Simon Bridges has been the subject of a lot of attention from the government, and most of it has been particularly disrespectful. While I am of the opinion that any publicity is good for Simon’s profile, there is definitely a real nastiness to it. From the Greens’ nasty attack video mocking his accent, to the Maori Council now demanding an apology for him calling Jacinda a part-time prime minister, to the great Oscar Kightley saying he was especially disrespectful to a hard-working prime minister (haha), Simon is being attacked from all sides. Yes, there is the view that he must be gaining some traction if he is being hit by the left all the time, but unfortunately, there is probably more to it than that.
The Green Party has been quick to apologise and delete their attack advertisement mocking National leader Simon Bridges, not only for his environmental policies, but also for his accent. But what led the party to make such an ad in the first place? The ad is an example of the global phenomenon of “sneer politics”, in which it’s fashionable for liberal elites to admonish and ridicule the ordinariness and ‘uncouth’ elements of political opponents.
I find it particularly ironic that the Greens think that they can sneer at others when Marama’s biggest claim to fame at the moment is reclaiming the ‘C’ word. That is about as uncouth as it gets… but it is always okay if the left does it.
It’s very fashionable in metropolitan and liberal circles to sneer at political leaders considered to be déclassé. The likes of Donald Trump and Boris Johnson are ridiculed not just for their reactionary politics, but also for their rather vulgar or even “common” styles and personalities. We call them “clowns”.
Boris Johnson, Eton and Oxford scholar (former president of the Oxford Union) and Donald Trump, billionaire, would not fall into the category of people that we would normally consider uncouth. Johnson deliberately cultivates his bumbling persona. Alexander Boris Johnson is no clown.
Everywhere, such sneering has helped to widen the gap between liberal elites and the masses who feel belittled and patronised. In Britain, where Brexit voters have been painted as reactionaries and ignorant, the polarisation has simply become further entrenched.
New Zealand has its own version of this arrogance, and it’s often seen on the left of politics, especially in more affluent and educated circles. The Greens have come to epitomise this phenomenon as a liberal and middle-class party.
RNZ
It’s no surprise that the party thought it was very smart to produce a video mocking Simon Bridges – not only for his allegedly backward views on climate change – but for his broad accent. And it was apt that the video was made for Twitter – a platform well known for its liberal sneering political discourse.
Of course, the video actually fell flat and even Green Party supporters thought it went too far, leading to it being deleted and Green leaders giving some half-hearted apologies.
But even last weekend, in the midst of the Green Party conference, James Shaw continued the sneering, with his comment stating “I would never empower someone with as little personal integrity as Simon Bridges to become Prime Minister”. That is yet another particularly nasty attack on an elected member of the house, by a Green Party MP who has never been elected, but sees himself as vastly superior to Bridges because he believes in the great climate change myth.
As did the Democrats in the USA in 2016… as do Labour in the UK towards those who voted for Brexit.
It isn’t just the Greens though. The attack on Simon Bridges might be the worst example so far, but don’t forget the sneering mantra “Nine years of neglect” to a government that had to deal with the GFC, two Christchurch earthquakes and then the Kaikoura earthquake in their time in government. You could forgive them if a few things did get overlooked, but they did far better than this government so far, with their ability to only talk about doing things rather than actually do them. Don’t forget David Parker’s comment to Judith Collins about her ‘sleeping in a crypt’ either. Labour can sneer just as well as the rest of them.
The thing is that sneering doesn’t work. Seeing themselves as having the moral high ground will probably cost the Greens some of their support. After all, you only have to think of Hilary Clinton’s ‘deplorables’ comment to realise how sneering can alienate voters. Some of those ‘deplorables’ might have been considering voting for Hilary until she showed her true colours. The moral high ground can be a lonely place, as so many liberal elites are now finding out.
Let’s just hope that the Greens find that out too, next year.