Pheu Thai Outshines Democrats: Poll

[webfact]

ABAC POLL

Pheu Thai outshines Democrats

The Natiom

BANGKOK: -- The ruling Pheu Thai Party has beaten the opposition Democrat Party in almost all areas in a recent opinion survey on their strengths and weaknesses.

A majority of 63.8 per cent of the respondents to the Abac Poll was convinced that Pheu Thai had better public policies.

Two-thirds praised Pheu Thai for responding quickly to people's problems, while 58.9 per cent frowned on the Democrats for indulging only in politicking.

On dependability, 54.3 per cent chose Pheu Thai while 45.7 per cent sided with the Democrats.

On attention to people's problems, Pheu Thai scored 53.7 per cent to the Democrats' 46.3 per cent.

The two major parties were closer in their openness to public scrutiny, with 50.3 per cent for Pheu Thai and 49.7 per cent for the Democrats.

While 68.5 per cent of respondents felt Pheu Thai was wrestling with internal fighting and conflicts, only 31.5 per cent believed the Democrats suffered from this problem.

But Pheu Thai was better prepared to select a political heir, according to 54.2 per cent of the respondents.

Almost 71 per cent thought that the Democrat Party would not be able to nominate anyone other than its current leader Abhisit Vejjajiva to the post of prime minister.

Only 29.3 per cent said the party had other qualified candidates such as Apirak Kosayodhin, Korn Chatikavanij and Chuan Leekpai.

Pheu Thai had more promising choices for future premier, such as Priewphan Damapong, Sudarat Keyuraphan, Chalerm Yoobamrung and Chaturon Chaisaeng, according to 46.8 per cent.

Noppadon Kannika, director of Abac Poll Research Centre, suggested that |the two rivals should focus on useful public policies in competing against each other.

"In contests for posts within their parties, they should use morality, knowledge and ability as the criteria for choosing their leaders," he said.

The survey drew 2,073 responses in 17 provinces from people over 18 years of age across the country. About 90 per cent of them follow political news.

-- The Nation 2012-10-22

[GiHadOrange]

nice photo to illustrate that news.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

63,8% of the population must have been brainwashed.

[siampolee]

I think you'll find that the sample size was around 2,000 people hardly a representative figure. However it does show that at the moment the Democrats need to brush up their act.

Beware though P.T.P, in the not too distant future the accounts are going to be rendered for the schemes implemented to date by the government then we may well see a change as the money supply getting to the pockets of the people is going to have to take the strain, remember a week in politics is a long time.

The P.T.P. roosters will be out crowing but remember many a rooster has ended up in the pot.

Edited October 22, 2012 by siampolee

[Noistar]

63,8% of the population must have been brainwashed.

Well the majority of the population voted for this 'Democratic' government.

Not sure what 'politicking' means. The Opposition cannot implement policies, under this government they can't even perform the role of a parliamentary Oppostion, so they are being accused of (trying) to perform their role.

Sounds as if the populace think it's a situation where the ruling party and the Democrats are equally able to act.

With this mentality there can only be further despair for Thailand.

You're right - brainwashing

Edited October 22, 2012 by Noistar

[animatic]

Abac polls all trend PTP, the other main poll trends Dems.

Just pre determined results, give or take the exact percentage.

Any competent pollster can skew a result anyway he wants to.

They can also skew it towards fairness, but why would they do that in Thailand?

Edited October 22, 2012 by animatic

[nurofiend]

has to be brainwashing doesn't it.... it just has to be.

any thai person who prefers ptp to the dems must be brainwashed... or maybe, just maybe, they don't agree with your opinion.

anyway as animatic professes... any competeny pollster can skew a result anyway he wants to.

it's general elections that count, democracy, the decision of the people... i'm sure everyone agrees with that.

[Ricardo]

Is the result of this poll any great surprise ?

The poor all get B15k/ton (or even B20k !) for their rice, they all earn B300/day as-promised, their kids all have free tablet-computers, and the cost-of-living has been reduced for all. I read it in 'Red News' !

Set that against mismanagement during the drought/floods, paying for formerly-free local-hospitals, the failure to identify any of the the Black-Shirt assasins, rising cost of booze & fags, well that's probably all down to former-PM Abhisit & the Dems, right ?

Time will tell whether the people can ever wake-up !

Edited October 22, 2012 by Ricardo

[jonclark]

And in another two weeks there will be another poll with different results, and another two weeks after that another 'newer' poll with 'better' different results ad infinitum...........

