It struck me today, ploughing through Australian news, just how an election campaign is starting to resemble a blockbuster cinema production. I’m not sure how many helicopters will be destroyed in the current election campaign here. Car chases wrecks dominate the news anyway, so I’ll let them pass.
The big issue is the huge amounts of ‘our’ cash suddenly come available to buy ‘our’ votes. We are talking tens of billions of dollars, although a close analysis shows a lot of smoke and mirrors and little substance.
I know I won't win prizes for graphic design, but if you want to see a bigger version go here.
4 comments:
I'm sick of all the "production values" in politics. But people keep saying how they hate the phoniness of politics, how they hate the negative campaigning and the negative ads - and yet they respond to them. They work. Which is why we have them.
The fault for all of this stuff lies with the morons in the electorate who respond to the negativity and bullshit.
RBE, further down I had a post reflecting the Springfield (Simpsons) electorate mentality.
I'm not sure I am capable of running campaign anymore. The vital issues just don't translate into the crap people want. The blockbuster mentality rules :(
Though it's hard to stop a determined government from spending money in the run up to an election, there is nothing that prevents a nation from shortening the campaign season. Britain seems to be pretty good at this. The US, obviously, has taken campaigning to a new, absurd extreme. And Australia seems to be following the US' lead
One wonders if this would make a difference.
kvatch, Howard has been the master of the short, surprise election campaign. This time the elevation of Rudd to the opposition leadership early this years kick started the process very early.
On the spending side both major contestants are in a bind. The country is awash with money, but actually releasing it now threatens to push up inflation.
So instead we are getting a lot of fake spending programs, billions invested so that urgent issues like health an education upgrades can benefit over time from interest payments. Bullshit in action or inaction.
Mind you, there is still a fair bit of cash being thrown at potential vote blocks.
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