Many pundits will be speculating on whether the new alliance between KDC and the Mana Party will gain any traction at the election in September. In many ways we are entering into new territory. Without a doubt the big man has an ‘allure,’ (as that lady on Miranda says so often!) but to who? If one believes what the more optimistic of his supporters purport, then he should see his ‘minions’ ensconced in Parliament in numbers only dreamed of by other struggling fringe parties.
Perhaps they are missing an important point; those so-called supporters may only exist in the ‘cloud’ that is the internet. Maybe I am making the mistake of assuming that the typical supporter of the KDC party is a nerdy backroom or bedroom enthusiast who spends his (mainly ‘his’) time on the net and interacts with the world via avatars and fictitious characters when he is not trying to hack into an American arms network be involved or some other spurious online activity. OK, that is a terrible exaggeration, but it was fun to make. That’s my point: How serious are these ‘supporters’ and how much effort are they going to put in to the actual campaign and getting people out to vote in the real world.
Wow, I expect at least some sort of reaction to my burble and I suspect that once people start to realize that now Hone Harawira has the money behind him in the form of KDC (Who himself cannot stand as he does not qualify under the rules) things may take a turn for the more traditional pathway for the candidates. IF KDC can attract real voters and get the ball rolling and all the indications are there that he is going to throw money at the battle, then we are in for one of the most ‘interesting’ campaigns in NZ’s political history.
Of course there will be and has been casualties, the most obvious -----Sue Bradford, who is well known for her straight talking and honest political demeanour. She will not be the last as others within Mana find the marriage of political convenience is one that just does not stand up to their heart-felt values systems. In the long run the alliance is one that will not stand the test of time and once a ‘divide’ is felt, it will gather momentum, leaving both parties stranded in the political ‘bad lands,’ as voters struggle to make sense of this unholy union. Watch this space, as it may be filled with intrigue and backroom battles as the two main protagonists try to smooth over the cracks that have already appeared. A war is not won by one battle.
www.authorneilcoleman.com
