Who is that other bloke?
November 14th, 2010 at 3:00 pm by David FarrarOh dear. Phil Goff was interviewed by Susan Wood on Friday night at around 6.25 pm, and they were talking about Kris Faafoi’s campaign in Mana.
Susan asserted that no one in Mana knew what the Labour candidate looked like, and Phil responded that he had been in Mana with Kris the day before, and that everyone had recognised Kris, that in fact they were wondering who the other bloke was.
Classic.
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November 14th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
what a stupid thing to say from a lifetime politician and leader of a major political party and someone who wants to be PM
Vote:November 14th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Here is the link to the interview http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/podcasts/audio/12183137.mp3
Vote:November 14th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
“Oh dear”?
Bloody good answer I thought.
Certain to be appreciated more by real people than some PC campaign-speak.
Vote:November 14th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Hey Jaba! Lighten up! It was funny! And, no, I’m no Labour supporter, or – perish the thought – voter, but I can appreciate a bit of humorous irony when I hear it.
However, if you want to get seriously analytical – maybe ol’ Phl is learning from John-boy that people relate positively to a bit of down-home humility.
Vote:November 14th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Akaroa .. I have heard that line used before .. fairly recently but just can’t remember who said it. Key is constantly having light hearted moments and even suggested his wife would look like a hobbit next to Michel Obama. The opposition constantly slag him off over his humour attempts so payback time. The thing is, Goff was probably not joking as he has admitted that he needs to get out and get the public to get to know him. Might pay to stay home.
Vote:November 14th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Who is this Goof of whom you speak?
Vote:November 14th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
Certainly left room open for some spin. But not really exciting from where I’m sitting – it was a humorous answer to a stupid question.
Vote:November 14th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
The question is not stupid at all. Labour has put an outsider into a by-election but Goff batted it away with an old joke. This is one of Labour’s safest seats. If they lose then Goff is a gone-burger. Or is that McDonalds. McCarten is up to something, he wants to push Labour left and is deliberately acting as a spoiler.
Vote:November 14th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
I was more surprised that Faafoi had the cheek to attack Matt McCarten for not being local on the Nation.
http://www.3news.co.nz/The-Battle-for-Mana/tabid/1356/articleID/186123/Default.aspx
At the 7.25 mark he says – “If you put your name in at the last minute and run on three issues, and you’re not local. Ahhh you know, people are gonna be a bit cynical about that.”
Vote:November 14th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
And the pathetic thing is that an absolute outsider like Faafoi has had star treatment in the local media while Colin du Plessis the only true local resident (12 years in fact) has been ignored totally. How the hell can democracy flourish when a candidate like myself cannot even get his views across.
Vote:I am have international business exprience and I am a published scientist. On top of that I am an immigrant made good. I came here with very little 12 years ago, worked my butt off and made a success of myself. All of this is newsworthy and inspirational-but my media profile has been zilch.
So what have I done-I have gone door to door and met with as many locals as any one man can. I have printed my own flyers, designed and errected my own billboards. Delivered flyers day and night. “Working for Mana Chris???”-Colin du Plessis is the one that is really “working for Mana” I have been woking like HECK HERE for 12 years not just in the last three weeks!!!
Vote Colin du Plessis for Mana, “of course I care…I live here”
November 14th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
I see Fa’afoi is still manufacturing the same brilliantly effective attack lines he used to feed his Leader, only now he’s using them himself. If there’s any justice in the world, he’ll meet the same fate – obscurity.
I don’t have time to watch the interview but hopefully Matt (if he was there) came back with “If you get levered in because your mates in the Leader’s office heavy the locals and you don’t actually have any issues, because that would require some principles, and the only drum you’ve got to bang is that you’re local – even if it means making stuff up about McDonalds – then, ahhh. people are gonna be a bit cynical about that”.
Vote:November 14th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Good on you, Colin. Had I lived in Mana you would’ve secured my vote.
Give up on the lame main stream media. They are hopelessly pro-Labour and will root for the carpetbagger Faafoi until the very last day. The socialist brotherhood (akin to the mafia) at work.
Vote:November 14th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Mrs Goff often asks the same question…
Vote:November 14th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
I agree with Manolo regarding the MSM…their investigative journalism does not extend much beyond “If it’s wet outside, it must be raining” other than that it’s pretty much what they can cut and paste from the international journals.
Vote:November 14th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Nice to see a bit of self-effacing humour from Goff. A bit close to home, perhaps.
Vote:November 14th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
The original joke related to the Pope.
Vote:Who is that other guy on the balcony?
November 14th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Posted this on the Stranded
Vote:If you’re political, your opinion doesn’t count
Not in Mana it don’t.
