Are Singapore voters sophisticated?

[Perspective]

The recent Taiwan election showed something. Every time a party gets too much of a margin, the tide is bound to turn the next time. It shows that voters place very much emphasis on balance.

In reality, KMT's record as govt is no different from its record as provincial governors or its anticipated record before Ma was elected. Ma had already been criticized for being undecisive before he became president, yet people are saying his indecisiveness caused KMT's loss in the 3 in 1 election. So this cannot the real reason.

Same for the president election. Every voter was worried that his neighbour would return DPP so they voted KMT. That's how Ma won with one of the largest majorities in history. But his vote would surely come down next time.

To the Taiwan voter, "freak results" are never a concern as long as there's balance.

It's obvious looking at the outcome of Singapore's parliament today, that Singapore voters have no priority for balance, although balance is a very important factor to build because it encourages competition.

Due to our peculiar system, PAP votes need to fall to 55% just to cause it to lose 2 GRCs. Our system makes it possible for a party to achieve 48% of the votes yet win all the seats. But I do not think 45% can emerge in Singapore to become sophisticated enough to believe in balance.

 

[tonychat]

The sinkie govt is a coward and most sinkie are balless, of course balless vote for balless.

 

[Tadakatsu Honda]

The sinkie govt is a coward and most sinkie are balless, of course balless vote for balless.

If you don't have anything good to say, then STFU otherwise i will kick your ass regularly.

 

[theblackhole]

please lah, singaporeans are the best voters in the world - they consistently vote in the best governance in the world..

of course they are sophisticated ...we don't want to see fightings in parliament...do you?

 

[tonychat]

If you don't have anything good to say, then STFU otherwise i will kick your ass regularly.

If you are not happy with what i write , then dun read it. Sinkie ASshole. Why, your master ask you to come here and do control here? Too bad, you are not up to your task. WAHAHAHAH!!!

Please grow up .. not everyone will do things when others want them to do. You are better off bending down to your sinkie govt screwer if you dun understand this.

 

[Tadakatsu Honda]

If you are not happy with what i write , then dun read it. Sinkie ASshole. Why, your master ask you to come here and do control here? Too bad, you are not up to your task. WAHAHAHAH!!!

That is alright with the others here as you are on their ignore list. So tell us

Is it a sinkiefied thing for you to create a clone nick Sinkieloser just to bash sinkies?

You as an ex sinkie who run away to thailand to be a pimp with your ladyboy GF is definitely worse than us.

http://www.singsupplies.com/showthread.php?t=43435

 

[tonychat]

WHo gives a fuck what others wanna do? Ignore or not ignore is non of my business. But they are at least more sensible than you. IF they dun like something, ignore it.

BUt for some who are too used to being screwed by their govt, i do understand why they are sadistic.

And yes i will do the same now, ignore list.. welcome..

 

[theblackhole]

hahaha another bashing duel...horsay liao...anothe thread destroyed...

sophisticated singaporans behaving in a sophisticated manner...no parliament to fight...but fight in cyber parliment...good! keep it up!!!

 

[Internet Brigade]

The recent Taiwan election showed something. Every time a party gets too much of a margin, the tide is bound to turn the next time. It shows that voters place very much emphasis on balance.

In reality, KMT's record as govt is no different from its record as provincial governors or its anticipated record before Ma was elected. Ma had already been criticized for being undecisive before he became president, yet people are saying his indecisiveness caused KMT's loss in the 3 in 1 election. So this cannot the real reason.

Same for the president election. Every voter was worried that his neighbour would return DPP so they voted KMT. That's how Ma won with one of the largest majorities in history. But his vote would surely come down next time.

To the Taiwan voter, "freak results" are never a concern as long as there's balance.

It's obvious looking at the outcome of Singapore's parliament today, that Singapore voters have no priority for balance, although balance is a very important factor to build because it encourages competition.

Due to our peculiar system, PAP votes need to fall to 55% just to cause it to lose 2 GRCs. Our system makes it possible for a party to achieve 48% of the votes yet win all the seats. But I do not think 45% can emerge in Singapore to become sophisticated enough to believe in balance.

Comon. The Taiwanese political system is comic theatre of flying fists and dragon kicks.

 

[theblackhole]

parliament should be a battle-ground of wits..and twits..hhahhaaa

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

comon. The taiwanese political system is comic theatre of flying fists and dragon kicks.

