Rinkals wrote:
As far as I'm concerned, the thing that the DA should push is Good Governance.
People don't respond to that. It's a loser from the get go.
Voters are energised by big, bold policy ideas.
Good governance is expected to be a given and you can only use it in a negative way to tar and feather the incumbent. It makes you look petty and weak won't convince a prospective voter in a soundbite. Given enough one-on-one interaction you can explain how better managed schools and infrastructure and business climate will improve somebody's life, but it is a long discussion with nuance. It doesn't fit on an election poster or newspaper headline or tweet.
Rinkals wrote:
Clearly the ANC are tainted by Zuma's years, and the DA should be making the most of this, but instead they are fighting amongst themselves.
The infighting isn't helping, but that is because they are ideologically confused. The leadership isn't united because they don't really know how they are going to get where they want to go, so they are shotgunning. They have tried this in the past and they are just not good enough at negative campaigning. Their messaging as a party has become sloppy and disjointed ever since they let Gareth van Onselen go because he was calling this shit out 8 years ago. They should focus on shaming the ANC and EFF leaders, while at the same time making 100% sure their own house is in order.
"Julius is wearing 3 RDP houses on his wrist...Zuma is living in 3000 RDP houses...etc"
"The Guptas stole free University education for this generation and the ANC were complicit"
That should be the narrative.
Then the big, vague promises.
We will do it better. Corrupt officials will go to jail; etc etc.
Rinkals wrote:
I tend to agree that the DA will probably not perform as well as they did in 2016, but I would say that this is more likely due to infighting and an inability to present a unified front coupled with the loss of de Lille's supporters in the Cape.
BEE is very much part of the business environment now and I very much doubt that committing to scrap it will get them more votes than it will lose them.
They should avoid the wedge issues like BEE as much as possible. Don't promise to eliminate it, don't promise to make it more pervasive. Rather focus on the fact that the ANC hasn't been able to make it work for anybody other than themselves and political elite. This is where their governance track record should be used as a strength but ONLY when pushed to elaborate on the matter. From a general perspective they should just campaign on managing and implementing it "better". White voters have comfort that it won't get worse, black voters have a hope that it will finally start to benefit them...somehow. Embarrassing headline / soundbite / tweet averted.