This is part of a post from Stephen Frank's blog. I tried to make a comment but the anti-spam thingy told me I had the wrong word and the comment disappeared.
Politicians can not assume an interest in their messages. They must work at the emotional level, even on complex issues that should not be simplified, but must.
Sure it feels like ‘insincerity’. I hated dumbing down my speeches and letters. But if without it you will not be heard at all, where’s the choice? There are boundaries of course. The key thing for me was to ensure the communication did not become false.
People who can’t stand the fact that the floating voters in a democracy may be ignorant and uninterested should play another game. Sadly those voters may be the major important audience in an MMP election.
If Stephen hated dumbing down his speeches and letters campaigning for ACT, I would suggest worse is to come campaigning for National.
But he seems to justify this self-censorship as a "game" worth playing to attract the all-important floating voter.
I wonder if he calculated the risk of losing previously loyal followers who want more than mush? I guess no one has more than one vote and the quality of that vote is irrelevant.
Classic Comedy: #32 – Benidorm S05 E04
33 minutes ago
5 comments:
When I listen to Parliament and hear Maori Party MPs speaking in Maori I assume their message is not meant for me, but only that small percentage of New Zealanders who understand what they are saying.
Hone Harawira, fortunately, dumbed down his rhetoric during the Electoral Finance Bill debate and a huge number of people got his message.
I am not sure I understand your comment. Are you saying that giving a speech in English rather than Maori equates to 'dumbing down' rhetoric? Yet the English language has more nuances and subtleties and can therefore convey more complex concepts. Or are you suggesting that Hone Harawira's plain-speaking was 'dumbing down'? But that is how he usually speaks and writes.
See how you literally undid my metaphorical argument?
As soon as anyone has to explain their argument, they have lost the debate.
Well done, Lindsay.
Stephen Franks is unlikely to make my mistake.
Lindsay, I see what you're getting at.
Methaporically speaking, we could compare Franks' with Coddington's decision to resign from Liberarianz to join ACT. She said she would have realistic chances (she did, indeed!), and the end justified the means.
Given the limited grasp of politics of the NZ electorate (will Wellington Central be an exception?), I cannot blame Stephen for adopting this strategy.
By the way, I'm fed up of having a socialist as my MP.
Apologies. That should read metaphorically.
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