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Hunting Paroubek

23. 5. 2010 / Milan Daniel

Social Democratic leader Jiri Paroubek undoubtedly deserves the fair criticism over some of his public performances. But what he certainly does not deserve is the single mindedly seditious hate campaign, the true man-hunt that has been done against him by the Czech media, with the main daily newspaper, Mlada Fronta Dnes, at the head of it. It is a professionally-built campaign, touching different levels of perception, and aimed at young voters, about whom we can expect that the choice of candidate will be made in a less rational, more emotional basis.

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Among their tactics are the hype around web pages from opponents, Facebook groups making fun or insulting him, amateur polls, virtual demonstrations organized to discredit leftism -- all and much more to portray Paroubek as a repulsive fat man, as a notorious liar, a person who doesn't know how to smile and, on the contrary, has a constant angry looks. I am not Paroubek's uncritical admirer nor voter. I wonder, though, how he can stand such a huge pressure from all that media garbage that is thrown upon him.

As the "student elections", organized by the organization People in Need (Clovek v Tisni), showed, this media image cast upon Paroubek has fallen over the perception of the whole Social Democratic party. And that was the actual intention all along.

It is no use to mention that the leftist leader is in his private life known as a rather lovable, nice person, with a sense of humor and empathy. That for those aspects of his personality there is no market is not his fault -- the lies massaged by the media a thousand times have become a virtual truth and his advisers don't seem to know how to fight it effectively.

It is undeniable that all this campaign done by the media against Paroubek will cost him some small percent of votes. Within the frame of a non-conclusive winner in the upcoming elections, it is some gain that lowers the chances of a leftist majority in the parliament.

These elections are not about Paroubek or Kalousek, Filip, Necas or John, but about our political direction, about whether normal people will have a say in practical politics -- whether those who produce real goods, not those who twist around money, are in charge. Paroubek doesn't have to be nice. He is the lesser evil.

Vytisknout

Obsah vydání | Pondělí 2.8. 2010