Self-assured, self-confident leaders in true democracies campaign on a couple of wooden pallets
I’m all for the British approach to the hustings and literally cannot stand the autocratic, distancing use of props like mobile white podiums, which are used only by those who – like Joseph Muscat – have no real understanding of the natural democratic spirit and who have little true self-confidence either.
That white podium showed him to be an insecure man who is not at ease in his own body and with little faith in his ability to speak naturally, honestly and in a straightforward manner.
But people in Malta – always impressed by the wrong things, especially shows of material ostentation – just lapped it up.
If David Cameron were to go out with a mobile white podium and stand behind it in the street to speak to people at eye level, he would be laughed out of town, mocked, pilloried in the satirical newspapers and pelted with eggs.
A friend who was in England yesterday morning sent me this photograph with the following message:
Excuse the poor quality of this picture but it’s an actual photo of a paper I was reading this morning in the UK.
There’s the prime minister of one of the world’s leading economies, campaigning standing on a few pieces of wood – compare this to the various stages and PR stunts used by the prime minister of Malta.
Cameron is also spotted quite a few times on the tube , casually getting on with his business.
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http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/02/travels-with-my-podium/
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/02/have-you-noticed-that-the-portable-lecternpodium-stage-of-the-campaign-is-over/
While Joseph whizzes around town, sirens wailing.
http://i.imgur.com/qmZhkCW.jpg
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140524/local/voting-in-ep-elections-starts-leaders-cast-their-vote.520284
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140524/local/Split-level-.520312
Ahem.
But ours is closer to the people!
Height-wise, perhaps.
One can never ever compare Malta to Britain, the Scandinavian and other Northern European countries where true democracy flourishes.
He’s also spotted cycling. But when the cameras are gone he puts the bike in the boot of his Jag that was following him and gets a lift home.
I have come across the guy in the picture twice walking briskly down Whitehall towards Parliament Square.
On both occasions he was accompanied by what looked like a PA and followed by two, I repeat two, minders.
He looked incredibly relaxed and business-like .
It was so matter-of-fact I would have thought hardly anybody recognized him.
http://www.inewsmalta.com/UserFiles/image/ep_election_day_6.jpg
Michelle is very short, but I never imagined Joseph to be even shorter.
They hold hands but it is obvious there is little closeness.
This is what the PN should aim to be.
Ed Miliband still has to learn that status is two pallets high.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/shortcuts/2013/apr/30/ed-miliband-pallet-soapbox-politics
I know what you mean and I know who you are comparing him to. But in my opinion, you got it wrong this time. His country hates him, well some Tories too and then the rest. He can stand on a pallet all he likes – his people think he doesn’t even deserve that much. He’s hated – no playing with words here. They hate him.
Follow him on twitter. @David_Cameron.
Examples:
@OsFist: @David_Cameron you spelt it wrong, you gammon-faced twat!
@JLIsaacsJ: @David_Cameron At least spell it correctly you bellend.
@LyleD4D: @David_Cameron No, the clear message was for you to fuck off and die.
@HootayMcBoob: .@David_Cameron I want to see you dangle from the nearest lamp post you tory fuck!
@ranty_man: @David_Cameron fuck off dishface
And many more. He has zero chance making it at the next elections. His policies failed miserably on migration and job creation in particular. He’s anything but self-assured.
And I have many highly educated and professional contacts in UK and you can’t say it’s a matter of background, upbringing, education and so on. Simple fact is that he’s a massive loser. His only assurance is that he leads one of Europe’s most influential countries. That’s about it.
Of course people loathe him. While the country is facing a financial crisis, welfare budgets have been cut, new tax such as the extra-bedroom tax have been introduced, small businesses are struggling, and jobs are being lost; corporation have increased their profits and have been allowed to get away with tax evasion.
Cameron has many highly incompetent ministers in his cabinet (Michael Gove [education] is the worst one of all) and corruption is rife.
I’ve mentioned this before, but to me Muscat’s Labour bears many parallelisms with the current Tories.
Guardianspeak. Not “tax evasion” which is against the law but “tax avoidance” which is legal as it works around current complex tax legislation.
Drood: don’t play semantics.
Lilliput syndrome – fish in a small and confined aquarium leads to huge egos and megalomanias.
Ah but we are more European than the Europeans. We need podiums, teleprompters, police on bikes/cars with sirens blaring out loud for people to get out of the way of his majesty the Prime Minister or his other ministers who are always in such a hurry to get to their destination, because you know in Malta it takes hours to get wherever.
A word of advice to the Prime Minister, if I may, although I an no consultant of his, do try and be natural, get that smirk of self-satisfaction off your face and come down to earth when you are addressing people. Also do stop passing snide remarks against your opponents – it is not at all amusing.
Daphne, tend to agree…of course no one beats us for the pomp, cosmetics, pageantry, bluff, & etc..but dread to think what would happen to Cameron’s baubles if that wooden pallet gave under his weight…could be quite nasty.
Cameron has this habit of playing ‘Mr Cool’ It’s populism the English way which for the Brits is as irritating as Muscat is to the ‘other Malta’.
While Malta has “ghajjtuli Joseph”, Britain has its “call me Dave”
The Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, even plays (piano?) with an Ottawa band, Herringbone, at times.
He’s also written a book about the Toronto Maple Leafs, the hockey team he avidly supports.
The last thing he would do is cart around a portable white podium. He does care about his personal appearance though and employs a personal stylist (paid by his party not government.)
To be fair, these seemingly impromptu appearances by UK politicians tend to be minutely stage managed. It is the political equivalent to Nigella’s recent ‘No Make Up’ look on Vogue – the more it looks natural and spontaneous, the more it is fabricated.
Not us. We go through the streets sirens wailing and mowing people down.
No wonder Joseph Muscat has it so easy: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140524/local/24-000-are-unable-to-read-and-write.520292
This report is about people who are totally illiterate. The most dangerous part of society is made up of the semi-literate, some of whom are university graduates in high positions.
Cameron doesn’t do public meetings. He does walkabouts on election days and hops on makeshift platforms to receive the adulation of devoted candidates and activists.
But Pollyannas are unfailingly impressed.
Is it a typical Mintoffian mindset to deliberately miss the point? You’re no admirer of Muscat. Surely you can see that his posturing on a podium is absurd – that, not Cameron’s photo, is the point of Cameron’s photo.
Point long taken, La Redoute. It’s you who’s missing the point. How can you use a baffoon’s comic act to justify ridiculing Muscat’s pomposity?