From my experience if you ask most Thai people a question along the lines of "Do you like x, y or z?" Most people will usually answer yes, simply out of politeness and good manners, by not wanting to offend or cause conflict with the person asking the question.

Which makes it fairly easy for the pollsters to 'load' the question.

Edited October 22, 2012 by jonclark

[jayboy]

The P.T.P. roosters will be out crowing but remember many a rooster has ended up in the pot.

But as far as this forum goes I don't see anybody crowing at all - just a stream of posts rather lamely and unconvicingly seeking to "explain" a result they don't much like.Nevertheless for all but the wilfully deaf and blind the broad picture of PTP strength and Democrat weakness can hardly come as a surprise.As siampolee puts it the Democrats need to brush up on their act.

[siampolee]

One should also be aware that if one starts to ask questions concerning political matters and Poo Yai's Thai's quite understandably so become a little cautious.

This is due to the influence and power that these people weild.Life is cheap to them but precious to anyone picked at random to answer a political survey.

People remember the way in which witnesses and critics vanish without a trace,.

Could you would you be sure that the pollster is who they say they are ?

Discretion is the better part of valour

Edited October 22, 2012 by siampolee

[Payboy]

nice photo to illustrate that news.

Love that Yellow background.

Above post may contain matter offensive to some. Parental guidance is advised.

[jayboy]

One should also be aware that if one starts to ask questions concerning political matters and Poo Yai's Thai's quite understandably so become a little cautious.

This is due to the influence and power that these people weild.Life is cheap to them but precious to anyone picked at random to answer a political survey.

People remember the way in which witnesses and critics vanish without a trace,.

Could you would you be sure that the pollster is who they say they are ?

Discretion is the better part of valour

You may have a point.Obviously anyone favouring the Democrats would be mortally afraid of admitting this to Abac pollsters in the knowledge that anyone doing so waould be in danger of being bumped off by Thaksin's Ninja warriors.

Returning to the real world, of all the reasons given on this thread explaining the government's positive polling position, this surely has to b e the most crazed and laughable.

[OzMick]

Amazing Thailand. A week after joining the party, you are a good candidate for future leader, because you are related to the owner.

[jayboy]

Amazing Thailand. A week after joining the party, you are a good candidate for future leader, because you are related to the owner.

You're right.It's odd that an inexperienced woman should lead the party purely on the basis of her name.

And yet despite this disadvantage she went on to take her party to a convincing general election victory, consolidated her position and now easily ahead in the opinion polls.So what does that tell us about the quality of the Democrat opposition?

[AleG]

Amazing Thailand. A week after joining the party, you are a good candidate for future leader, because you are related to the owner.

You're right.It's odd that an inexperienced woman should lead the party purely on the basis of her name.

And yet despite this disadvantage she went on to take her party to a convincing general election victory, consolidated her position and now easily ahead in the opinion polls.So what does that tell us about the quality of the Democrat opposition?

A question that goes more to the core is what does that tell us about the average Thai voter?

Seeing that two of the "promising" choices they pick for future PM as Priewhpan and Chalerm I think it speaks very badly.

"In contests for posts within their parties, they should use morality, knowledge and ability as the criteria for choosing their leaders," he said.

Right, that's what counts. Obviously Yingluck beat Abhisit because she scores higher on the three items.

[OzMick]

Amazing Thailand. A week after joining the party, you are a good candidate for future leader, because you are related to the owner.

You're right.It's odd that an inexperienced woman should lead the party purely on the basis of her name.

And yet despite this disadvantage she went on to take her party to a convincing general election victory, consolidated her position and now easily ahead in the opinion polls.So what does that tell us about the quality of the Democrat opposition?

That their propaganda machine isn't as well funded? That they don't tell porkies about recent events? That they don't use violence and intimidation to stop their opponents from canvassing? All of the above?

Or that "morality, knowledge and ability" are not as important as a family connection.

Edited October 22, 2012 by OzMick

[hellodolly]

I think you'll find that the sample size was around 2,000 people hardly a representative figure. However it does show that at the moment the Democrats need to brush up their act.

Beware though P.T.P, in the not too distant future the accounts are going to be rendered for the schemes implemented to date by the government then we may well see a change as the money supply getting to the pockets of the people is going to have to take the strain, remember a week in politics is a long time.

The P.T.P. roosters will be out crowing but remember many a rooster has ended up in the pot.

The article said

"In contests for posts within their parties, they should use morality, knowledge and ability as the criteria for choosing their leaders,"

Pretty well lets the PT out.

[hellodolly]

Abac polls all trend PTP, the other main poll trends Dems.

