How can the DA grow?

[Noseworthy]

So lets see how this works:

Party Color - Green and white (taken from the SA flag)

Party leader - Mmusi Maimane
Silent member - Helen Zille (allow her to remain a member all be it silent)

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Appears to me the DA are faced with an almost impossible task going by what people on here are saying. Double standards are rife.

Stop criticising ANC = no longer an opposition party.
Gets black leaders = get accused of doing window dressing.
Campaigns on solutions and performance = gets attacked for not understanding how the ANC gets votes and not emulating them.
Supports sensible BEE = gets accused of being racists.

For some reason the other parties, most notably COPE, EFF and Agang are never attacked for complaining about the ANC virtually all the time. It's only wrong when the DA do it, even when they built the majority of their campaign on how their performance in government and their policies.

 

[Noseworthy]

And to add, the anc doesnt complain about the da.

The da should focus on what they are doing and not cheap tricks like mud throwing

 

[Hamish McPanji]

Appears to me the DA are faced with an almost impossible task going by what people on here are saying. Double standards are rife.

Stop criticising ANC = no longer an opposition party.
Gets black leaders = get accused of doing window dressing.
Campaigns on solutions and performance = gets attacked for not understanding how the ANC gets votes and not emulating them.
Supports sensible BEE = gets accused of being racists.

For some reason the other parties, most notably COPE, EFF and Agang are never attacked for complaining about the ANC virtually all the time. It's only wrong when the DA do it, even when they built the majority of their campaign on how their performance in government and their policies.

You can't please everyone, but you need to please enough people to be able to gain the majority. DA as it stands will never manage that

 

[Falco]

Whites and coloreds must have a breeding competition over the next 20 years

 

[OrbitalDawn]

And to add, the anc doesnt complain about the da.

The da should focus on what they are doing and not cheap tricks like mud throwing

Uhm, what? That's literally all they do in the Western Cape. Fransman and Ehrenreich etc.

You can't please everyone, but you need to please enough people to be able to gain the majority. DA as it stands will never manage that

They've grown remarkably. Look at their performance:

Year - votes - percentage of vote - seats in NA.

1994 338,426 1.73% 7
1999 1,527,337 9.56% 38
2004 1,931,201 12.37% 50
2009 2,945,829 16.66% 67
2014 4,091,584 22.23% 89

They've been the official opposition since '99. No other opposition party has managed to actually get themselves off the ground and make a significant impact other than them.

And what do they have to do differently? JStrike also couldn't manage an answer.

They develop sound, reasonable and practical policies. They're strong where they're in opposition, doing their best to keep the ruling party on their toes. They develop strong, capable leaders across the racial board. They govern well where they govern. They then campaign on this and we're told they're doing it wrong. This is how a mature, proper party approaches politics.

Should they abandon all of this and go the ANC route? Lie to people, make false promises, blackmail them with grants and RDP houses, blatantly lie about your opposition etc?

 

[w1z4rd]

The only person here talking sense, and you goons get flamed for it!

The DA is perceived to be a white 'elitist' party. The only way of changing that is to have a black leader, and spend the next 5 years changing that perception.

By elitist, they need to talk to the man on the street, not the middle class one living in the northern suburbs

Ish skeptik, you never stop. Loved how you where agreeing with yourself (your other sockpuppet taranis) in the Ukraine thread though

The majority of DA canvassing was done in rural areas. I know as I was out there. I personally didnt canvas a single vote in the suburbs. I was going door to door in the Transkei. Significant parts of rural EC turned to the DA in these last elections. We had growth in many VD`s where we havent had any votes in the past. I recommend you follow official DA news feeds on Facebook so you can get a more balanced perspective.

Calling the DA a white elitist party is insulting to 700 000 black people who voted DA in this last election. You are well known for trying to paint the DA as a white racist party. The race card is the only one you can play. I understand the armchair politics you practice makes you think you have an informed opinion on the DA but your perception of the DA is hyperbolic misrepresentation.

 

[WaxLyrical]

Offer freebies

 

[Noseworthy]

As Oprah says : everyone gets a free tshirt

 

[Midnight_choir_drunk]

Inform their voters not to be douchebags.

That would be a great start.

 

[Nom Chompsky]

Appears to me the DA are faced with an almost impossible task going by what people on here are saying. Double standards are rife.

Stop criticising ANC = no longer an opposition party.
Gets black leaders = get accused of doing window dressing.
Campaigns on solutions and performance = gets attacked for not understanding how the ANC gets votes and not emulating them.
Supports sensible BEE = gets accused of being racists.

For some reason the other parties, most notably COPE, EFF and Agang are never attacked for complaining about the ANC virtually all the time. It's only wrong when the DA do it, even when they built the majority of their campaign on how their performance in government and their policies.

