tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2546602206734889307.post6126694920144597279..comments2024-03-29T12:16:15.785+00:00Comments on mainly macro: Triangulation, Miliband and InequalityMainly Macrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09984575852247982901noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2546602206734889307.post-27708021143656313812014-06-28T21:17:49.513+00:002014-06-28T21:17:49.513+00:00Obama's rates are sinking because more and mor...Obama's rates are sinking because more and more people doubt his competence (his pet projects/main policies hardly seem successful in the eyes of an increasing no of people).<br />Hard to see if his ideas on equality are a positive or a negative, but it looks like increasingly more people are not buying he wants and will pull that off.<br />Most Europeans are a few years behind the Mericans with their views on Obama, Simon probably one of them.<br />As I see it he looked something new when the voter market desperately looked for that, likeable, and a convincing speaker. On top of that media the ones relevant for his support were hardly overcritical on him.<br />He didnot have the executive talent and apparently not the stuff to pick that up while in the job and 8 years is simply way too long (especially in a time of turmoil).<br /><br />Milliband is no Obama. Not something new, nerdy/academic, not likeable, flip flop first class.<br />Simply a political turd.<br /><br />Hardly matters which issues he champions he looks simply in no way the guy that can pull it off (in the eyes of the average voter).<br />He is moving all over the place and changing views by the week.<br />Hard to see he could credibly put inequality credibily on the political agenda.<br /><br />From there.<br />-Labour somewhere will have to replace him. Simply the chance that this will come good are marginal.<br />-Party is open to attacks. By IP for the social conservative Labour voter who feels dysenfranchised (and the are alot of them). A direct and current problem.<br />'Longer term a split look a great danger (entitlement seekers vs traditional workers )now often semi/middleclassed and under pressure). <br />But there are no potential successors with potential vailable and it looks too late for the next general election anyway.<br /><br />So in a nutshell specific policies hardly matter in the present situation. It looks pretty hopeless and the only thing that can save them is Cameron continuing making mistakes visavis his voterbase. Which as we all know is a realistic possibility.<br />Longer term Labour will have to rethink not on specific policies but more on aan appealing leader and the general direction )how to avoid the party splitting or see a mass outflow to IP or other populists. Riknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2546602206734889307.post-7240664602870494242014-06-24T19:58:18.617+00:002014-06-24T19:58:18.617+00:00You pose the interesting question: "So why do...You pose the interesting question: "So why does Miliband not follow Obama and put inequality centre stage?" If this is a good strategy, why, then, are Obama's ratings sinking? I am not sure at all that inequality has proven to be an effective political tool -- regardless of the legitimacy of the issue -- and Obama himself seems to have moved away from it.<br />Tom Edsall<br />NYT Tom Edsallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04276559757858312948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2546602206734889307.post-28745898339189185262014-06-23T13:59:55.560+00:002014-06-23T13:59:55.560+00:00If I remember rightly, Callaghan was more popular ...If I remember rightly, Callaghan was more popular than Thatcher in 1979 polls on leadership qualities, and Thatcher only had a few Falklands months in her eleven years in which she topped 50% support for her personal premiership. <br /><br />In Jun 15 'Disciplined Democrats' Krugman said that "In fact, it’s the Republicans who desperately need a hero. In retrospect, they needed W much more than they realized: he combined policy fealty to the plutocrats with a personal manner that appealed to the base, in a way no Republican now manages."<br /><br />The Tories haven't won an election since 1992 and a sizeable win since 1987. <br /><br />Miliband needs, like the LibDems, to go against the Murdochisation of the UK, and ditto when the Daily Mail has naked members of the cast of Glee in the sidebar next to their online report of Margaret Thatcher's funeral, a proper leader needs to think beyond the confused exigencies of short-term hacks.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com