Back in 1992, the British comedian Ben Elton lampooned the (then) current government by displaying a rack full of identical grey suits. The government were, he claimed, "suits full of bugger all" – carbon copy, grey, uninspiring, unmemorable.
Four Candidates have so far thrown their hats into the ring in the current delegate election in The North Pacific inspired, perhaps, by the fact that popular incumbent is prevented from running for an additional term. The candidates are: Romanoffia, Kiwi, Mall and Lennart.
Of the four, Mall stands out as distinctive. He is the Lutz candidate, standing on the platform of turning rogue, propped up by raider support and making the NPA a purely raider force. Current opinion in TNP is that Mall is unelectable on this current platform. A vote for Mall would be fun, but wasted. There is nothing much to add, apart from the worrying observation that the current deputy minister of defence, Gladio, has expressed “full support” for this platform. Hmmmm.
So let us turn to the other three candidates.
Of course, all the candidates would like to think of themselves as standing out from the pack. As Lennart says in his campaign thread, “But what I'm offering is something completely different”. But do any of them actually stand out? Careful reading of all three campaign threads show a lot of platitude, but little substance. All three are careful to position themselves in the centre ground, but make few specific promises and keep the ideology to the minimum.
Let’s examine two of the key issues in this election to see whether there is anything to distinguish the candidates:
Hanging on to the coat-tails of McMasterdonia.
Most of the candidates are keen to emphasise their appreciation of Mcmasterdonia, and their continuity from his tenure.
On IRC, Kiwi gave frankly the reason why candidates are keen to present themselves as the successor to McMasterdonia:
It tends to be a truism that the visionary is succeeded by the bland. Thatcher was followed by Major, Reagan by Bush, Fergusson by Moyes. Blair gave way to Brown, Chrétien to Martin. As the British political commentator Jonathan Freedland comments “it is all but impossible for one star to follow another.” It is therefore perhaps the greatest tribute that could be paid to McMasterdonia’s term in office that those seeking to follow him seem content to occupy his long shadow.
Miliary Policy
Another big issue in this election is military policy, following recent criticism of the NPA’s leadership and policy. Is there anything to distinguish the candidates on future military policy? With the exception of Mall, not really. Again, they all claim to occupy a centre ground, which they perceive as popular with the electorate.
When asked on IRC whether he felt that the NPA at the moment was currently occupying that centre ground, Kiwi was clear:
Perhaps the clearest indicator as to whether the centrist aim will be seen out in practice in the next delegacy comes in the candidate’s preference for the key role of Minister of Defence.
Roman: Allies himself squarely with Blue Wolf’s Tyr's hand party. Wants to keep the current cabinet, so for now Blue Wolf would be Minister of Defence.
Lennart: Supports Tyr’s Hand policies. Would like McMasterdonia in defence.
Kiwi: Distances himself from party politics. Would like to have McM as minister of Defence, or Blue Wolf/Gladio in charge, "giv(ing) our leading Generals a bit more power to authorise missions."
So … who should we vote for?
In conclusion, There have been past TNP elections when there has been a clear and sharp choice between different ideologies. This election feels different, with each of the mainstream candidates seeking to occupy the middle ground, emphasise continuity, and make noises that accord with the prevailing regional sentiment.
It may be the best way to get elected in TNP at the moment, but is it the sort of visionary leadership TNP needs right now? Older hands can remember when the choice of Feeder was a choice of clear ideological preference. Now, you may as well put on a blindfold and stick a pin in. the same feels the case in the current TNP election.
So who should you vote for? Vote for Roman and you will get long quirky posts, Kiwi will probably give you the most balanced government, but does he have the cojones to stand up to the powerful lobbies in the region? Lennart promises most in the way of continuity, but is relatively inexperienced in government. .
One thing is clear. This commentator knows what the theme tune of the election will be. It can be no other than “No matter who you vote for, the government always gets in” By the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Listen and enjoy:
Four Candidates have so far thrown their hats into the ring in the current delegate election in The North Pacific inspired, perhaps, by the fact that popular incumbent is prevented from running for an additional term. The candidates are: Romanoffia, Kiwi, Mall and Lennart.
