Those of us astute enough always saw the popularity of the Conservative Party increasing, and few are surprised that Colin Craig is looming as the Nat’s only real coalition partner. For a couple of years now we have had to endure the scorn of the progressive forces that rule National, but now they’re feasting on feathers.
They knew better you see. Turns out that they didn’t. Key and his mates were busy sneering at the Conservatives and calling them crazy and voting for the redefinition of traditional marriage and smugly proclaiming their victory over “bigotry”, when all the while they were digging an electoral hole for themselves.
Don’t think for a minute that National’s ruling clique are happy about this outcome. It is only that Craig has managed to scrape together the votes that has forced National’s hand. It has helped that (as Paddy Gower says), the votes boosting the CP have been at the expense of National.
So with Craig having such electoral support, winning a seat will mean around four (or more) CP MPs. If National give him a seat to win. Which they have to do if they want a coalition partner with the numbers.
The CP will be the thin end of the wedge that I hope will one day drive the Nat/Labour revolving door Progressives from power. The irony is that it was the smug gloating arrogance of progs like Slater and Michael Williamson (for just two examples) that have driven this change. Their support and votes for marriage redefinition were the catalyst needed to kick off some real alteration to NZ’s depressing political direction.
TrueblueNZ 
Cam Slater must be beside himself. He worships JK and everything he says and does. Cam also hates Colin Craig and what he stands for with a passion. So when JK came out and supported the Conservatives, Cam must have been stunned. I notice he has been very quiet on the subject or even saying the new seat will actually be a Red seat in West Auckland.
LikeLike
Cam could have been NZ’s Beppe Grillo.
LikeLike
Craig has conquered the barrier of silence – that of the MSM ignoring his existence. He appeared on ZB the other morning with Mike Hoskins. Unfortunately I could only listen to a bit of it but he did come across well.
The message to conservatives must be ‘Party vote for CP’, Electorate vote to prevent the Lab/Watermelon/Black coalition – who will certainly destroy NZ future while nut bars like Norman, Cunliffe and Harawira are there. With a Nat/CP coalition maybe, just maybe, the Nats will be made to follow their founding principles.
LikeLike
Craig is a political novice really, and his party’s policies are a bit all over the place, but anyone complaining of any inconsistencies can hardly say that National is the model that should be followed.
It might be quite fair for someone to say Craig is not a real Conservative and therefore I won’t vote for him, but anyone saying this can hardly then go and vote for National, who have abandoned every one of their founding principles and replaced them with Labour’s.
I agree with your voting strategy Mawm, and the best thing about a coalition with the Conservatives is that it will send a message to National’s prog faction that change is coming.
LikeLike
Policies all over the place:
An end to welfare? Armed Police (and laws to let ’em shoot crims)? Castle Doctrine? Stand your Ground? All Schools Become Charters? National Service? Selling RNZ & TVNZ? No more WFF? No more Waitangi Tribunal? and a tax rate capped at $20,000 per person?
What’s not the fuck to like?
LikeLike
I suspect the Conservative Party will be my only option next election, perhaps as a protest vote against National, whilst minimising the help I’d give to Labour in doing so.
As you say, the party is young and has the potential of improving, especially if it wins a seat or passes the threshold.
LikeLike
Craig is really pushing his luck appearing on all of these prog shows. I hope he is aware that the only reason they invite him on is to find some opportunity to ridicule him. I saw where he went on Bomber’s show the other day. Really, what profit is there in giving that show oxygen?
LikeLike
Bomber. A Self declared Terrorist. Like Taame “Mandela” Iti.
Under Colin Craig’s laws, we’d be able to shoot down both of ’em.
LikeLike
“I hope he is aware that the only reason they invite him on is to find some opportunity to ridicule him.”
I think he is waking up to it, Red. A while back on Back Benchers Wallace Chapman set Craig up for a fall, but the other day on RadioLive, Craig had it all over him. He was very clear on Maori issues and all his answers were sound. I don’t know if Craig is a natural conservative, but he is certainly learning fast; he is listening to his supporters, so I think it’s only a matter of time.
LikeLike
Yes Terry, I saw your excellent post on Wallace Chapman and left a number of links to it on the net and on twitter. I hope Craig is doing well. It certainly seems like left media have to struggle a little harder to find items to attack him on lately.
LikeLike
Thanks, Red, I hadn’t noticed the links.
LikeLike
Just when I thought Craig was doing well, I saw him on Campbell Live tonight and he talked about raising the tax on alcohol. When I hear a Conservative talking about raising taxes on anything, I get very nervous indeed; only liberals use that language. He has this idea that ordinary people are subsidising binge drinkers and somehow raising the tax on alcohol is going to solve the problem when all it will do is punish responsible drinkers, especially older people; the people who would most likely vote for him. That kind of talk is just plain dumb in my opinion. Older people, his very constituents, drink responsibly and enjoy good cheap wine, so why on earth would he want to turn them away from the Conservative Party?
LikeLike
Yeah, he has to be more aware of how every meet with the Prog media is an opportunity for them to discredit him.
On the other hand we cannot expect him to bear the complete cross. Only a minor party, apolitical minnow really and a novice as well.
The real people behind the sorry state of political affairs in NZ are the National Party. They should be held to account much more so than Craig at this juncture, for they have much more power. Just too gutless and confused to be anything but a shadow Labour Party.
LikeLike
Naa. Key’s government is to the LEFT of Labour.
1. flag on the bridge
2. tuhoe settlement
3. whack up GST
4. highest weekly rate of Dole paid – ever
5. largest number of bludgers in NZ’s history – ever
6. “no cuts ever” to super
7. crony company deals – sky city, warners, smelter (to help the f**king UNIONS)
8. reduced prison muster (nominally to “save money”)
9. constitutional convention & making NZ a republic
10. gay marriage
Helen would have done none of these.
LikeLike