Nicole Cornes - do celebrity candidates devalue politics?

[redden whites]

Maybe every other candidate had some idea of what they were doing and who they were representing.If you are an endorsed candidate then to be able to handle questions on policy surely is not too much of an ask.Anyone in the media had any right to ask genuine questions on policy and the girl made a fool of herself and the result against her was straight out embarrassing but reflective of her capabilities.I imagine the people of Boothby who are Labor voters( who didnt change electorates like I did to avoid even having to see her name on the paper)were insulted by this candidate.
It takes a little more that getting your name in the 2nd back page of the Sunday Mail darling.

[Psyber]

Maybe every other candidate had some idea of what they were doing and who they were representing.If you are an endorsed candidate then to be able to handle questions on policy surely is not too much of an ask.Anyone in the media had any right to ask genuine questions on policy and the girl made a fool of herself and the result against her was straight out embarrassing but reflective of her capabilities.I imagine the people of Boothby who are Labor voters( who didnt change electorates like I did to avoid even having to see her name on the paper)were insulted by this candidate.
It takes a little more that getting your name in the 2nd back page of the Sunday Mail darling.

Yes I agree with you! The real blame of course lies with those who select these candidates...

[am Bays]

Bottom line, Nicole should have stayed in the kitchen making the cup 'o tea and getting the bikkies on the plate when Kevin came calling asking Graham to stand.....

[TroyGFC]

Labor should do its best to get Pick Me Ray McGee into party for next election, over 3000 vote as independent not a bad result.

[Hondo]

The first interview was a shocker no question .... they should never have released her to the media untrained like that it was a disaster

But whenever I heard her after that she was fine with the policy questions ... despite the very detailed (ie, heavily researched by interviewer before-hand) questioning designed to slip her up again

Did those who her knock her actually hear her interviews or attend any info sessions .... or have you just taken the media grabs as gospel?

Put it this way, how many times was Tony Zappia interviewed or articled by the media compared to Nicole (Zappia = successful candidate of Makin - well deserved)? How about the other 'celebrity' candidate Mia Hanschen? I never even heard her asked a question on Labor Policy or anything for that matter ..... and yet she almost unseated a high profile Minister of Parliament.

[bayman]

i refuse to vote for any 'celebrity' politicians no matter what side of politics they are on because they are there by name & not merit imho & thats why in my area i put jenny williams last on the list

[TroyGFC]

I actually went to Nicole's curbsite chats and at Blackwood and thought she went quite well, I agree with you Hondo that no other candidate went through the stuff she had too and also being the only person that is not a minister or canddate to be that was picked on by government and Chasers.

[mick]

Handshin and Zappia at least had an interest in politics prior to this election and at least in the case of Zappia membership of the ALP. Nicole had none of this background, she was a real newcomer. Why was she picked ? A cynical attempt by the ALP hierarchy to get a few extra votes with a "celebrity pretty face". If Nicole Cornes is fair dinkum, she shouldn't give up, she'll at least have credibility and experience if there's a next time.

[smac]

Experience at least Mick...

[redden whites]

Did those who her knock her actually hear her interviews or attend any info sessions .... or have you just taken the media grabs as gospel?

Yep I went to the Boothby"meet the candidates" forum at the Salvos hall opposite Marion Shopping Centre that was plugged by the local messenger.It was a 10 minute speech from the candidates followed by questions from the floor to which every candidate had the chance to respond. After the initial speeches ( yes Nicole read hers word for word.... when even the One Nation guy used prompt notes only and the lass from The Greens used nothing and Dr Southcott slayed em all hands down)the questions from the floor was basically hijacked by Chloe Fox(state ALP) who fired shots at the Family First guy(gay marriage) and the One Nation guy(immigration) in what was a very obvious ploy to defend any questions to Nicole without notice and wind down the clock so to speak.To have a full time Parliamentarian positioned at the other end of the hall was machine politics in the extreme(No similiar ploy by Liberals I will point out in fairness to them)When someone else got a question in it was directed at all candidates and the moderator decided that the order of answers would follow the order of the original speeches which was the reverse order of the last election results on a party lines.This gave Nicoles minders( 2 of which) time to scribble down answers on cards for her to respond with complete with the classical hand movements that would put a guy directing taxiing aeroplanes to the terminal to shame. The minor parties candidates had to do their answers pretty much off the cuff and Nicole got to read her pre prepared cards handed to her by the party minders. Once again Dr Southcott was there by himself sitting in the front row with the punters not the 2nd back row (I was right behind them in the back row) surrounded by party support staff ,I will again say in fairness to the other major party.
I left feeling totally embarassed to be a Party member and as I have stated before feeling the ALP had insulted the electorate and I feel they got what they totally deserved in this seat.Her non attendance at the ABC "mornings in the marginals" radio show the very day before the election said it all to me I'm afraid.Apparently there was an inteview on 5AA during the campaign which I cant comment about other than the pre agreed questions .I do not feel she got grilled to the extreme and as declared I am a party member .The best defence is often a well organised offence which the candidates in Makin and Sturt were capable of delivering with knowledge ,real passion and belief unlike Nicole Cornes representing the Labor Party in Boothby

[redden whites]

Handshin and Zappia at least had an interest in politics prior to this election and at least in the case of Zappia membership of the ALP. Nicole had none of this background, she was a real newcomer. Why was she picked ? A cynical attempt by the ALP hierarchy to get a few extra votes with a "celebrity pretty face". If Nicole Cornes is fair dinkum, she shouldn't give up, she'll at least have credibility and experience if there's a next time.

