National’s popularity is down to two things- the population of NZ has been incrementally “leftisized” over the last few decades, and they have marketed themselves to appeal to this leftism. A flawed path. They should have articulated arguments against the left and drawn the population back to the political perspective the Nats were once proud to stand for.
This failure to articulate their true political position has made the National Party a sham party. They now stand for little and thereby there is little to differentiate them from the Labour party.
Evidence of this lies in their abject submission to so many left wing ideals, and the inherent dishonesty wherein they still project themselves as a party of the right, when the reality is they’re hard left.
Remember John Keys arrogant disregard and the left wing language he used in attacking those upset by Labour’s misnamed “anti-smacking” bill. Keys sad supplication to the racist Maori Party. His content with all of the trappings of socialism left to him by Labour.
The newly established Conservative party is the only antidote to socialism. That National’s sycophants on the blog No Minister are attacking it with cowardly lies and smears is more proof that the Conservatives are a threat to the National Socialists.
Recent polling by Horizon puts the Conservative Party at 4%. Support them. It will not be a wasted vote, for every percentage point the Conservatives can score will put a greater dread in the stomachs of the National/ Labour revolving door partnership.
TrueblueNZ 
25 responses to “National- Derelict and Adrift”
“a greater dread in the stomachs of the National”
Exactly. Maybe higher entertainment value than a coalition with Winnie.
Although I sometimes think National needs another bout under Liarbour to get back to their core principles.
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We all know what happened to the world the last time there was a National Socialist party in power in Europe.
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I agree RB. As an Epsom voter I’ve been considering my strategy! Have previously voted Act/National, I was planning to vote Act/Act (my primary concerns with National are their non-reversal of the anti-smacking act & the ETS, and their failure to sort out the RMA & the Maori seats). Since Don Brash lost the plot I’ve been leaning towards Act/Conservative, and your comments support this approach. Heard on the news this morning (quoting Peter Lange I think) a suggestion that Labour supporters in Epsom should vote for Paul Goldsmith for goodness sake. Still, at least he recognises the threat that Act provides to the left.
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I’ve been arguing for a while now that the voters in both Epsom and Rodney need to act strategically. Epsom voters need to hold their noses and tick Banks. party vote for either ACT or Conservative as well. And voters in Rodney need to send Colin Craig to Wellington. Having Conservative and preferably ACT as well in Parliament is the only way to keep National away from the various extreme leftists and racist radicals with whom the likes of Finlayson, Smith and Joyce are so desperate to get into bed. It comes as no surprise the National Sycophancy Society at NoMinister are pushing stupid lines wrt the Conservatives. Anything that threatens to bring National to the right must be opposed. I don’t even read thentripe they post any more.
Farrar did the same thing in his stuff.co.nz column when he suggested the Conservative’s economic policies are Muldoonist. That was likely, in his opinion, a great and cutting statement. Sad thing for him is I know many people of a certain age who still believe Muldoon was a great leader and statesman!
Sadly rather than see Conservative as an ally, some ACT tribalists see them as a threat. I’ve been having a discussion with ACT loyalist Chuck Bird on FaceBook about it. He (in uncharacteristic fashion) left some pretty arrogant and derisive comments on Conservative’s FaceBook page when they hit 3.4 in the Horizon poll a couple of weeks back.
The other thing I find curious is the other pollsters steadfastly refuse to incude Conservative as one of the options. They’re happy to include Winston First for laughs, but Conservative isn’t one of the options available. I wonder if that’s a strategy to keep their numbers and thus their profie low?
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Jonno1 – don’t forget the furtive signing of the Indigenous Rights declaration (that even Helen didn’t like the smell of) and the Marine and Coastal Areas Act.
As an Epsom voter I am also in a quandry. I like Banks, but Act has imploded. I want my votes to make National sit up and see that there is a powerful Right, and I want the Right to have a voice in Parliament. At this time I don’t really care about the specifics of what they stand for, I just want one Right party to be strong. If the Conservative Party has that much support, I’ll add to it (as long as they don’t bring in the religious nutters).
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mawm the problem I have with ACT is not that they’re a mess – I think that can be sorted out. The questions I have are how long will Brash stay, and who steps up when he goes? He’s blundered by bringing out the Leftertarianz policy platform (clearly Perigo’s influence) instead of sticking to what really matters (I.e. It’s the economy, stupid) and if one of ACT’s many social liberals takes over it will be more stupidity, and less relevance for ACT. That said, New Zealand needs a Right and only ACT and the Conservatives are offering it.
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The Conservative Party’s policy’s are not relevant. The Horizon poll and to some extent ipredict are a nonsense. If challenging Colin to put his money where his mouth is is arrogant then I am guilty.