觀念平台－選舉 突出了台灣的價值

* 2009-12-11
* 中國時報
* 【蔡詩萍】

　這樣說，好像很奇怪，包括我在內，不是很多人都常批評台灣的選舉文化嗎？不管是派系糾纏、政黨惡鬥、賄選頻傳等等，哪一樣不是對「台式民主」的品質，所打的折扣呢？

　沒人能否認這些事實。

　不過，當大陸民眾批評台灣選舉時，當海外華人調侃台灣選舉時，包括我在內，一定也有很多台灣人，會挺身而出捍衛台灣的民主，會替距離完美境界還差很遠的台灣選舉，說幾句公道話。理由無它，因為放眼華人世界，有哪裡，可以跟台灣一樣，實踐了最基本的民主機制：定期選舉，公民普遍享有選舉權利，不論選戰怎麼激烈，甫一結束，輸家再不服氣也得接受，贏家再怎樣得意，也得說幾句顯現氣度的話。

　或許，最最重要的，是如此不完美的選舉文化，竟然也淘汰過五十幾年一黨獨大的國民黨，竟然也讓民進黨執政了，竟然也促成二次政黨輪替，竟然又可以經由二○○九年縣市長選舉，發揮類似期中選舉的效果，讓總統大選贏得很輝煌的馬英九，事隔一年多之後挫折得尷尬不已！

　解讀這些選舉效應，誰說台灣的民主沒意義呢！誰又能說，構成台灣民主的重要基石｜選舉，沒有積極的意義呢！盡管，它依舊問題重重。

　民主，不可能憑空而降，民主是爭來的，不過，民主一旦有了自主的生命，便會反噬曾經撫育過它的任何英雄或政黨，只要這些政黨這些英雄，背離了民主的基本精神，脫離了選民的殷切期待，民主機制就會請他們下台，讓另一批人上台執政。甚至，有時候，還更殘忍，像英國首相邱吉爾於二次大戰後，頂著二戰英雄的光輝，竟然被選民所遺棄，迫使他說出了這句名言：「對政治領袖無情，是偉大民族的象徵。」是的，政治領袖不必犯錯，人民只要覺得不爽、厭倦了，就可以透過選票，請他走人。

　但是，我們不容忘記，若這國家根本無民主可言，那除非搞革命，否則再偉大的民族，亦無法撼動威權、獨裁的政治領袖。放眼新加坡、香港、中國大陸，哪裡有類似台灣，值得一提的真正民主機制的選舉呢？

　國家現代化的目標，若僅僅是富國強兵，那中國已經做到了。若現代化的目標，還須包括人民當家作主的核心價值，那台灣無疑是華人社會裡，唯一的「民主進行式」實驗平台。這便是台灣價值。是經由民主政治裡的選舉機制，所構築出來的台灣價值。

　說得還不夠清楚嗎？再舉幾個例子吧，陳水扁掌權八年，對貪腐弄權的行徑，自以為可隻手遮天，但人民一旦用選票支持馬英九，二次政黨輪替一交接，陳水扁便淪為階下囚，毫無翻身餘地。二○○九年底的縣市長選舉，證明了民進黨可以擺脫陳水扁了。同樣，選票也警醒了國民黨、馬英九，人民心中自有一把尺，會移動鐘擺，顯示民心動向的指標。選舉，當然突出了台灣的價值，在這裡，人民是可以當家做主人的。　（作者為作家）

 

[soIsee]

The sinkie govt is a coward and most sinkie are balless, of course balless vote for balless.

The Sinkie maybe balless here and there with the occassional cowards thrown in but...

DO THEY PUT ON RED SHIRTS OR YELLOW SHIRTS AND COW PEH COW BU ON THE STREETS EVERYDAY?

You go and think it over lah

There are some issues I agree are not going so well in SinkLand but at least the crime rate and the ppl don't go crazy in huge numbers like in Thailand!

 

[jacobsgoh]

Voters in leeapore are not only sophisticated but also very calculative, never selling their votes cheap and always voted the ruling party wisely; after receiving freebies.

 

[denzuko1]

Singapore voters are idiots, putting all eggs into one basket. Now the basket is rotten and all the eggs are damaged.

 

[Perspective]

Singapore voters are idiots, putting all eggs into one basket. Now the basket is rotten and all the eggs are damaged.

Crude but meets my point exactly.

