Sunday, August 28, 2005

When Campaigns Collide

It has been an exceptionally busy campaign weekend.

Things got off to quite a strange start on Saturday. A couple of us set up a stall and begun handing out information at the Pakuranga Plaza. Usually we receive quite a good response at this location. The polling booth beside the Plaza is quite a strong one for us and we comfortably won the Party vote there in 2002.

After 15 minutes of leafleting however, we were feeling distinctly unloved. Aside from malevolent stares and snarls of disdain we encountered muttered comments about "communists" and one woman actually physically pulled her child away from us as if to avoid contamination. It look set to be a very long afternoon.

An explanation came after about 15 minutes when, after seeing Maurice walking by, we established that a National Party meeting was taking place inside the supermarket. It was therefore unsurprising that we were getting a hard time as many of the people walking by were attending the meeting!

Anyway, things settled down after that and we had a good response over the ensuing hour or two before heading off to doorknock the Millen/Latham Ave area, which was also very positive.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Michael, in case you haven't released Pakuranga is a National Party electorate. More people don't like your policies then like them in the area. The reaction should come as no surprise, nor should your defeat next month.

Too Right and Having A Blast said...

Mikey - you must be gutted that your team set you up for an ignominious half hour or two. What a waste of your time. I don't think that mall is a National party stronghold - (as you saw last election) What you experienced is what is happening everywhere in C-L C and C-R electorates. Peeps are sick of Helen's hegemony, hectoring and mendacity - and Cullen's stealthy and not so stealthy taxes.

They are not going to accept being bribed with their own money - they are looking forward to keeping more of their own pay and having choices about what to do with it.

I suspect the mall experience speaks volumes for your chance of success come September 17. It was not campaigns colliding - your tide is simply running out.

Anonymous said...

The parade of petit bourgeois stupidity Michael encountered certainly does sound like the National Party.

Michael Wood said...

Contrary to Anonymous and too right's political analysis of the area, I can confirm that Labour comfortably won the Party vote in Pakuranga in 2002.

More locally, the results at the polling booth beside the Pakuranga Plaza were:

Lab 491(about 41%)
Nat 240 (about 20%)
NZ First 173 (14.5)
Act 123 (10)
United 88 (7)
Green 27 (2.5)

Wood (L) 463 (39)
Williamson (N) 408 (34)
Paraone (NZF) 92 (8)
Jollands (ACT) 65 (5.5)
McInnes (UF) 59 (5)
Rose (G) 36 (3)
Meng Ly (PROG) 30 (2.5)

As armchair critics I am sure that you find the idea of campaigning face to face with people unappealing, but I actually think that it's an essential part of the democratic process, and whatsmore I enjoy it.

Too Right and Having A Blast said...

Michael - I guess the day of reckoning is just ahead. I made no comment about Labour's party vote last time. I stand by my view that for you and your pinko mates the tide is running out.

Anonymous said...

Too Right:
"I made no comment about Labour's party vote last time".

Last time Too Right said:
"I don't think that mall is a National party stronghold - (as you saw last election)"

How thick is Too Right?

Stephanie said...

Good on your for getting out and campaigning. I would suggest that perhaps you need some women in skimpy coustomes dancing. It's the perferred method of political advertising here ;oP

Rob Good said...

Labour has done it's dash.....

Rob Good said...

Wait for it, they will bag most of their own policies just before the election to get a few more votes, then call out names when they still lose the election. It is going to be a good day on September 18th 2005....Unless of course Winston gets some votes and takes a 3 week vacation.

Michael Wood said...

Winston might be taking a three year vacation going on some recent evidence!