I asked on the Conservative Party FB, “Are any Conservative Party supports including Colin prepared to bet that the Conservative Party with get a higher percentage of the vote than ACT? ”
I have not made any remarks against Colin. He is a nice guy but I am sure he does not genuinely beleive that the Conservative Party will get in Parliament otherwise he would take my bet.
FB and others may criticise National and with some justification. However, if NZ gets a Labour led coalition in 2014 the country will be in serious trouble.
Does anyone want to take my bet say for $1,000 or $10,000 that the Conservative Party will not get as high a percentage of the party vote as ACT?
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Chuck, your bet is irrelevant. As I said on FB, the fact that in less than 3 months the Conservative Party has garnered a greater number of members than ACT proves Consefvatives are prepared to put their money where their mouth is. It isn’t a competition between ACT and the Conservatives and for you to suggest it is, plays directly into the hands of people like those at NoMinister and Keywiblog, and could well see both parties lose.
As I also said the 2 parties are chasing different voters – both have economically conservative policy platforms, and the difference comes with social policy. Those misguided fools who think it’s possible to have economically conservative and socially liberal platforms coexist can feel free to support ACT. Those who prefer socially, as well as economically conservative platform should support the Conservatives. Both agree on the main points and there is room for both. The important thing is for Banks to win Epsom and Craig to win Rodney. The party vote can follow.
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In my opinion ACT is too compromised with the libertarians in their midst having too much say and influence. Brash would have beeen better starting with a clean slate, as many of us said at the time, rather than sign up with ACT.
For many conservative Christian voters ACT’s embracing of too many social liberal views/policies is a bridge too far, and most certainly in my case. So for me the ONLY party which reflects my views is the Conservative Party – two ticks here.
And Mawm – “If the Conservative Party has that much support, I’ll add to it (as long as they don’t bring in the religious nutters).” – you do yourself no favours by discounting the “religious nutters” [as you put it]. And I’m not sure if you’re implying that Christians should have no place in parliament and/or that you would prefer that Christians not vote?!
Of course maybe you were referring to the growing Islamic presence in NZ /sarc.
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KK – I’m all for Judeo-Christian values, but when religion becomes a driving force in politics I stand back. IMHO the Republic Party keep on shooting themselves in the foot when they chase after potential nominees and want to know where they stand on abortion and how often they go to church (figuratively), and also if they belong to the NRA. There is a place on the right for people who are not the born again/happy-clappy/’praise-the-Lord/in-your-face crowd, and for those that have good conservative social and economic values.
My religious beliefs are mine and private and don’t belong in politics.
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Citizens of Western democracies in the end always vote themselves as much of Other People’s Money as the Other People will tolerate without capital flight. Unless the Conservatives join that conga line they are forever doomed to be a 5% niche party.
Still, no wonder the Nats hissy fit…..all Conservative votes will come from the Nats or Act.
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Gantt Guy, where is the evidence that Colin has a realistic chance of winning Rodney? Key has not indicated that he will make a similar accommodation in Rodney as he has in Epsom. My bet and the fact that Colin will not take it is a good indication that the Conservative Party has little chance.
I disagree that both parties are not chasing the same votes. There is a strong vocal faction in ACT. However, no one has to support liberalising drug laws or homosexual marriage to be an ACT member.
I do not intend on wasting my vote as every vote counts and I would like to encourage other not to waste their votes.
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“In my opinion ACT is too compromised with the libertarians in their midst having too much say and influence. Brash would have beeen better starting with a clean slate, as many of us said at the time, rather than sign up with ACT.?”
Kris you have to deal with things how they are not how you would like them to be. I know many on the Board as well as most of the top list candidates. They have had two choices. Firstly, they could have continued arguing about what should have been done. Secondly, they could put past difference aside and focus on working together to get as many ACT members as possible in Parliament.
I am pleased to say they have choose the second option. In response to a poll on homosexual adoption on Wednesday Don responded, “ACT leader Don Brash said adoption for gay couples would be a conscience vote for his party’s MPs
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Chuck, where is it written that voters need a nod from John Key before they move? I said voters need to think strategically, and to my mind that means ticking Banks in Epsom and Craig in Rodney. There is a large minority on the Right who are utterly disillusioned with the Key National party. Craig in Rodney will ensure ACT’s 1-4 MPs will be joined by 1 (or more) Conservatives. That you think for a second a party leader will enter into a wager with you says more about you than him. Do you think if I offered Dr Brash some ridiculous wager on FB he would take it?
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Gantt, Cam Slater and David Farrar have commented on the polling.
“Roger Larkins is also the Managing Director of Research First, the same company that produced the polls that Colin Craig claims shows him in front in Rodney electorate.”
This should have been disclosed. As Farrar points out that does not mean the poll is wrong but it should have been disclosed that there was a potential conflict of interest. The exact question to Rodney voters should have been published.
