Re-Election Time

So Sweden is in the unusual situation of kick-starting a re-election campaign just 2,5 months after the latest regular election. I say let bring it. I may be partial, but I hope the Alliance stomps the red-greens into the ground (unfortunately I don't have much faith in that we can stop or even outmaneuver the Sweden Democrats). As it looks right now we have a good position for it. The Red-Green government is seen as one of the most incompetent governments we ever have had. Only 2 % seems to like this combination, their policies have angered a lot of people across the country and the greenhorns in the Green Party have not been able to show some statesmanship worthy of a governmental party. Doesn't help that they are going to campaign separately, but on the same budget together that was co-written by the Left Party. All this have also cast it shadow on the Social Democratic party that is seen by many as THE Government party. It's a joke now. After some research I see that this will be the fourth extra election Sweden has ever had, the others was in 1887, 1914 and 1958. The only time the liberals came in top was 1887 when the free trade block won, the other times the liberals lost 6-8 %, hope it equals out. 

So why would we come out on top? The disdain for the current government. Also polls shows that a majority blames the government and the Social Democratic leader for this mess (with the Sweden Democrats on the second place) and if that view sets, the red-greens will loose. It doesn't help that when he speaks about responsibility and that he have reached out to the other parties it sounds more and more hollow when the last election campaign had its goals to push out the Center party from the parliament and this election opens up with a hope that the Christian democrats falls out. In government they go away from the deals made in the school area, they alone puts the green party in Pension group without asking the other members who all have veto and just expect them to agree with it since they are part of the government. They say they reach out their hand, but all I can see is a finger of Mordor's black frames and claws (this was a weak try to quote Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Chapter 10 The Voice of Saruman, but since I don't know where my English copy is I had to translate the Swedish one into English and we already know how weird the Swedish translation isso I don't know if its even close to the original, also don't take it to seriously, I just thought about this quote with all the reaching out).

Of course that might not be enough to topple the current government that they are worse than the alternative, to win you also need a vision to go with that people agree on. The Alliance must muster the strength to attack all other parties with political visions and solutions that resonate with the voters. The current economic crisis we will probably win on since we have the strongest economic policies according to the last election, but we need policies on housing, integration,the defence, law and order. If we manage that we might even stop the growth of the Sweden Democrats. And I know that the red-greens will attack us on that we make it worse for the unemployed and seniors, but counter it. Point out that even if the unemployment benefits grows it will not help the youth since they haven't worked enough, counter with a more matching working unemployment institute (either make it completely administrators and private alternatives focus on that or fix the current, less administrative). The seniors, just steal the Sweden Democrats talk from the budget hearings, if the economy goes down the pension lowers as well (which the red-greens budget even admitted). They must do this, otherwise we will loose, also dare be controversial. Attack the unions, they don't shy away from it so why should we? Even a poll yesterday showed that the union members of the largest one, LO, less than half is voting for the social democrats, but still they give money to the social democratic. The same poll showed that the Alliance parties have grown. Now is the time. Now or Never!. The Super-Election Year Goes Overtime!

(If you wonder about the flower its taken from Wikipedia on the Swedish Liberal Party, since I couldn't find a good picture on anything with the liberals concerning an extra election and the cornflower is the party symbol for the liberal party)