Watching our leaders debate last night made me think about Barack Obama! The leaders of our two biggest parties seem tired, boring and self-interested. Their shortcomings highlighted by any comparison with BO. They may both be effective managers, but even before this current global melt-down, I think NZ needed more than just effective management. Both Clarke and Keys fail to convey any sense of engaging emotion. They just say it.
For Helen, she’s saying “trust me”. OK, well the more you say that the more I begin to wonder. Someone please tell Helen that saying ‘you can trust me” doesn’t doesn’t mean people will trust you. While she is credible and reliable as I leader, she doesn’t connect emotionally and she and John look self-interested in just winning the election. They don’t seem authentic or principled. They will say what it takes to win.
On winning.
If I was John, I’d try and use Labour’s trust-me message against them. For instance say “Helen is asking NZ to trust her to make decisions for them – I and National, trust NZ to make the right decisions for themselves”.
As for Keys. He wants NZ to be more aspirational. Well, he could start with one himself. What is his aspiration for NZ? Beyond the platitudes about crime, the OECD ladder, etc. If I was Helen, I’d be articulating a compelling vision. I suspect they have one but don’t communicate it well.
So where’s NZ’s BO? I suspect he/she is more likely to come from the Maori or Green parties. Many of their leaders seem real and principled. Will these parties one day challenge the dominance of Labour and National?
