Electoral Map
September 22nd, 2005 at 6:55 am by David FarrarNo Right Turn has a useful map of red and bue electorates. Unlike the US though blue here signifies the good guys.
It shows quite starkly how Labour has been reduced to an urban based party, apart from the geothermal region and the West Coast.
No tag for this post.
September 22nd, 2005 at 7:34 am
It’s a pity that its an electoral map based on the electorate vote – the Herald on Sunday had a map that was based on the party vote – even bluer – because, well, you could change the colour of Waimak, West Coast, Rotorua, Taupo and New Plymouth!
(and Ohariu-Belmont and Epsom).
You’d have to change Nelson to commie, mind you…
Vote:September 22nd, 2005 at 7:44 am
Or conversely National has been ‘reduced’ to a rural party. The trend is for population in the urban areas to grow so how does that look long term for National?
Vote:September 22nd, 2005 at 7:56 am
To talk of Labour becoming an urban party or National a rural one is misleading.
In all areas there were close results, simply winning an electorate does not demonstarate that the losing party has no support or has lost touch entirely with with either area. I think it just signals the heat of the debate we have been through.
Vote:September 22nd, 2005 at 8:20 am
I’ve always thought of blue as representing the Sith, and the Red as Jedi…
Vote:September 22nd, 2005 at 8:54 am
Rocket Boy is spot on. The party votes are not in some outback town across the road and around the corner from Eketahuna. You gotta win Auckland. And Auckland is getting more red.
Vote:September 22nd, 2005 at 9:11 am
Gooner,
National won Auckland by 818 votes.
Vote:September 22nd, 2005 at 9:14 am
It has to be noted that Taupo was only won by 200 odd votes and Rotorua by not much more. Then an almost blue North Island, except Auckland.
Vote:September 22nd, 2005 at 9:23 am
And Wellington, Gaz.
Vote:September 22nd, 2005 at 9:29 am
SI West Coast also sticks out like the proverbial. The West Coasters must self-identify as “feral in-breds”. I thought that Helen Clarkes comments would have been considered offensive, but the wise West Coasters have obviously said “can’t argue with that summary of us – we’ll support and vote for the NZ Labour Party, who speak for us so well”
Vote:September 22nd, 2005 at 10:01 am
They just like Jim Sutton down there.
Vote:September 22nd, 2005 at 10:02 am
Moth – except for the fact the the SI West Coast gave their party vote to National…
Vote:September 22nd, 2005 at 10:18 am
http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electorate-38.html
otaki is only 200 odd votes to labour, could this not change on specials?
Vote:September 22nd, 2005 at 1:00 pm
National only “won Auckland by 818 votes” if you don’t include the Maori electorates.
Vote:September 22nd, 2005 at 1:38 pm
I don’t know how “useful” this map really is – as opposed to being rather funny – because you could draw up another that is slightly different (if you flip it who won the party votes), various shades of purple (if you scale the colours to allow for majorities), or a charming pontillist quilt (if you do any of the above booth by booth).
Vote:September 22nd, 2005 at 4:14 pm
So Craig, that map is pretty much irrelevant then?
Actually, I think it is. Good call. Simplistic maps like this one just add to that whole load of bollocks that NZ is a ‘divided country’.
Vote:September 22nd, 2005 at 4:51 pm
Tane:
In my not so humble opinion, it’s amusing and factually accurate as far as it goes but not worth reading too much into. If you’re going to import the “Jesusland vs. The United States of Canada” meme wholesale from the US, then you’ve also got to acknowledge that – like the US – the reality here is a little more complicated.
To quote the Wiki article NRT linked to in his post (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesusland_Map):
QUOTE
Critics of the Jesusland map, and of the concept of the red state vs. blue state divide in general, have pointed out that the actual electoral map is in fact mostly “purple”, containing a mixture of support for both parties (and therefore by comparison, both cultural outlooks) which rarely exceeds 65% towards either side in any given location, and that some exit polls exaggerated the depth of adherence to the issues, creating a mistaken impression of the public’s motivations. In addition, in most states (especially in most of the swing states, but also even in some solidly “red” or “blue” states), a large urban-rural split or geographic split exists in which one side tilts one way and another part the other way.
END QUOTE
I think it’s fair to say that’s broadly true about New Zealand as well. The alleged ‘town vs. country divide’ that much of the commentariat have been fretting about recently is a great hook for a column, but the reality of a finely balanced election result is too complicated to fit into 800 words or a 30 second soundbite.
I also get a little pissed off by the utter presumption of any political party assuming that any constituency or voter democgraphic is “safe”. As far as I’m concerned, come 12.01am on election day the whole electoral map is white – all the counts are at zero. Every scrap of commentary, analysis and polling data might as well be on a nail in the nearest long drop. And every vote is undecided until proved otherwise.
The political graveyard is full of corpses whose last words were, “that wasn’t supposed to go down like that..” I don’t intend to be one of them.
Vote:September 27th, 2005 at 10:39 pm
Personally I resent farmers assertion that the “producers’ and every one else is a consumer. Farmers would be pretty rooted with out the people that deliver and market there produce to their consumers… this involves infrastructure, teachers pilots captains drivers creatives etc… Not every one can be an ignorant self interested red neck….
Vote:Lets not forget that farmers consumption of Rob Muldoons Bribes and subsequent support I why this country is in the shitty financial position its in… stick it up your arse you self righteous pricks.
September 27th, 2005 at 10:45 pm
Personally I resent farmers assertion that they are the “producers’ and every one else is a consumer. Farmers would be pretty rooted with out the people that deliver and market there produce to their consumers… this involves infrastructure, teachers pilots captains drivers creatives etc… Not every one can be an ignorant self interested red neck….
Vote:Lets not forget that farmers consumption of Rob Muldoons Bribes and subsequent support of national governments is a good part of the reason this country is in the shitty financial position its in… It must be nice to sit there on your acres while poor families starve and children go to overcrowded schools because farmers and other wealthy newzealanders resent paying tax.
Stick it up your arse you self-righteous pricks.