Just pre determined results, give or take the exact percentage.

Any competent pollster can skew a result anyway he wants to.

They can also skew it towards fairness, but why would they do that in Thailand?

I have often said it Thailand the HUB of poles that deliver the answers you tell them to.

[hellodolly]

Amazing Thailand. A week after joining the party, you are a good candidate for future leader, because you are related to the owner.

You're right.It's odd that an inexperienced woman should lead the party purely on the basis of her name.

And yet despite this disadvantage she went on to take her party to a convincing general election victory, consolidated her position and now easily ahead in the opinion polls.So what does that tell us about the quality of the Democrat opposition?

You really should keep up with reality. She has not even taken over as head of the PT. she is the party shopper and mouth piece for a convicted criminal. What does that tell you about yourself and the Thai voters.

[jayboy]

The usual suspects - always the same ones - twist and turn, dishonest, abusive and intellectually bankrupt by turns.They simply cannot accept the reality that the government scores well with the Thai people and that the opposition perfomance is mediocre.Their laughable excuses do provide a measure of entertainment.Actually the more intelligent and perceptive Democrats like Korn understand the problem rather well and it will be interesting to see how his efforts to detoxify his party will succeed.

[Docno]

I think you'll find that the sample size was around 2,000 people hardly a representative figure. However it does show that at the moment the Democrats need to brush up their act.

Beware though P.T.P, in the not too distant future the accounts are going to be rendered for the schemes implemented to date by the government then we may well see a change as the money supply getting to the pockets of the people is going to have to take the strain, remember a week in politics is a long time.

The P.T.P. roosters will be out crowing but remember many a rooster has ended up in the pot.

To the contrary, a sample size of 2000 is just fine. It equates to a margin of error of 2.2 percent. The question is rather how the sampling was done. Assuming that they strove for representativeness (not just polling people at shopping malls in Bangkok, for instance), the poll results may be quite reliable.

[whybother]

Two-thirds praised Pheu Thai for responding quickly to people's problems, while 58.9 per cent frowned on the Democrats for indulging only in politicking.

I wonder how the respondents expect the Democrats to respond to their problems given that the Democrats aren't in a position to actually do anything? What does any opposition do besides "politicking"?

[AleG]

The usual suspects - always the same ones - twist and turn, dishonest, abusive and intellectually bankrupt by turns.They simply cannot accept the reality that the government scores well with the Thai people and that the opposition perfomance is mediocre.Their laughable excuses do provide a measure of entertainment.Actually the more intelligent and perceptive Democrats like Korn understand the problem rather well and it will be interesting to see how his efforts to detoxify his party will succeed.

Moral bankruptcy, I think, is to accept the numbers as a validation of the ethics and performance of the government. A government that is lead by a criminal fugitive, with policies that are on the fast track to bankrupting (financially in this case) the country, that openly disregards the law and stuffed full of gangsters and family members of the previously mentioned criminal fugitive.

But a poll gives them a higher score, so that makes it alright, yes?

[jayboy]

Two-thirds praised Pheu Thai for responding quickly to people's problems, while 58.9 per cent frowned on the Democrats for indulging only in politicking.

I wonder how the respondents expect the Democrats to respond to their problems given that the Democrats aren't in a position to actually do anything? What does any opposition do besides "politicking"?

Huh? Are you in effect suggesting that people being polled favour the government because the opposition don't have power.Tell that to Dave Cameron.

[virtualtraveller]

This is just a poll, 70% of this country really aren't well informed enough to be grading the govt, Peua Thai are overwhelmingly the better party at winning the hearts and minds of the poor and being swift and effective with it, but it's done using the tax money mostly of those who don't support it and make most the financial contribution to the state. The populist policies of PT are brilliant for winning elections but terrible for public economics, riddled with wastage and corruption.

[jayboy]

The usual suspects - always the same ones - twist and turn, dishonest, abusive and intellectually bankrupt by turns.They simply cannot accept the reality that the government scores well with the Thai people and that the opposition perfomance is mediocre.Their laughable excuses do provide a measure of entertainment.Actually the more intelligent and perceptive Democrats like Korn understand the problem rather well and it will be interesting to see how his efforts to detoxify his party will succeed.

Moral bankruptcy, I think, is to accept the numbers as a validation of the ethics and performance of the government. A government that is lead by a criminal fugitive, with policies that are on the fast track to bankrupting (financially in this case) the country, that openly disregards the law and stuffed full of gangsters and family members of the previously mentioned criminal fugitive.

But a poll gives them a higher score, so that makes it alright, yes?

