Thursday, June 21, 2007

The wisdom of the crowds #9: lose the election John Howad will

From news.com.au:

'JOHN Howard is the Yoda of Australian politics and voters see Kevin Rudd as his dashing but inexperienced apprentice Luke Skywalker, according to a poll of almost 5000 NEWS.com.au readers.

Results showed voters saw Mr Howard as a Yoda-like figure and Mr Rudd as Luke Skywalker, and Bond University lecturer and Star Wars nut Scott Knight said this election could closely resemble the plotline of the films.

“I suppose John Howard’s been in the job for so long he has so much authority like Yoda,” Professor Knight said. “I think (respondents see) Kevin Rudd as the chosen one with a chance of a new regime.

“If it follows the Star Wars pattern, the Empire is vanquished by a rebel alliance.”

But he said that did not mean respondents thought the Howard Government was evil. “In a sense, both Yoda and Luke were on the lighter side of the force.”

Of the 4994 respondents of the poll, carried out by Coredata for NEWS.com.au, more than half would have voted for Labor if the federal election were held last month.

Almost a quarter of respondents who voted Liberal in 2004 said they would be switching their vote, with Work Choices and climate change being the biggest drivers. Middle-income couples with children were the most likely group to change their vote.'

When I grow up, I want the job like Professor Knight has.

I wonder what the responses to a similar survey here would be. I can't think of anyone in the Star Wars universe old enough to be Ming Cambell but I reckon David Cameron as Jar Jar Binks. I certainly don't think that he'd find many people comparing him to Luke Skywalker...

1 Comments:

At 12:34 pm , Anonymous Anonymous said...

“I suppose John Howard’s been in the job for so long he has so much authority like Yoda,” Professor Knight said. “I think (respondents see) Kevin Rudd as the chosen one with a chance of a new regime.
“If it follows the Star Wars pattern, the Empire is vanquished by a rebel alliance.”
But he said that did not mean respondents thought the Howard Government was evil. “In a sense, both Yoda and Luke were on the lighter side of the force.”


"In a sense"? For a Star Wars nut, he seems to be somewhat unclear about what actually happens in the films. In what sense is Yoda not on the lighter of the force, and how would anyone seeing Howard as Yoda and Rudd as Luke correspond with the Rebel Alliance defeating the Empire? Now, if people saw Howard as the Emperor, that would make sense. But Luke vanquishing Yoda doesn't... I mean... Did they screen a different version in Australia or something?

I can't think of anyone in the Star Wars universe old enough to be Ming Cambell

I've a feeling Jabba the Hut is the oldest character in Star Wars, so that's our Ming.

I reckon David Cameron as Jar Jar Binks. I certainly don't think that he'd find many people comparing him to Luke Skywalker...

Oh, I would. Clearly, Blair is Anakin/Vader and Thatcher is the Emperor, so it's obvious that Cameron is Luke. Of course, he's an alternate Luke, who chooses the Dark Side at the end of 'Jedi'.

Brown is Lando Calrissian - we've absolutely no idea whose side he's on.

 

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