Bob Jones: It's about time some punches were thrown

There are two elements to this election campaign. First are specific policies eliciting a single voter response: what's in it for me? So Labour, National, NZ First and United proffer bribes at the expense of the wider community.

Only Act and the Greens offer broader intangible visions, but in vain, as idealism simply isn't fashionable.

As for the Maori Party, despite its ethereal rationale it includes an implicit sectoral bribe in its possible three-to-seven-seat leverage. Although unspoken, this is nevertheless understood, albeit couched in uplifting romanticism.

The second campaign element is leadership. God knows why people want to be led but it's plain they do - the wimps. Thus, much weight is placed on party leaders' imagery.

And to what avail? The current vogue, it would seem, is blandness. Every leader tries to convey an image of sobriety, courtesy and moderation to the point of tedium.

What an opportunity for one to abandon this clone conduct and stand out from the crowd by behaving differently. Desirably, we need punches thrown. Winston and Rodney should be up to it and given Act's polling, what's Rodney got to lose? A televised left hook to Peter Dunne's chops would put Hide on the front pages and flush up a healthy redneck vote.

Mindful of Jane Clifton's remarks in her splendid book Political Animals that Act has hugely elevated parliamentary debate, it seems to me some Rodney-rendered violence would be a very good thing for the continuation of this intellectual uplifting.

Dunne would not hit back but could make his mark by announcing he is the half-brother of Tariana Turia - which is plausible, given their facial resemblance. This exotica would reduce Peter's wetness factor and should be good for some polling points.

Our greatest electioneering politician for the past 60 years, Rob Muldoon, once made an astute observation to me about politicians' behaviour. Instead of being themselves, he said, every politician foolishly tries to win their political enemies' approval.

Watch politicians backtrack when their policies are challenged, and you will see how right he was. It's far better, Rob claimed, to kick the crap out of your opposition and in the process consolidate your support base as no amount of niceness will persuade voters to change their political allegiance.

Think back to Rob laying out protesters in the 1974 Queen St riot. I was alongside him, being the other speaker at the memorable function. But consider the result; a huge blue-collar male voter switch in allegiance which left Labour wallowing for nine years.

All this prissy pussy-footing by the party leaders is boring. In the TV3 leaders' debate they were like little children trying to please their teacher with niceness. Muldoon would have blasted the lot of them and dealt it out to Campbell as well, just to keep his eye in.

Helen's not a handbag type but imagine if she took one into her scheduled televised debate with Brash, and at an opportune moment handbagged him, a la Maggie Thatcher's popular portrayal. Would she lose any votes? To the contrary - she'd cream it. Don would have to double his tax cuts to make up lost ground, all of which would show that good things can come from mayhem.

So if leadership counts then let one of the current aspirants demonstrate a point of difference by abandoning the current bloodless me-tooism and substituting a bit of Ghengis Khan. The voters are crying outfor it.