I heard a great interview on the ABC’s counterpoint program the other day about the demographics of your average Greens supporter.
Former ALP Senator John Black suggests that green voters don’t conform to the popular stereotype. His research company has studied the demographic data and he offers a radical reappraisal of their attitudes and voting preferences. The richest voters in Australia he says are not Liberals but Greens.
It certainly made me feel that my characterizing them as “latte sippers” or as “Silvertail socialists” is entirely right and proper.
Anyway it is worth a listen, especially for any Labor voters out there who feel the need to jump ship (in the voting sense) because or the ineptitude of the current government. You can be sure that despite their rhetoric the Greens will always serve their own constituency (the rich) before they serve the the needs of the working class.
to hear the streaming audio.
What Black has to say about how the Silvertails have moved into the inner cities , displaced the working class people who used to live there and driven up house prices certainly makes a mockery of those who will keep insisting that the fault lies with a piffling government subsidy to first home buyers.
Anyway listen to the piece and be informed and amused.
Cheers Comrades
Iain Hall's SANDPIT 
“You can be sure that despite their rhetoric the Greens will always serve their own constituency (the rich) before they serve the the needs of the working class.”
I wouldn’t be so “sure” that Greens voters are going to suddenly start preferencing the Liberals, which is what John Black is suggesting. On what basis? Because of the mining tax, claims Black.
The problem with Black’s conclusion is that it is based on his assumption that the recent 50% increase in Greens’ support (up from 10% to 15% approx) is made up of his stereotyped typical Green voters. The reality is that Black’s data is based on the 2007 election so how can he possibly know the demographic of the new ‘Green believers’, who may well come back to the ALP anyway at the election, according to Antony Green (whose judgement I would trust ahead of Black’s any day).
Ben Raue knows Greens voters pretty well too and he completely debunks Black’s opinion. Here: http://www.tallyroom.com.au/5349
Yes Ray, smearing the Greens will become a national pastime as they get closer to holding the balance of power. Unfortunately for the Libs supporters they have to hope Tony keeps his mouth shut, as this seems the only way he could win.
It is telling that this kind of post is the worst smear Iain has been able to find, after all the claims that the Greens are dangerous and crazy.
Craigy
are you saying the it is a smear to suggest that many greens voters are in fact rather wealthy?
Would you similarly smear all Labor voters as being Catholic or working class, or- god forbid – both?
Yes Iain.
It is an attempt to reinforce the right wing meme that most Greens voters are wealthy inner-city latte sippers and armchair environmentalists, you know the smear well. It’s quite amusing that the term ‘silvertails’ is being used as a smear against Greens supporters by those who usually support the party traditionally aligned with big business, the wealthy suburbs and wealthy voters. I have no idea why being wealthy should automatically be a bad thing, or why it is a talking point that some people are seen as ‘silvertails’, perhaps you could explain?
HJ, I have no idea what you are talking about.
Craig
I’m not surprised.
Craigy
I just don’t see it as a smear to say that someone is rich some of my lefty friends are well “comfortably off” and that does not mean they are of necessity insincere or hypocritical because they care about their fellows. The problem comes when those Greens voters want to up their socialist credentials by denying the truth about their situation.
“The problem comes when those Greens voters want to up their socialist credentials by denying the truth about their situation.”
What Green voters? The Green voters in my area (or people like Jeremy on-line) don’t identify as socialists.
If supporting some of the ideas that socialists support makes Green voters socialists, then aren’t you a socilaist to Iain? You have been talking up your support for some ‘socialist’ ideas of late.