Oddbean new post about login | logout @3395bc98 > Andrea Vance uncovers yet another ACT candidate with full-on conspiracist credentials. ACT (like Winston First) are trying to appeal to the "anti-"woke" vote, which would otherwise go to minnow parties like VisionNZ, LoyalNZ etc. So anyone attacking ACT for being anti-"woke" is inadvertently boosting their campaign. This kind of news media attention was a big part of how Agent Orange got elected in the US. Nobody seems to understand the group psychology of this.
@3395bc98 The news media (and other pundits) can avoid this by only discussed the anti-"woke" aspects of ACT and Winston First in the context of the even more extreme anti-"woke" statements and policies of minnow parties, and the more worrying pro-poverty policies of the hard right. Thus avoiding the trap of helping the two smaller hard right parties likely to reach 5%, to achieve their goal of pulling anti-"woke" votes from those that aren't.
@58db300d @3395bc98 What is interesting to me is the final line of https://www.thepost.co.nz/a/nz-news/350079146/potential-chaos-all-round-luxon-invites-nz-first-table Pointing out problems in ACT and NZ first will boost both, but just by eating National. But tarring National with both of ACT and NZ First might see some of that go to Labour as a safer option. Interesting times.