Pauline Hanson has shown her true self. Is this still the PM you want? |
The premeditated put-down of Jacqui Lambie and her health issue is the most tasteless, vulgar and vicious political snipe I've seen.
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There are two unattractive aspects to this. And one surprise.
First, the calculated premeditation. This was no off-the-cuff, heat-of-the-moment error of judgement. The second aspect is the initial refusal to recognise the error and apologise. The apology is not only too little, too late. It just doesn't add up.
The issue has, however, shown Pauline Hanson in a new light. Her handling of this has been gutless and lily-livered to say the least.
She looks weak and pathetic. First, she defended the video calling it satire and advising everyone to take a chill pill.
Surely you wouldn't defend a video under attack, if you hadn't seen it. That would be completely stupid. The old "I-didn't-know" line which she is tossing about ignores the fact that when she clearly did know she initially defended the indefensible.
The video will most certainly plant seeds of doubt amongst her fans.
It is a big mistake to assume that Hanson supporters are all nasty people.
Hanson demonises whole groups of people and the rest of us shouldn't follow suit. Who doesn't know someone who likes that Hanson is vocalising their concerns, but hasn't yet focused on the fact she is not offering any workable solutions?
They may well be misguided in assuming that because she amplifies well-known problems she actually has some solutions. But they'd have the same share of nice and nasty as many other political groups.
Despite our differences in political views, backgrounds, wealth and more, we have in common that we are basically a nice bunch of people. Our reputation internationally is of a friendly, easy-going lot who are almost always happy to lend a hand to those in need. Generally speaking we would rather lift someone up than put them down.
It's a fair bet that her supporters like so many other Australians don't think making fun of someone's health issue is anything other than cheap and nasty.
Hanson has lost the plot if she thinks saying that Lambie had already made her condition public initially saved her. Blindness, prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs and so many other medical conditions........