Armstrong calls it for National

John Armstrong writes:

It feels like it is all over, red rover.

The shouting won’t stop completely until campaigning has to come to a halt tomorrow evening. But rarely has the final week of an election campaign been so flat and devoid of any sense of a fight. Rarely has it seemed as if everyone is now merely going through the motions until Saturday finally rolls around. …

The feeling of fait accompli was apparent before today’s Herald-DigiPoll survey, which has a clear majority of voters rating a National-led Government as better equipped than Labour to handle the economy, with even more voters thinking National is going the win the election. …

However, the widespread feeling among those observing this election with no axe to grind is that over the last week the election has slipped away from Labour. The pervading question is no longer whether Labour has any chance of winning. It is now the margin by which National will win.

Time will tell. But my feeling is since the H-Fee smear backfired Labour has had no forward momentum. And it is possible even the secret tapings are backfiring on them – there seems to be a revulsion about the tactics – not from partisans like me but everyday people.