Saturday 10 September 2005

Hide: Desperate & soon-to-be dateless

What's the definition of desperate? Let's say that just a week before the election a TVNZ Colmar-Brunton poll showed that your candidate was fourteen points south of the leader in the race for Epsom's electorate vote, and he was only ten percentage points north of the third-placed candidate. You'd express disappointment, right? Resolve, maybe? But desperation?

ACT Party president Catherine Judd has chosen the latter aproach, with a carefully worded email to everyone in her address book, incuding me, confessing how desperate her party is. Her evaluation of a fourteen point deficit? "The trend in both the public polls and our polling is clear - Rodney is on track to win the seat next Saturday," There you go. The poll showing Rodney well behind actually shows he is going to win. No surprise that in her day job Catherine is a professional spin merchant. Aaron got one of Catherine's emails, and he has the whole thing here.

"ACT on track to win Epsom but we need your help" is the headline. Half of it is true. They do need help. I wonder if this would work? Why won't National help? I explained why a few weeks ago: any further investment in ACT would be what economists call malinvestment, something ACT's Hayekians should at least understand.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

And people should see this from Thursday's ACTion, calling for Epsom campaign volunteers:

"In the latest poll, complied on Monday, Rodney's lead over Worth increased by 6 points to 33%,"

A 33% lead? Yeah right!

Berend de Boer said...

Anyway both TVNZ's poll and Rodney's poll confirm a 30% for Rodney in Epsom. That's up 15%, double, of the last poll. If Rodney can increase this by 7% he's even with Richard Worth.

By the way PC, why haven't you mentioned how the libertarianz are doing in the polls? Or haven't the pollsters found a voter for this party yet?

Anonymous said...

to be fair pc, hide has gone from being down by over 40 points, to just 14. a 7 point swing will win it.

doug

Anonymous said...

Better to be on the inside being at least 75% Libertarian and holding the State to account than on the outside carping away,sloshed on red wine, achieving nothing...

Peter Cresswell said...

"Better to be on the inside being at least 75% Libertarian..."

And if no longer on the inside (or about not to be), then why stay only 75%?

Anonymous said...

PC I can unconditionally guarantee that you will be eating your words on September the 18th. You and your extremist party will be sitting on their arse’s drowning their sorrow while ACT will be in parliament making a REAL difference, something your party has never been able to do. I think that’s how you should really measure a party’s success.

Anonymous said...

Because PC it is better than the 40 -50% libertarian that the were only 5years ago...A lot of Libz/Liberal influence has had an effect and ACT has changed for the better...But you ignore the progress made and insted want it to sink and spite your face.If Libz had done what Jim Peron suggested when he arrived here which was to just join ACT wholesale and steer the party to where you wanted it by block voting at policy meetings it would be a far better situation than now....but no!Lets see ACT dissappear,the only Libertarian walk in bookshop(Aristotle's) in the world close and Libz achieve bugger all again at the polls ,what a great year for Liberty in NZ...NOT!

Anonymous said...

Rodney Hides performance has been disgusting,every time i see or hear him on the medea hes begging don brash to cut him some slack.You never hear any policy let alone principle,the only thing the average punter has asertained is that Rodney swallows.If I hear him trying to grovel for votes or help from the National party im going to puke(gag reflex)
If Libertarianz get that low then i quit.Jim Perons advice is as about as dodgy as he turned out to be,once he told me that dishonesty was a viable strategy,his exact words were ëven the greens dont tell the truth about their intentions""
Rodney Hide and act are delusional trying to do anything to save their own asses
ACT claim National dont understand mmp and the need for a coalition partner this is just rodneys lame atempt at begging.In fact national understands mmp perfectly.National understands that to cut any minor party any slack at an electerate creates a positive feedback loop where a large number of voters realise that they can vote for a minor party and have their vote count and suddenly all these minor parties pop up with 7,8,9 percent support.By agressively campaigning against minor parties in electorate seats and party vote a negative feedback loop where the minor parties suportes confidance collapses along with their vote.
If ACT wants to change the government it should dissolve itself.
ACT suporters have two choices if you want the government changed this saturday vote national,if you want freedom promoted openly not in a sleazy evasive way vote libertarianz

Anonymous said...

Yes Julian you do have a right to snort a big line of cocaine.I and many other ACT supporters support your right to do that.We disagree with Berend that the only freedoms you should have are those he agrees with.Berend has a different opinion and has a right to it.It is for him to deal with the contradictions of his position.

Berend de Boer said...

don't put words in my mouth james.

Anonymous said...

Excellent, that was really well explained and helpful