The election campaign strategies of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia differ, often starkly, in texture and tone.
Besides, Khaleda is spending more time holding rallies and is on a whirlwind campaign tour. She has put in every ounce of her strength to visit as many spots as possible within the shortest possible time. The BNP chief starts her day around 9:00 in the morning and continues her tour and rallies late into the night. On one occasion at least, she addressed a 5:00am rally.
By comparison, Hasina has kept her campaign much truncated. She usually starts her day around 10:00 in the morning and wraps up her tour by 5:00 in the afternoon. Also, her campaign footprint is smaller than her archrival's.
Hasina has been innovative in using technology to widen her reach. The AL has rented a satellite from Singtel and set up three studios -- one at Hasina's Sudha Sadan home, and two mobile ones -- to hold live videoconferences. Hasina's addresses are shown on huge LCD screens at places and she also invites live questions from the audience to answer. Such technology was used at Tungipara and Satkhira.
Security threat is forcing Hasina to measure steps for her campaign. Party insiders said she had curtailed her tours. Hasina also reaches her rally spots way beyond schedule and deliberately does so to offset security threats. The recent Huji threat to kill her has made her tour plans much more difficult.
Khaleda is usually at her rallies on time. But subsequently as the day wears on, her schedule becomes erratic because of delays at each spot.
Despite the security threat, Hasina has retained her usual manners of often stopping her car on her way to hug, say, an old woman or a child and talk to them. Khaleda maintains her official attitude. Only once in her tour did she stop to meet some women supporters at Rajbari in Magura.
On one occasion, Hasina when returning from Kotalipara to Tungipara in the afternoon stopped her car and went straight inside a mosque to offer her prayers.
The two leaders' campaign theme and issues are quite different. Hasina started her campaign in a positive mood, never criticising the caretaker government. She also hardly focuses on criticising the BNP about which all she alleges is that the party had resorted to looting, corruption and patronising militancy.
But such criticism does not occupy much of her speech. She rather focuses on her Vision 2021, her futuristic dream of Bangladesh. And Hasina tries to put on a smiling face at every rally.
By contrast, Khaleda makes harsh criticism of the caretaker government and the AL as the focal point of her speech. She talks of a 'collusion' between the AL and the caretaker government and talks of 'saving the country, saving the people', the theme of her party's manifesto.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/22/2008 00:00 ||
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* WND > A MISSLE DEFENSE SHIELD FOR ARAB STATES; + WORLD MIL FORUM > JORDAN'S FIRST NUCLEAR POWER PLANT MAY BE SETTLED IN AQABA, RED SEA [Year 2012 = start], SECOND NUCLEAR PLANT PLANNED FOR DEAD SEA [Year 2014-After = start, RED SEA Connections]???
#3
Also from WORLD MIL FORUM > JAPAN CAN LOSE IFF A SINO-JAPAN MILITARY CONFLICT BROKE OUT OVER THE DAOYU ISLANDS. Japan's military focii is SELF-LIMITED BY LAW, ESPEC BY THE POST-WW2 JAPANESE CONSTITUTION. While operationally excellent, as a TOTAL/NATIONAL WAR ORGANIZ it is broadly too inflexible and rigid compared to CHINA + PLA. JAPAN is perceievd as being far behind the PLA in INDIGENOUS CORE SPACE, STRATEGIC MISSLE, + SATELLITE TECHS, MIL INFORMATION WARFARE, STEALTH, and ELECTRO-MAGNETIC = ANTI-AIRCRAFT RADARS. JAPAN STILL HOLD MAJOR QUALITATIVE ADVANTAGES IN NAVAL AND AIRCRAFT TYPES BUT CHINA IS CATCHING UP VERY FAST.
HMMMMMM, HMMMMM, unless I've missed something, WMF ARTICLE > China-Japan = Israel-Iran in WHOM WILL BE ABLE TO PREEMPTIVELY ATTACK FIRST.
#4
ION WORLD MIL FORUM > CHINA HAS HEAVILY SPENT US$10.0MILYUHN TO ACQUIRE RUSSIAN ANTI-NAVAL/CARRIER ["Sand/Klub"] AND AIR SUPERIORITY COMBAT MISSLES, espec Russ ALCMS.
The Devil is the COPYKATTING = REVERSE-ENGINEERING!
By now, many in the American mainstream media (MSM) have admitted the obvious: Coverage of the recent US presidential campaign was heavily biased in favor of Barack Obama.
...Admittedly, the American ideal of an objective, adversarial press has always been mostly myth, extolled by the MSM with delusional self-flattery. But it did exist to some extent, and its absence is an ominous development for American democracy: The same press that spent months cheerleading for Obama instead of reporting and investigating is now too invested in his success to be sufficiently critical when necessary.
In truth, MSM retreat from objectivity reached its tipping point during the 2000 election controversy. Since then, there has been a poorly-disguised loathing of President George W. Bush by the MSM. Reporting that even pretended to be objective yet adversarial gave way to a hyper-critical, obstructionist style, painting everything Bush-related in the worst possible light. And that has repercussions for America.
For example, reflexive MSM Bush-bashing has poisoned reporting on Iraq and the war on terror.