The by-election has 7 candidates
3 Left 1 centre 2 Right and one single issue
Left
Kris Faafoi -the lightweight token PI annointed by Phil Goff (the clear favourite by a country mile)
Matt McCarten -the feisty union official campaigning for traditional Left values
Jan Logie -the giggling flaky watermelon (outside green but red inside)
Centre
Hekia Parata – the Maori from Ruatoria who refuses to accept being brown or poor dooms you to failure. Hopefully she will be given a 365 day work trial as MP for Mana
Right
Colin du Plessis- the bumbling foot in mouth ACT refugee from SA
Sean Fitzpatrick- the fundamentalist but actually likeable Martial arts teacher
and the Cannabis guy.
All openly believe in their cause and nail their colours to the mast.
You are defending the deceivers who masqerade as independant commentators when they are in fact committed Lefist agitators. You are only annoyed that they are found out so often.
November 15th, 2010 at 4:39 am
Colin
Its great that you’re putting in all this effort and you’ll probably double or even triple the ACT vote from 08. The reality is this is a very safe Labour seat – one of Labour’s safest. It wont matter that Faafoi is a carpetbagger. Labour have been doing this for years and getting away with it. McCarten will force Labour to spend resources and time in the electorate and push Faafoi hard and Mmmatt will surely eat into Laban’s 08 majority but Faafoi will still win easily. As for Parata she will outperform the 08 Nat candidate but candidates for the governing party have never won a by-election in a seat traditionally held by their rival party and despite National’s good polling nationally, it wont happen here.
By-elections have caused upsets for 3rd parties only 3 times in NZ political history (Bruce Beetham Rangatikei 1978, Gary Knapp East Coast Bays 1980 and Winston Peters Tauranga 1993) but a lot of stars have to be aligned and in each case the third party concerned (Social Credit and NZ 1st) were shut out of Parliament by 1st past the post and the by-election gave local voters the chance to right the imbalance. Also all 3 men were excellent high profile retail politicians and were party leaders or deputy leaders. You’re runnning for a very small minor party that has just come off a couple of high profile negative stories about the party that has depressed its poll rating (Garrett’s eventual disclosure of a wierd crime and his subsequent resignation and Roy’s attempted coup and demotion) so you’re carrying their electoral baggage no matter how compelling your personal story.
The media will ignore you because you’re from the right and you dont have a chance of even coming close to winning- its just how the game is played so don’t take it personally.
Vote:November 15th, 2010 at 9:05 am
@ kiwi in america Thanks for your considered and balanced view. As regards the negative publicity ACT has had. That has hardly been a feature of this campaign. It was mentioned once by the union guy and no one responded. The people of Mana largely don’t give a hoot about politics. There are members on this site that are of course well informed. Bur by an large most people don’t care. My point throughout this exercise is that there has been an obscene level of biass from the media.
Vote:In truth this is not about whether red or blue scores a morale-boosting victory in the lead-up to the general election. This is about Mana selecting the best possible local candidate who cares enough to represent my electorate in parliament. Parata is already in on the list and Fafooi (who incidentally is a lovely and rather naive young man) will not be able to connect with anyone.
You say ACT is a minor party-yet we are actively in parliament. Most of the positive momentum of this entire goverenment comes from ACT. So although the medai has had their say, I as a 12 year resident have a great deal to offer and have a very legitimate calim to my home seat. On the 20th vote Colin du Plessis for Mana, for a stronger more effective Key-lead government.
November 15th, 2010 at 9:28 am
Colin
Keep up your great efforts! Just remember the realities. Labour has selected literally dozens of useless, carpetbagging union (or union backed) hacks over the years who have easily won its safe seats regardless of their uselessness – Kris is a rather innocuous version of a hack. People are not mostly politically engaged but do catch glipses on the TV and radio news and glance at a newspaper. The vast majority of voters vote the same party every election – MMP has smoothed out the volatility associated with the swing of the 10-15% of people who are floating voters. ACT’s dramas got a lot of media play – the Garrett story was a big story bias or no bias. I’ve commented before on Garrett and having met him personally and spent a weekend in his presence at a conference in 2002 I knew then he was a ticking time bomb. Uninformed voters in Mana won’t raise him by name nor even have a sense of their impression of the party that they could verbalise to you on the campaign trail but it will be a broad stroke painted by the media coverage that will have an impact. Much as I have philosophical sympathy for some of ACTs policies I’m afraid it is a minor party compared to National and Labour. Their gladatorial contests will always draw the most media coverage because of their size, length of time on the NZ political scene and the fact that their MPs either run or ran the country.
Faafoi will win for all the reasons cited in my first post but I do believe your campaign will not be in vain. If anything if your results are well above the norm for a safe Labour seat your hard work may earn you a higher list spot. The rest is just the cold, harsh reality of the NZ political scene.
Vote:November 15th, 2010 at 9:54 am
^^^What MT_Tinman said.
Vote: