This newspaper's editorial policy during electoral season is a fair one. While political debate - about the issues - is encouraged, electioneering, that is, promoting one party or candidate is not.
According to modern science, political science and lately neuroscience, there is little need for such caution. That is because voters tend to have made up their minds long before election day.
They tend to follow their own established partisan patterns and not only vote as they have done in past elections but as the flow of political rhetoric increases, voters tend more and more to ignore the weaknesses of their chosen candidate and magnify those of the opponents.
Those who identify with a particular party turn a deaf ear to the arguments of the other side.
I recall with particular amusement the contention of a local politician during our last local election and the letter writing that took place in it, that an endorsement from me was like a kiss of death, sure to lead to defeat.
I held no illusions as to having such power one way or another but I offered to test the theory by endorsing that same politician. He won anyhow. So much for my magical power to sway the electorate!
Well, why write about politics then if people tend to be closed minded? Actually they're not, or not completely. The voters tend to vote the same way for the same candidates as they have in the past. But issues do sometimes matter and people will be open to change and to consideration of the candidates regardless of party if those issues are important enough.
On the theory of the late US Speaker, "Tip" O'Neill, all politics is ultimately local. We have seen a steady erosion of this city's clout with the Government, resulting in needless job loss and shift of services and service centres away from Wanganui.
It is pertinent to ask which of the political parties is more likely to understand our situation, to support our growth, to appreciate and help us enhance our potential?
While elections are cast in hope for the future we can be mindful of the past in acknowledging what has been the history of the contending parties in support of our city.
Beyond our borders to the national issues we can look carefully to learn which party has plans to foster what is best about our citizens and their future.
In a global economy that comes down to an assessment of specific programmes to prepare our young people to take their place in a world that is ever changing but which will prize acquired skills that enable people to solve problems, we are only beginning to understand such as climate change and water resource management.
Ronald Reagan posed a question to American voters that is equally applicable here. Are you better off now than you were three years ago?
If by chance you're not and you intend to vote simply as you've done before then that Greek word applies: Akrasia: to act against your own best interest.
While I would happily stand corrected on etymology, I suspect the modern word we get from that is "crazy".
