I am not quite sure why Scroobal persists with his I-know-all-and-I-know-best, sneering, condescending attitude towards the SDP in this thread and in the other threads he started. This is since they obviously don't give a toss about him or his views as they and the old forummers know his personal history since scs and the old sammyboy forum days in the 90s.
Many of the old forummers here are at least a decade older if not more now and have put aside their personal animosities and dislikes either for the greater good or simply because they have mellowed over the years. Even Andrew Loh who used to hate the SDP with a vengeance has either mellowed or is able to put aside his earlier dislike of the SDP for the greater good (see
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/05/...as-just-begun/). Ditto for me, lockeliberal, and all the old gang.
I am just amaze at the level of his pettiness and continuing personal vendetta masquerading as some sort of serious analysis and the fact that he can continue to harbour this pettiness against Chee, Gomez's father, etc after more than a decade and after all these years. I am not quite sure where he gets the energy to do so. It is simply amazing. He is a complete contrast to his brother.
But I digress. I believe you got the reasons spot on. This is what I mailed (extracts of my mail below) CSJ on 29 April 2011, the day news about "relic" and "out-of-date" story broke.
"...I say without any qualms that JohnTan and Gomez are wrong to view door-to-door visits as "relics" and "out-of-date". It was an incredibly stupid thing to say...."
....Never underestimate the power of human contact, the human connection from the shake of the hands and the view of voters that you are prepared to physically slog it out to win their votes. It is not just about making good speeches from the pulpit or pumping out information from your website or visiting markets and hawker centres.
Unfortunately and ironically, John Tan's and Gomez's responses create a perception that the SDP are elitist and are unwilling to roll up their sleeves to slog it out and instead hope to sail into parliament on the coat-tails of nightly rallies, speeches and information pumped out from your website.
Please don't waste all your past efforts and sacrifices. Go out there. Visit households. Let the word spread.
As much as I am a strong supporter of the SDP, I can tell you that there is no way any SDP member will get into Parliament if you take the view that door-to-door visits are "relics" and "out-of-date".
Ask yourself honestly. Between a politician taking the effort to sweat it out, climb the stairs and visit your household and one who does not, who would you feel more obliged to give your vote to?..."
The SDP failed to court the electorate the way their PAP opponents did and the way the WP has done. Having said that, there is a positive side to this setback for the SDP. It is not a half-empty glass or an unmitigated disaster that will lead to the SDP imploding and people walking out of the party like what Sneering Scroobal would like to portray it to be. It is a half-full glass. The SDP has improved. It has got 4 out of 10 votes (HBT GRC) - that's nothing to sneer at - despite working less at the grassroots work as compared to the PAP and WP.
If they do like what you say and start knocking on doors and start courting voters the way the WP (and even the PAP) has done, I have absolutely no doubts that they can attain that 11% swing for them to win the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC (and more) in 2016.
I wish Chee and the SDP, Low TK and the WP, GMS and the NSP and all the other opposition parties every success as they continue to lead the march against the PAP.
And to Scroobal, peace be upon you my brother. Let it go. Find your inner peace.
), allegations, etc, etc, etc. 
