Be assured that Dr. M Falzon and the rest will back Joseph.
After the election of the 2 Deputy Leaders and New Adminstration we are to witness a new political structure that would be then envy of the opposite camp.

Today at 8.30pm the New Leader is to be interviewed on Smash TV and Joseph would certainly gives you a picture that would clear your smoke.

You really don’t have a clue do you? If you rather we have a one party democracy then lejber have certainly done a good job at prolonging the status quo.

@Mary Borg

“the mythical valid opposition” You have a point! In Malta it is fast becoming a myth!

Again you say that using the term acolyte to describe Muscat should not be considered mud slinging. Again I partially agree if the word is used in the loosest way possible (both ‘acolyte’ and ‘disciple’ have some strong religious connotations and religion, in my honest opinion, is not always very rational). But I must point to you that acolyte and poodle have very different connotations. An acolyte decides to follow (or attend to) his master by choice. A poodle never chooses his master. Moreover the poodle is a dog which lacks any bite when on his own. Its just there for show. So using Poodle to describe Muscat’s relationship with Sant is implying that Muscat cannot stand on his own two feet and will need Sant’s guidance in the future to function. I fell that is mudslinging.

If I had to pick a term it would be ‘pupil’.

As to the referring to Sant as a hero I (mistakenly) presumed that you find no objection to the word being used to refer to a politician since you used it to describe Sant. If you were referring to what Labourites say about Sant I fail to see how this in any way relates to me and to the scope of our discussion. I guess you were using our discussion to get at the Labourites who might happen to be reading.

In closing I find it strange how you skirted around the whole point of my original post (the origins of the term poodle and the tactics utilized by the PN machine to assassinate characters) and found it more pertinent to discuss semantics.

Ths honey moon for gonzi is over – if GA was elected then you might have had it paid for by labour but i guess he wasn’t the right one…

As I said, you measure everybody by your own (rather short) yardstick!

Wake up and smell the coffee boy! PN have a five year honeymoon paid for by leiber.

Oh Lord why, WHY can’t we have a valid opposition?

Look at your last word, and the answer is partly there.

As far as I’m concerned poodle is just a deprecatory term for alcolyte, which is probably the best term. Whether one uses the technical word or the deprecatory one is not the main issue. I’m just surprised how suddenly being called Sant’s alcolyte is termed as mud slinging. I mean, if the term was applied to me it would certainly be mudslinging, (a) because it would be untrue (b) because I have no respect for the man at all, only contempt. But since when is it mud-slinging for a prominent labourite to be referred to as Sant’s alcolyte?

With regard to your comment about heroes, I’m not sure what you mean when you say you know where I’m coming from. I’m not one of ‘some people’ you refer to, but I’d say the majority of MLP supporters ARE, and until three months ago he WAS their hero. Ever since Mintoff, just like its sister parties behind both the iron and bamboo curtains, labour has subscribed to the leader cult mentality, and it would appear the new cult is starting.

You wonder if Muscat will consider Sant as presidential material? I have no idea. I certainly wouldn’t!

And to be honest I doubt if it is something he is thinking of right now. Before becoming prime minister he needs to do a number of things, foremost among them rescuing the MLP from bankruptcy and building an administration that can put together an electoral program & campaign which needs to be a sight better than the last one. And the two problems are related. I get the impression that labour is run by a mixture of paid amateurs and unpaid volunteers, and it clearly needs paid professionals.

Even then, I’m not sure he can pull a victory off, because he brings anti-EU baggage with him that can be easily targeted, as well as his youth and general lack of experience. I suppose if he DOES turn the MLP round he will be able to cite that as an example of his skill, but we’ll just have to wait and see. I’d love to hear what his former employer Alfred Mifsud thinks about that!

And although quite a bit older than Muscat, Gonzi won’t be a doddering old man at the next election. So I wouldn’t imagine for one minute that the biggest hurdle on the way to his becoming PM is the one he has just got past, its the smallest by far.

If he DOES eventually make it as prime minister, I think making Sant president will be an example of why he SHOULDN’T be prime minister. Remember, Sant is the man for whom the result of the referendum (a majority of the population) meant nothing, and a man who the population rejected 4 times, referendum included. It hardly makes sense for Muscat to impose him on us, it would seem to be a huge error of judgement, and if it is the sort of error in judgement he is prone to making, then I can’t see him getting into a position to make that decision!

@curious

In the first round, Gonzi got 59.1%, Dalli 25.4% and Galea 15.5% Dalli decided not to contest in the second round.

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2004/02/29/top_story.html

Gonzi offered him the most senior ministerial portfolio after that of PM, ie the foriegn ministry.