soft vote

This story is doing the rounds on Facebook this morning, and attracting some comment from the 'mummy bloggers' who've been so callously summed and dismissed.

*****

THE government's road to electoral recovery rests with a new demographic known as "mummy bloggers", Labor MPs have been told.

And they have been urged to get on Facebook to reach this new generation of "soft" voters.

In the last caucus meeting before MPs break for winter recess, Prime Minister Julia Gillard subjected her backbench to a one-hour PowerPoint presentation on how she would restore Labor's credibility.

But many MPs were unmoved.

One senior right-wing MP said Ms Gillard told them she had a plan and "not to worry". Asked what the plan was, the MP replied: "I can't remember. I stopped listening as soon as the PowerPoint screen came down."

Another MP said Ms Gillard appeared to get "narky" as many MPs seemed to be paying little attention.

Former PM Kevin Rudd was often ridiculed for using PowerPoint presentations to rally MPs. They were surprised Ms Gillard, with her leadership under increasing pressure, would use the same format for a caucus meeting that could define the mood for the next two months.
The PM told them the key to a turnaround was "learning how to communicate". She was reported to have told them that Facebook would be vital in helping the government crystalise its achievement.

Labor Party national secretary George Wright also addressed the caucus over disastrous polling.

"There is no need to tell you that things are rugged out there," Mr Wright was reported to have said.

However, he said Labor's hopes for revival rested with so-called "mummy bloggers" -- a new social demographic that needed to be tapped as they were regarded as "a soft" vote and could be lured to Labor.

Another MP said there was a feeling of "incredulity" about the meeting.

*****

I've seen some lame attempts to pin the story on conservative journalists and I have no doubt that sooner or later, someone will claim it's Tony Abbotts' doing.

Let's not make any mistakes here. The story might be running in 'conservative' papers but the remarks were all being made by ALP MPs and the ALP national secretary.

That aside, let's think for a moment about the content.

Are mummy bloggers a soft vote? Are they so easily led that they'll follow Facebook as their political muse? Really?

In all honesty, I'd have to say that most of the bloggers I know wouldn't vote for the Coalition if they got an iPad and free internet for the rest of their lives.
Or more specifically, they wouldn't vote for Tony Abbott.

Having said that, no-one wants to be labelled in such a dismissive way. Is this man, the party secretary, telling us that we're regarded as being a bunch of sheep? that we can't and don't think for ourselves? that mummies (bloggers or no) are an easy target?
That's how it seems to me.

What are your thoughts?