Of the four, Mall stands out as distinctive. He is the Lutz candidate, standing on the platform of turning rogue, propped up by raider support and making the NPA a purely raider force. Current opinion in TNP is that Mall is unelectable on this current platform. A vote for Mall would be fun, but wasted. There is nothing much to add, apart from the worrying observation that the current deputy minister of defence, Gladio, has expressed “full support” for this platform. Hmmmm.
So let us turn to the other three candidates.
Of course, all the candidates would like to think of themselves as standing out from the pack. As Lennart says in his campaign thread, “But what I'm offering is something completely different”. But do any of them actually stand out? Careful reading of all three campaign threads show a lot of platitude, but little substance. All three are careful to position themselves in the centre ground, but make few specific promises and keep the ideology to the minimum.
Let’s examine two of the key issues in this election to see whether there is anything to distinguish the candidates:
Hanging on to the coat-tails of McMasterdonia.
Most of the candidates are keen to emphasise their appreciation of Mcmasterdonia, and their continuity from his tenure.
Lennart:
Kiwi:
Romanoffia:
On IRC, Kiwi gave frankly the reason why candidates are keen to present themselves as the successor to McMasterdonia:
Kiwi:
It tends to be a truism that the visionary is succeeded by the bland. Thatcher was followed by Major, Reagan by Bush, Fergusson by Moyes. Blair gave way to Brown, Chrétien to Martin. As the British political commentator Jonathan Freedland comments “it is all but impossible for one star to follow another.” It is therefore perhaps the greatest tribute that could be paid to McMasterdonia’s term in office that those seeking to follow him seem content to occupy his long shadow.
Miliary Policy
Another big issue in this election is military policy, following recent criticism of the NPA’s leadership and policy. Is there anything to distinguish the candidates on future military policy? With the exception of Mall, not really. Again, they all claim to occupy a centre ground, which they perceive as popular with the electorate.
Lennart:
Romanoffia:
Kiwi:
When asked on IRC whether he felt that the NPA at the moment was currently occupying that centre ground, Kiwi was clear:
Kiwi:
Perhaps the clearest indicator as to whether the centrist aim will be seen out in practice in the next delegacy comes in the candidate’s preference for the key role of Minister of Defence.
Roman: Allies himself squarely with Blue Wolf’s Tyr's hand party. Wants to keep the current cabinet, so for now Blue Wolf would be Minister of Defence.
Lennart: Supports Tyr’s Hand policies. Would like McMasterdonia in defence.
Kiwi: Distances himself from party politics. Would like to have McM as minister of Defence, or Blue Wolf/Gladio in charge, "giv(ing) our leading Generals a bit more power to authorise missions."
So … who should we vote for?
In conclusion, There have been past TNP elections when there has been a clear and sharp choice between different ideologies. This election feels different, with each of the mainstream candidates seeking to occupy the middle ground, emphasise continuity, and make noises that accord with the prevailing regional sentiment.
It may be the best way to get elected in TNP at the moment, but is it the sort of visionary leadership TNP needs right now? Older hands can remember when the choice of Feeder was a choice of clear ideological preference. Now, you may as well put on a blindfold and stick a pin in. the same feels the case in the current TNP election.
So who should you vote for? Vote for Roman and you will get long quirky posts, Kiwi will probably give you the most balanced government, but does he have the cojones to stand up to the powerful lobbies in the region? Lennart promises most in the way of continuity, but is relatively inexperienced in government. .
One thing is clear. This commentator knows what the theme tune of the election will be. It can be no other than “No matter who you vote for, the government always gets in” By the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Listen and enjoy:
heigh-ho, don’t worry, nobody can win
No matter who you vote for, the government always gets in.
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjJLTslWp_Q[/video]
No matter who you vote for, the government always gets in.
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjJLTslWp_Q[/video]
I don't see how cows are relevant..