 

[TeeKee]

Actually we are getting really sophisticated, I Leemember last Presidential election, 60% against 40%...

Only if LeeRegime doesn't cheat in the elections after that, we could have reached 51% against 49%..now...

Or even 45% against 55%....Developed countries with solid and transparent govt. with better educated population will always get closed to 50%....

 

[ksgd0717]

Qn :
How to train your dragon?

Ans :
ORs have to start teaching officer(s) why main reinforcements are placed on the tension side.


p.s. "officer(s) needs help with concrete matters"

 

[elephanto]

I believe the singapore electorate was first described as 'sophisticated' by the Old Man in his press conference after the 1984 elections. He elaborated by saying 'they want a PAP Govt yet want to send a signal to PAP that they don't like some of the high-handed ways' - somthing to that effect.

Then he followed up by floating 'maybe should have 1 man 2 votes for some...' nonsense.

Whether electorate 'sophisticated or not', such an aspiration as Lee ascribed to the voters is no less illegitimate or unreasonable.

Like they say, takes one to know one. Lee probably projected his own Machiavellian psyche onto the electorate.

However poor its public image, it is too simplistic to dismiss Taiwan parliament as fistfights & dragon kicks.

The chief difference between what we see in Taiwan & contrast with Singapore is in the way the Election Rules & Process have been hijacked by the PAP.

Sad but true, we have to go back to the game-changing Barisan Walkout & British Base Withdrawal fears to begin & entrench the paralysis of one party Parliament tradition.

From 1968 onwards, the long years of party dominance in parliament & safe successful years of the 70s up till 1985, led to Old Man & PAP believing they knew best & should be Unique, screw conventions everywhere.

Hence all the election tinkering & creative mangling - from creating GRCs, NCMPs, NMPs, practically outlawing by-elections etc etc. all in the name of 'we know Singapore best & are adapting practices unique to our political landscape' justification.

If today, everything is still good old simple 1st-past-the-post SMCs, then Singapore Election Results can truly reflect the electorate's wishes.

Today, there is systemic malaise & inertia that seriously distort & frustrate the true wishes of the people. No?

Don't start to say 'when there is a will, there is a way..' - that is a catch all motherhood statement.

With an obese & mutated electoral mechanism, how 'sophisticated' can an electorate get, what room for realistic 'sophistication' ?

 

[manokie]

The recent Taiwan election showed something. Every time a party gets too much of a margin, the tide is bound to turn the next time. It shows that voters place very much emphasis on balance.

That's why those taiwanese leaders cannot be as arrogant as PAP and insult the citizens

Once they say something wrong, they will be voted out

 

[jw5]

The recent Taiwan election showed something. Every time a party gets too much of a margin, the tide is bound to turn the next time. It shows that voters place very much emphasis on balance.

In reality, KMT's record as govt is no different from its record as provincial governors or its anticipated record before Ma was elected. Ma had already been criticized for being undecisive before he became president, yet people are saying his indecisiveness caused KMT's loss in the 3 in 1 election. So this cannot the real reason.

Same for the president election. Every voter was worried that his neighbour would return DPP so they voted KMT. That's how Ma won with one of the largest majorities in history. But his vote would surely come down next time.

To the Taiwan voter, "freak results" are never a concern as long as there's balance.

It's obvious looking at the outcome of Singapore's parliament today, that Singapore voters have no priority for balance, although balance is a very important factor to build because it encourages competition.

Due to our peculiar system, PAP votes need to fall to 55% just to cause it to lose 2 GRCs. Our system makes it possible for a party to achieve 48% of the votes yet win all the seats. But I do not think 45% can emerge in Singapore to become sophisticated enough to believe in balance.

I don't think the situation in Taiwan is similar to Singapore.
Taiwan is now essentially a 2 party state, with the "basic" electorate generally being about 55% KMT and 45% DPP, with the middle 20 to 30% considered as potential swing votes or commonly known as "shallow or light" blue or green.
Hence in times of economic recession or if there are natural disasters not well handled by the ruling party or if there are issues perceived not to be for the benefit of the people, the 20 to 30% may swing to the opposition.
But other than the 20 to 30%, the others are considered "deep", and will vote for either party, whatever the case, perhaps even if the candidate dances about naked.

Singapore is different, it's essentially a one party state, with the opposition being somewhat disunited and fragmented. The % of core or "deep" opposition voters is probably quite low, about 20%. Many of them are probably here.