Mick, I know what you are up to and please stop it. Please I beg you no more encouragement have you not seen us cringe with embarrassment enough stop feeding out that rope please.

[redden whites]

Experience at least Mick...

Yep ..gotta pay that one.

[Hondo]

Fair enough RW - you saw her in person which is one step ahead of me (I'm in Hindmarsh). I followed her progress on the radio only.

FWIW the story with the ABC Radio show on the Friday before the Election was that she was advised by the ALP head to door knock the local area that morning instead. Maybe they would do it differently next time but it was partly driven by the ABC's approach to Nicole during the campaign plus the fact that she attended a Community meeting on the previous Wed night or so where Andrew Southcott simply didn't bother turning up despite saying he would. Every other candidate attended what was a meeting with the Community rather than the Fri morning meeting with the journos.

[redden whites]

Fair enough RW - you saw her in person which is one step ahead of me (I'm in Hindmarsh). I followed her progress on the radio only.

FWIW the story with the ABC Radio show on the Friday before the Election was that she was advised by the ALP head to door knock the local area that morning instead. Maybe they would do it differently next time but it was partly driven by the ABC's approach to Nicole during the campaign plus the fact that she attended a Community meeting on the previous Wed night or so where Andrew Southcott simply didn't bother turning up despite saying he would. Every other candidate attended what was a meeting with the Community rather than the Fri morning meeting with the journos.

Point taken but with an absentee booth actually in operation where the event was being held it did not look good.I would personally rather hear from a candidate responding to researched questions from a Journo than Mrs Jones complaining about graffiti or the likes at a community meeting though myself.I reckon Matt and Dave on 891 do a great show and plenty have copped heat from them from both sides .I cant help but think that hiding in the side streets door knocking was painting over the cracks of a shocking choice of candidate.

[mick]

Handshin and Zappia at least had an interest in politics prior to this election and at least in the case of Zappia membership of the ALP. Nicole had none of this background, she was a real newcomer. Why was she picked ? A cynical attempt by the ALP hierarchy to get a few extra votes with a "celebrity pretty face". If Nicole Cornes is fair dinkum, she shouldn't give up, she'll at least have credibility and experience if there's a next time.

Mick, I know what you are up to and please stop it. Please I beg you no more encouragement have you not seen us cringe with embarrassment enough stop feeding out that rope please.

I actually did feel a bit sorry for her

[gadj1976]

I haven't read the postings, but to answer your title - yes they do. Does John Howard know more about politics and the economy than Maxine Mckew - of course. Does she know how to actually run the country, of course not. But then she doesn't need to - she'll be sheltered from it all. Strange system our political system.

The ALP did it really well, recruit Garrett, Mckew et al and ramp them up. They won hands down despite Garrett selling out to all the Green supporters. {not surprisingly, at the moment, he's very quiet about uranium mining etc}

Good on them I say, the ALP did it well.

And I think you'll see the Libs do the same thing come 2010. They'll try and recruit higher profile people to battle against the already high profile candidates from the ALP.

The scary part is, it's becoming more like the US candidate race, where "public profile" means more than political standing and economic strategy is concerned.

[Wedgie]

Had a huge giggle this morning, Graham Cornes wrote an article about his wife's pathetic attempt at politics and managed to put a spin on it that it was virtually Nicole that got Kevin Rudd the job and that the result was a moral victory for Nicole!

Champagne comedy Graham.

[GWW]

I haven't read the postings, but to answer your title - yes they do. Does John Howard know more about politics and the economy than Maxine Mckew - of course. Does she know how to actually run the country, of course not. But then she doesn't need to - she'll be sheltered from it all. Strange system our political system.

The ALP did it really well, recruit Garrett, Mckew et al and ramp them up. They won hands down despite Garrett selling out to all the Green supporters. {not surprisingly, at the moment, he's very quiet about uranium mining etc}

Good on them I say, the ALP did it well.

And I think you'll see the Libs do the same thing come 2010. They'll try and recruit higher profile people to battle against the already high profile candidates from the ALP.

The scary part is, it's becoming more like the US candidate race, where "public profile" means more than political standing and economic strategy is concerned.

Maxine McKew i believe has been a political advisor, and its clear from her tv work that she has a lot of knowledge about politics. I wouldn't put her in the same category as Nicole Cornes because obviously she knows a bit about how it all works. Howard was judged on his record and the voters in his electorate obviously thought he should be "punished" for perceived errors hes made in his political career, including the last 3 years.

[Psyber]

I haven't read the postings, but to answer your title - yes they do. Does John Howard know more about politics and the economy than Maxine Mckew - of course. Does she know how to actually run the country, of course not. But then she doesn't need to - she'll be sheltered from it all. Strange system our political system.

The ALP did it really well, recruit Garrett, Mckew et al and ramp them up. They won hands down despite Garrett selling out to all the Green supporters. {not surprisingly, at the moment, he's very quiet about uranium mining etc}

Good on them I say, the ALP did it well.

And I think you'll see the Libs do the same thing come 2010. They'll try and recruit higher profile people to battle against the already high profile candidates from the ALP.


The scary part is, it's becoming more like the US candidate race, where "public profile" means more than political standing and economic strategy is concerned.

Yes and the only time Alexander Downer got a serious scare in Mayo was when local German boy made good as a pop celebrity, John Schumann, stood for the Democrats at the peak of their popularity. The more the campaign is run on TV the more "stars" will appear as candidates.

Some of them like Maxine McKew will have the background skills to be able to learn their scripts and sound convincing regardless of whether they know what is going on - just like Ronald Reagan in the US.