see her as a scoutmaster, so while the thought of her as PM is definitely scary, she wouldn’t fail on this test !!!!