Vincent Wijeysingha should publicly condemn SDP & Dr Chee Soon Juan

[OverTheCounter]

I am shocked you would say this. We saw the pics of two sets of posters for VW and Dr Tambyah having been printed. Stacks amounting to hundreds of posters for each. I do not know the total costs for those posters but I'd imagine it wasn't a small amount of money. (Insiders of the various parties who know about such details can perhaps give a ballpark figure for such printing costs.) As such, to say that an already cash-strapped party can blow precious resources for "a publicity campaign and they never intended to contest", is hard to believe.

Trust me. SDP is totally capable of doing this. SDP would even allow its activists to get arrested and go to jail just to play to the foreign NGO gallery.

 

[tanwahp]

I am shocked you would say this. We saw the pics of two sets of posters for VW and Dr Tambyah having been printed. Stacks amounting to hundreds of posters for each. I do not know the total costs for those posters but I'd imagine it wasn't a small amount of money. (Insiders of the various parties who know about such details can perhaps give a ballpark figure for such printing costs.) As such, to say that an already cash-strapped party can blow precious resources for "a publicity campaign and they never intended to contest", is hard to believe.

Maybe SDP has its special way of doing things but I think a party will normally not standby two candidates and print another extra set of posters. Instead, it would have decided and selected a candidate before proceeding to prepare campaign materials.

As you said, it is a "cash-strapped" party and by right would not have wasted money like that, although posters are not as expensive as you think.

I then wondered if it was trying to show it was more serious than WP and other parties by showing that they had not 1 but 2 candidates to choose from. Ironically, this might have become a dead giveaway of the true intention. I am not sure if Paul or Vincent knew what Chee was up to, though.

 

[tanwahp]

The sdp punggol east episode was idiotic. Their publicity stunt gained them nothing. WP will not change its attitude toward 3CFs no matter what sdp said or did. WP will also never accommodate sdp in any way shape or form. All the published email left a very bad impression on me because it appears that sdp was just trying to make a political point, but in a very amateur manner. Sdp basically maneuver itself into a position where it looked very bad and desperate. Any political point it was trying to make was totally lost.

I agree with you. What I was saying was that there is a way to put your party on the radar to ensure that you don't "lose out" to WP in limelight - just not the SDP way.

SPP did well in this aspect - Lina Chiam threw her weight behind WP. Just that she should have also commented on some of the issues during the 9 days but not every day.

 

[ray_of_hope]

As I said at the time of the Punggol East by-election, the SDP chickened out. It is as simple as that. In fact a counting agent of the SDP's during GE2011, and one of its staunchest supporters, said as much, although he does not use my stark description:

'Even though the SDP’s statement to the media was that they “decided to withdraw from the race” because “Singaporeans have signaled clearly that they do not want to see a three-cornered contest in Punggol East which may dilute the vote and allow a PAP win,” adding that “We hear their voices and we have heeded them,” everybody can see that they must have taken a sober look at their chances and seen the prospect of humiliation staring back at them.'

http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/sdps-medium-term-prospects-not-much-damaged-by-fiasco/

'nuff said!

 

[tanwahp]

As I said at the time of the Punggol East by-election, the SDP chickened out. It is as simple as that. In fact a counting agent of the SDP's during GE2011, and one of its staunchest supporters, said as much, although he does not use my stark description:

'Even though the SDP’s statement to the media was that they “decided to withdraw from the race” because “Singaporeans have signaled clearly that they do not want to see a three-cornered contest in Punggol East which may dilute the vote and allow a PAP win,” adding that “We hear their voices and we have heeded them,” everybody can see that they must have taken a sober look at their chances and seen the prospect of humiliation staring back at them.'

That is Alex Au's view. Not necessary that I have to agree with it.

SDP should know that they are against multi-cornered fights. They also want the last contesting opposition party to have priority over the same ward and I'm sure they will not want WP or NSP to contest Sembawang GRC or Bukit Panjang in 2016.

As what some observers pointed out back then, SDP announce they contest PE then withdraw in the name of unity hoping that WP will reciprocate in 2016.

This appears naive but at least it is not damaging.

But along the way, of all people, its own emotional leader deviated from the message and added power-sharing schemes, releasing emails and other bizarre antics. He thought by doing that will show they are serious, but people ended up seeing them as desperate, power-hungry and rude.

 

[wwabbit]

Unlike some dumbfuck ex-politicians we know, I think Mr Vincent Wijeysingha is smart enough to know not to burn bridges and condemn is former allies.

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

Unlike some dumbfuck ex-politicians we know, I think Mr Vincent Wijeysingha is smart enough to know not to burn bridges and condemn is former allies.

VW has shown that he can remain cool under pressure. CSJ on the other hand has shown that he will become emotional and erratic under pressure. Their parting of ways was only a matter of time (hindsight is 20/20).

 

[metalmickey]

Trust me. SDP is totally capable of doing this. SDP would even allow its activists to get arrested and go to jail just to play to the foreign NGO gallery.

This is standard operating procedure for civil rights movements all over the world. In a way SDP is not special. This is not considered as ruthless. It's just "you lock me up today, tomorrow you release me and I continue protesting lor"

 

[metalmickey]

VW has shown that he can remain cool under pressure. CSJ on the other hand has shown that he will become emotional and erratic under pressure. Their parting of ways was only a matter of time (hindsight is 20/20).

Maybe his impatience with CSJ is a part of it. But Vincent Wijeysingha did not only leave SDP, but he left politics. I doubt he would have left for another party - SDP was the best fit for him.

Not that I rate CSJ that highly. I think that even Lee Hsien Loong is a better party leader than he is. But I think he's improving although that's not saying much.

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

Maybe his impatience with CSJ is a part of it. But Vincent Wijeysingha did not only leave SDP, but he left politics. I doubt he would have left for another party - SDP was the best fit for him.

Not that I rate CSJ that highly. I think that even Lee Hsien Loong is a better party leader than he is. But I think he's improving although that's not saying much.

That's the sad part. Both CSJ and LHL are not good for Singapore, regardless of their internal party leadership ability.

 

[steffychun]

Both Chee and VW go to extremes then chicken out. Chee goes on hunger strike but takes glucouse. VW promotes gay issues then later retracts..

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

Both Chee and VW go to extremes then chicken out. Chee goes on hunger strike but takes glucouse. VW promotes gay issues then later retracts..

VW is already full steam ahead with gay rights.

This is unlike chee who changed his political views when he experienced the shiokness of actually winning some votes in 2011.

 

[metalmickey]

VW is already full steam ahead with gay rights.

This is unlike chee who changed his political views when he experienced the shiokness of actually winning some votes in 2011.

Yeh? What did he actually change? Or is it he just appeared to be changing the means (less public protesting and presenting a more respectable front) without changing the ends (usual SDP socialist agenda)