It's not a question of making it "alright": it's simply a demonstration of public opinion, the incompetence of the Democrats and the superior political skills of the current government.

Incidentally your reference to policies likely to bankrupt the country presumably refers to the rice price support programme.It's not a programme that I believe sensible in the long term but it is financial illiteracy to suggest it is ruinous.

[jonclark]

The usual suspects - always the same ones - twist and turn, dishonest, abusive and intellectually bankrupt by turns.They simply cannot accept the reality that the government scores well with the Thai people and that the opposition perfomance is mediocre.Their laughable excuses do provide a measure of entertainment.Actually the more intelligent and perceptive Democrats like Korn understand the problem rather well and it will be interesting to see how his efforts to detoxify his party will succeed.

Very true one of the reasons (but not exclusively) that PTP do so well is because the Dems are not up to scratch. That doesn't mean PTP are far from it!

The dems need to get out on th road and meet the people on a daily and continual basis and put themselves out, get their message out, represent local people on local issues that affect them, if that means they have to go into the heartland of the reds and be intimidated, they need to man up and do just that.

As cold hearted as I might sound after a few beatings of Dem canvassers the powers that be in PTP will start to get very nervous, because as the dems disastrously found out political or state sponsored violence (and i use that term loosely here) against the people = lost votes. Thai folk can't stomach it anymore. And they will be eventually left alone.

As i said the dems need to get out and meet the people at the local level and work with local people to find solutions to their problems rather than roll out their solutions from Bangkok without knowing what the problem is to begin with. In effect they have to copy PTP strategy, go grassroots farmer style and hope they can split some of the PTP vote so that after the next election PTP will have a coalition government as opposed to an outright majority this time (although PTP has included other parties in its government to add value to reconciliation). If as is often the case in Thai politics coalition governments don't last long (and it is always a messy collapse) and the Dems continue to meet the people they maybe in a stronger position 5-6 years down the line to get back in.

Edited October 22, 2012 by jonclark

[jayboy]

This is just a poll, 70% of this country really aren't well informed enough to be grading the govt, Peua Thai are overwhelmingly the better party at winning the hearts and minds of the poor and being swift and effective with it, but it's done using the tax money mostly of those who don't support it and make most the financial contribution to the state. The populist policies of PT are brilliant for winning elections but terrible for public economics, riddled with wastage and corruption.

If 70% aren't qualified to grade the government they by your logic are not qualified to participate in choosing it.That's the platform of the yellow reactionaries:if that's what you believe, say so.You also seem to have forgotten that the Democrats campaigned at the last election on an equally populist platform but could not overcome its toxic image and incompetent leadership.PTP incidentally could never win by depending on the votes of the poor alone.

[jayboy]

The usual suspects - always the same ones - twist and turn, dishonest, abusive and intellectually bankrupt by turns.They simply cannot accept the reality that the government scores well with the Thai people and that the opposition perfomance is mediocre.Their laughable excuses do provide a measure of entertainment.Actually the more intelligent and perceptive Democrats like Korn understand the problem rather well and it will be interesting to see how his efforts to detoxify his party will succeed.

Very true one of the reasons (but not exclusively) that PTP do so well is because the Dems are not up to scratch. That doesn't mean PTP are far from it!

The dems need to get out on th road and meet the people on a daily and continual basis and put themselves out, get their message out, represent local people on local issues that affect them, if that means they have to go into the heartland of the reds and be intimidated, they need to man up and do just that.

As cold hearted as I might sound after a few beatings of Dem canvassers the powers that be in PTP will start to get very nervous, because as the dems disastrously found out political or state sponsored violence (and i use that term loosely here) against the people = lost votes. Thai folk can't stomach it anymore. And they will be eventually left alone.

As i said the dems need to get out and meet the people at the local level and work with local people to find solutions to their problems rather than roll out their solutions from Bangkok without knowing what the problem is to begin with. In effect they have to copy PTP strategy, go grassroots farmer style and hope they can split some of the PTP vote so that after the next election PTP will have a coalition government as opposed to an outright majority this time (although PTP has included other parties in its government to add value to reconciliation). If as is often the case in Thai politics coalition governments don't last long (and it is always a messy collapse) and the Dems continue to meet the people they maybe in a stronger position 5-6 years down the line to get back in.

Interesting and perceptive.Though few would credit it, I would like to see a resurgence in Democrat strength and your suggestions form part of that process.The hard part is to accept that Abhisit, talented but fatally flawed, must be ditched and the party must unharness itself from the army, feudalists and other reactionaries.