I never said the DA must stop criticising the ANC, but just perhaps do less of it, especially when they are campaigning. I'm talking specifically about campaigning in the urban metros here. Most of the people know about the ANC shortcomings from reading the media...they don't need it rammed down their throats. They're far more interested in what the DA offers them and how DA could improve their situation.

I'd suggest that the DA probably needs to design different campaigns for urban and rural voters.

 

[w1z4rd]

I never said the DA must stop criticising the ANC, but just perhaps do less of it, especially when they are campaigning. I'm talking specifically about campaigning in the urban metros here. Most of the people know about the ANC shortcomings from reading the media...they don't need it rammed down their throats. They're far more interested in what the DA offers them and how DA could improve their situation.

Many of those shortcomings you read in the media is because the DA criticized the ANC and made those issues public. Have you ever thought of following the DA facebook feed? Then you would get all the information you unfortunately missed.

 

[Nom Chompsky]

Many of those shortcomings you read in the media is because the DA criticized the ANC and made those issues public. Have you ever thought of following the DA facebook feed? Then you would get all the information you unfortunately missed.

Yes, I've "liked" the DA's Facebook page. Also might be working at the DA next year as a researcher but will have to see what happens.

 

[Noseworthy]

Yes, I've "liked" the DA's Facebook page. Also might be working at the DA next year as a researcher but will have to see what happens.

What? How did you land that? Jealous

 

[w1z4rd]

Yes, I've "liked" the DA's Facebook page. Also might be working at the DA next year as a researcher but will have to see what happens.

Well if you do that you will be inundated with the information you missed. Grats on making the move. You and Sinbad I see have decided to leave armchair politics

 

[Hamish McPanji]

Ish skeptik, you never stop. Loved how you where agreeing with yourself (your other sockpuppet taranis) in the Ukraine thread though

My nickname on this forum, is nearly the same as my name, I am not hiding behind anything. I dont even know who skeptik is. On the other hand, am not a sheep person like you.....believing everything i hear in the news, and I think it grates on you that people are not as gullible as you.

I recommend you follow official DA news feeds on Facebook so you can get a more balanced perspective.

Hahaha ! You don't know how this sounds to a neutral like me. Pretty much explains your 'balanced' viewpoint

Calling the DA a white elitist party is insulting to 700 000 black people who voted DA in this last election. You are well known for trying to paint the DA as a white racist party. The race card is the only one you can play. I understand the armchair politics you practice makes you think you have an informed opinion on the DA but your perception of the DA is hyperbolic misrepresentation.

I never called the DA a white elitist party, which shows how deep in the sand your head is. I said they are perceived to be that,and they need to change that......hence the reason for this thread....what can the DA do? If they continue as they are, they will continue to be the opposition indefinitely

I was very much in support of the DA, until the arrogance of their supporters and key mistakes by the party made me see that as they stand, they will never be able to unseat the ANC

 

[R13...]

You underestimate the level of mistrust the majority of the people of this country have of the whites. Am an outsider, and so it is more obvious to me

This lack of trust appears to go both ways for a lot of people across all races. It looks like the only way we are to overcome it is natural attrition which will be a long slow process. Some people still teach their children born today not to trust other based on just race, so we need to overcome this continued bigotry by all parties and allow a natural integration. Even in places like the US you see this deep distrust based on race so it is possible we may never overcome it but hopefully it will to a point where it is only visible amongst the fringe loons.

 

[Falco]

Uhm, what? That's literally all they do in the Western Cape. Fransman and Ehrenreich etc.



They've grown remarkably. Look at their performance:

Year - votes - percentage of vote - seats in NA.

1994 338,426 1.73% 7
1999 1,527,337 9.56% 38
2004 1,931,201 12.37% 50
2009 2,945,829 16.66% 67
2014 4,091,584 22.23% 89

They've been the official opposition since '99. No other opposition party has managed to actually get themselves off the ground and make a significant impact other than them.

And what do they have to do differently? JStrike also couldn't manage an answer.

They develop sound, reasonable and practical policies. They're strong where they're in opposition, doing their best to keep the ruling party on their toes. They develop strong, capable leaders across the racial board. They govern well where they govern. They then campaign on this and we're told they're doing it wrong. This is how a mature, proper party approaches politics.

Should they abandon all of this and go the ANC route? Lie to people, make false promises, blackmail them with grants and RDP houses, blatantly lie about your opposition etc?

I think what frustrates people here is that a majority DA rule is not going to happen anytime soon. Maybe not even in another 20 years time.
One does however need a generation or two to die out.
Education is key
Upliftment is key
Family planning is key
Skills development is key
New industries is key for job creation.
We should start developing our export market, expanding it to other business sectors
Manufacturing???

 

[MickeyD]

More fertiliser.

You mean "add more faeces to the fertiliser"?

 

[The_Mowgs]

I think it will be good if they change the leadership but it will be seen as window dressing. Also, its because of the white and coloured vote that the DA is where it is today and changing the face of the party will alianate the whites and coloureds