The Whaleoil blog used to have a running gag with the tag line “It’s OK when Labour do it.” They even had a T-Shirt in their Merchandise Store with the slogan on it. Yesterday morning a reader e-mailed me a link to a National Cheerleading Blog that balanced my article about Spotty McSpotface with one that spun all the reasons why it is OK for National to do stupid things such as choosing a child as a National party candidate.
When the Green Party selected baby faced Chloe Swarbrick her lack of experience due to her age was widely mocked by National Party supporters, but apparently it is OK when National do it.
When the Labour Party made an ex fish n chip wrapper their leader her lack of non political work experience in the real world was mocked and derided, but it is ok to select a candidate who has never held down a full-time job (much less a part-time job wrapping fush n chups) because it is ok when National do it.
If we take a look through blue-tinted glasses at the selection of a 17-year-old boy who doesn’t even shave yet this is how you spin it so that it is OK when National does it.
Now this wasn’t some tokenistic gesture where Wood was selected in a seat that no-one else wanted.
Really? Cause that is EXACTLY what it looks like. Methinks the National Party Cheerleader doth protest too much.
Wood defeated National’s 2017 candidate Adrienne Pierce, newcomer Ava Neal, and sitting National MP Jo Hayes to secure the party’s nomination.
He beat three other candidates including a List MP and the 2017 candidate. That’s deeply impressive for anyone to do, let alone a 17 year old.[…]
And he won on the 1st round meaning he got more votes than the other three candidates combined.
If an inexperienced wet behind the ears 17-year-old was able to beat them so easily (in the first round) perhaps (just perhaps) it reflects really badly on the quality of the three adult candidates opposing him. Seriously, how bad do you have to be to be beaten by a puppy?
He wasn’t selected because he was 17. He was selected because local delegates backed him.
William may be young on life experience, but he has certainly done a lot to date. His record includes:
- only person selected two years in a row to represent New Zealand at the Evatt Diplomacy Competition in Australia
- selected as the top debater for Super Eight Schools Competition
- placed nationally at the United Nations Association of New Zealand speech competition
- Youth MP for Rangitikei
- member of the Palmerston North Youth Council
- representative on the PNCC’s Creative Communities Committee
- School’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Secretary General
- received a Manawatu District Council Recognition of Achievement
- founder of the Manawatu Schools Debating Competition
Dear readers, ultimately it is up to you all to decide. I have presented you with the Spotty McSpotface spin on the story and the National Cheerleading Blog has presented you with their spin where they turn 17-year-old straw into gold. Somewhere in the middle is the objective truth.