The fact that fact that Colin is relying on the dodgy Horizon poll make me skeptical of the other poll run by a Conservative Party candidate. There is no doubt Colin has dedicated supporter who would be happy to register for the Horizon poll.
My bet is far from ridiculous considering Colin is trying to talk up the Conservative Party’s chances on the basis of a dodgy poll.
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Look, I dnt think for a second the Conservatives are going to go near 4.1 , just as I don’t think ACT will. That’s why it’s vital for Banks to take Epsom and Craig to take Rodney. I’ve already conceded Horizon polls are less scientific than others, but the fact is the Conservatives are becoming an increasingly popular option, as their growing membership shows. It’s about time Roy Morgan started including the Cnservatives as an option. I understand you passionately (desperately?) advocating for your brand and applaud your loyalty, but your attempts to tear down the Conservatives reflect poorly on you. Negative, attack politics is what the Left indulge in. There is no shortage of opportunity for both ACT and the Conservatives to both prosper, and to both make National the party they should be.
As I said, challenging Colin Craig to a bet over where the Cnservatives will end up is exactly like if I had bet Dr Brash that ACT wouldn’t get the 15% he was touting when he took the leadership. Would Dr Brash have taken that bet? Nah, didn’t think so. Even though it would have been a safe bet (for me) and I was hoping at the time they would get there (as my posts and comments at Crusader Rabbit can attest to). Craig is a party leader, and the leaders of political parties are supposed to display at least a modicum of gravitas (not that you’d know it based on the shenanigans of most of them). Accepting a wager from (with the greatest of respect) a party aparatchik from another party would hardly display gravitas now, would it? It would be a bit like, say, mincing down the cat walk at fashion week, or pinching someone’s shovel and gumboots to pretend to scrape a load of oil off the beach in Tauranga. Hardly the stuff of leaders, is it?
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“My religious beliefs are mine and private and don’t belong in politics.”
Good for you, Mawm – I’m happy to wear mine on my sleeve. IMO it is impossible for a Christian to separate his values, politics and religion from each other – especially when their world-view is PRIMARILY formed by their faith. I bet many conservative Christians, who take their faith seriously, pray for wisdom and guidance when it comes to selecting who to vote for come election time – I know I do.
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I just read in the Herald about the latest Digi-poll. It doesn’t show the Cnservatives on 4.1, but they have hit 1.1. With ACT on … Oh dear, 0.9. Now, what was that again, Chuck?
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Rogue poll? ; )
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For the sake of New Zealand, for the sake of all of us out here in the heartland, I believe it is imperative that those in those key electorates put Craig and Banks in.
It is just so important!
Slater said on Wilderness Willies show today Craig had no show (and also said he supported the Nats being cosy with the Maori Party.)
For goodness sake vote strategically!
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KK – I’m happy to wear mine on my sleeve
The problem KK is that it is your religion and not necessarily mine.
IMHO politics and religion do not mix.
In a non-secular state, say one that practices a different brand of Christianity to you, your particular brand might just mean that you are the one being persecuted such as happened to the Protestant Hugenots in France and to the Catholics during Elizabeth I’s reign.
While it is secularism itself that allows religious tolerance and freedom, and allows you to practice whatever brand of Christianity you want.
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“While it is secularism itself that allows religious tolerance and freedom, and allows you to practice whatever brand of Christianity you want.”
Mawm, I think secularism might also have been responsible for a ‘little’ genocide over the course of its history. It, like misapplied Christianity, has persecuted religious and non alike. I think the blackness in mens hearts is more the issue, rather than whether or not they follow any particular ideology.
But I believe it is no coincidence that as we have removed the Judeo-Christian God from our society that we have seen a direct correlation in decreasing morality. Social Liberals, Cultural Marxists, the Watermelons et al are simply the natural by-product of an increasingly godless society. IMHO.
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National like Labour make me vomit.
Lies,lies,lies. Fuck I hate kiwi polllie scum of earth filth!
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Will be voting Conservative. Considered a vote for Labour- they’ll destroy the country faster, and I wont be too old to help with the rebuild.
Participate in this election… give N.Zs version of sham-democracy one last shot (before abstaining in disgust).
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On a related note, I see on your sidebar Red that Farrar has a post up titled ‘The Talented Greens’ in which he says he’d be happy to have 15 watermelons in Parliament, on the basis they’re ‘intelligent, articulate, bright MPs’. This kinda says everything anyone needs to know about Farrar and his masters in National. I’m sure the cabinets of Pol Pot, Stalin, Hitler and Obama are/were stuffed full of intelligent and articulate people as well. Ankther thing they also had in common? An innate evil and a desire for world domination – as do the watermelons. That Farrar advocates on behalf of the watermelons whilst in the pay of the Nats is one more reason to NOT vote National – it’s possible they’re using Farrar as the vanguard of an action to soften people up to the idea of a Nat/Watermelon coalition after the election.
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