New Prime Minister Hipkins is currently getting a free ride with the bored media trying to promote him as an appealing fresh new broom. He’s anything but that.
Take the invention of a hitherto unheard nick-name “Chippy”, this to induce a likeable character, “one of the chaps” flavour. It won’t work and never has.
When Keith Holyoake first ascended to high office the Nats tried to have him dubbed Kiwi Keith. It never took on and they ultimately abandoned it.
His successor Jack Marshall was marketed as “Gentleman Jack”. He was conspicuously gentlemanly but only had 10 months as PM before being ousted in 1972, then rolled by Rob Muldoon a year later. Note no-one ever accused Rob of being gentlemanly.
Popular Prime Ministers are invariably referred to by their Christian name, until that is, as is inevitable in politics, their popularity turns to disdain.
Muldoon was immensely popular with two thirds of the public from 1974 until 1979 and was widely known as Rob, despite offensive Labour attempts to dub him “Piggy”, this based on his appearance.
Helen Clark was always “Helen” up until, as is unavoidable, the electoral tide turning and in her last term she became “Clark”. John Key was “Jonky” with many folk. But no Prime Minister since the war copped as much public affection as Jacinda (remember her?) once the Covid crisis arose. She was always Jacinda, that is up until mid 2022 when the gradual dawning on the public finally sank in of the government’s excesses and incompetence. Then Jacinda became Ardern and the public respect turned to contempt.
The current “Chippy” attempt is down-right embarrassing and frankly infantile.
9 Comments
But, he’s a bread and butter exponent from ‘The Hutt.
infantile – sums it up exactly.
First few days the media reported that he looks forward to Friday nights at his favourite table at the Cossie Club. Trouble is nobody can recall seeing him there
All hat and no cattle
Mass media is all about headlines, and if you’re not making news there’s no interest …
Luxon needs to get in on organizing supporting those who need it…he needs to put on some overalls and get dirty, but that could be below him… he doesn’t seem to show any initiative, which is a worry…
Really? Just because the media doesn’t report it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
He was on the ground as soon as practicable but the only outlet that reported it was RNZ that I could see.
But perception is reality in the eyes of the public..if you’re not the leading item on the news you might as well be invisible. So far its chippy getting all the headlines . Labour got what they needed to win i.e a “crisis” .
I’m wondering if all these projects that Hipkins is shelving is in the hope that they get voted in again and can be re-activated? Sad that I look for the dirty tricks … but National have no policy yet beyond making the rich richer (which all Nat governments do). If Labour isn’t voted back in, maybe Chippy could be a builder?
the nats are stuffed for another 3 years. sheesh. the only thing ensuring a national victory was a natural disaster. and we got one. having said that Chris Hipkins is about as left as jim bolger so some hope
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