...NOW THE problem is the reverse. Throughout the campaign, the MSM acted like hyperventilating teenage girls with a crush on Obama, complete with Chris Matthews, host of Hardball famously stating that "I felt a thrill going up my leg" as Obama spoke. Similarly, the love-struck press would not countenance any story that could damage Obama's image. Where was the MSM "hardball" coverage of Obama reneging on his explicit promise to use only public financing? The extent of his adherence to the black liberation theology of his church? His role in Chicago's notoriously corrupt political machine? Even the Washington Post's Howell admitted: "Obama deserved tougher scrutiny than he got, especially of his undergraduate years, his start in Chicago and his relationship with Antoin "Tony" Rezko, who was convicted this year of influence-peddling in Chicago. The Post did nothing on Obama's drug use as a teenager." (Cindy McCain's past prescription drug addiction, however, seemed to be fair game.)
Having so thoroughly taken sides during the campaign, the MSM is now dangerously over-invested in Obama's success. Being human - and not known for their modesty - MSM personalities are unlikely to make themselves look foolish for their unmitigated Obama support. What this means in practical terms is that Obama will have tremendous leeway to do anything, and fail at anything, with little critical analysis from the press. The MSM have staked so much of their professional and reputational capital in his success that they will feel compelled to keep extending him additional political credit. For their own sakes, they cannot allow Obama to be perceived as a failure no matter what he actually does. They will be there to bail him out.
This MSM behavior already is evident in the coverage of the unfolding scandal of the bribery auction to fill Obama's Senate seat.
#3
"the media down around Congress and pedophiles"
Of the 3, pedophiles poll highest.
And deserve to....
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
12/22/2008 18:40 Comments ||
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#4
ION WORLD MIL FORUM [paraph = GOOGLE Chinglish translation] > IIUC BRITISH UPROAR OVER 1/3 SHARES SALE OF NATION's LAST REMAINING NUCLEAR WEAPONS PLANT TO US BUSINESS GROUP.
BRITS > An awfully bad show from Whitehall, 'ole boy = [seeming]LOSS OF BRIT SOVEREIGNTY, LOSS OF BRITISH-CONTROLLED NUKULAR DETERRENCE AND NUCLEARISM, NATIONAL PRIDE, SURRENDER TO AMERICA = THE COLONIALS,...............@@etc.
#2
give Obama some credit; he appointed one of the most pro labor union US Reps (Hilda Solis)and this woman, not Obama, will probably get the grief for enforcing the labor cost provisions.
#1
...I've read more than a few articles in the last week warning that all we've seen so far is a windup to the big event: a catastrophic failure of several major banks and a Wall Street collapse down to the 5-6,000 range.
My question is this: I'm not a financier or a business major, and neither are any of my friends - but I know of NO ONE who didn't know and understand that homes were incredibly overpriced, that investments could not go on returning incredible yields forever, or keep selling lousy cars. Yet 'the smartest guys in the room' either didn't know or didn't care.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
12/22/2008 6:09 Comments ||
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#2
They knew. However, that's what happens when special interests client democracy replaces voter constituent democracy, when those who kick into reelection campaigns have a greater say in the operation of the place than those upon whom the burden is ultimately placed. It's not about reality, it's about your piece of the action while it lasts.
#3
In spite of his gov't funded don't worry be happy 12 day Oahu holiday, I also believe Obama and what passes as our government see it coming. If the pattern of the Great Depression follows, and "bank holidays" come about, things will get ugly indeed. General Franks said we came very close to a declaration of Martial Law after 9/11. If banks close, supermarkets and gas stations could close as well. Gardening and rabbit farming never really made much of a comeback in urban areas after the last depression. Interesting times await us.
#5
Mike, hindsight is 20/20 and recollections get selectively edited.
Hardly anyone here agreed with me when I was predicting Japan style stagnation and deflation, a year or more ago.
And yes, things will get worse in 2009. However, things always bottom out at some point and it's not clear until well afterward that the bottom has occurred.
#6
Mike, some estimates are for a final DOW between 800-1500. Too much emphasis is put on the Great Depression for comparisons with this current problem.
Much can be learned from studying both the Panic of 1893 and the Panic of 1837, as they both had elements we see today that did not figure highly into the GD. (Have a look at their Wikis).
The Panic of 1893 shows what happens when the US government nears default, and 1837 shows what happens with a massive bond default.
#8
That's bad juju for my renewable energy portfolio. Should I sell before the supernova?
Posted by: ed ||
12/22/2008 18:47 Comments ||
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#9
Anonymoose, the Panic of 1837 was also fueled by massive new tarrifs that hit the Southerners hard. Many went bankrupt. One reason for the later Secesion was because the Republican platform included passing a new tarrif that would impose a 48% cost on imported goods. In other words, if a merchant sent 1 million dollars worth of raw materials to England or France and got 1 million dollars' worth of finished products the Federal Government would get $480,000. No one could survive that.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
12/22/2008 18:52 Comments ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Besides, Khaleda is spending more time holding rallies and is on a whirlwind campaign tour. She has put in every ounce of her strength to visit as many spots as possible within the shortest possible time. The BNP chief starts her day around 9:00 in the morning and continues her tour and rallies late into the night. On one occasion at least, she addressed a 5:00am rally.
Despite the security threat, Hasina has retained her usual manners of often stopping her car on her way to hug, say, an old woman or a child and talk to them. Khaleda maintains her official attitude. Only once in her tour did she stop to meet some women supporters at Rajbari in Magura.
