Never give up - new look DA

The official opposition in South Africa, the Democratic Alliance, has relaunched their look and feel. The relaunch took place this past weekend at the Constitution Hill in Braamfontein.

I think Tony Leon used a necessarily aggressive approach in order to entrench the DA as the official opposition. He evolved the DP from the pit of insignificance to real political relevancy. The party's leadership now feel that a more inclusive (the colours of the South African flag) approach is necessary to build an infrastructure from which they can bill themselves as not only just an opposition party - but a party of government.

There has been some controversy over the similarities between the new DA logo and the Barak Obama campaign logo (well spotted by commentary.co.za). Quite frankly, I couldn't really care. It looks ok, better than the Obama logo I would venture, and its close enough to their previous logo (the previous DA logo was also round and featured a sun) to be on the safe side. It looks new, young, fresh and sends a message of hope for a better future. But, its just a logo, the real changes in their approach are:

• An attempt to position the DA not as a party of opposition, but as a party of government
• The (somewhat dubious) determination to be in the national government in the near future

I'll share my thoughts soon but for now check out the new DA website at www.da.org.za

Here's a (somewhat amusing) video of Helen Zille singing along to a song whose title has become somewhat of a DA/DP/PFP mantra over the past couple of decades: Never give up

Comments

[BLACKLISTED DICTATOR]

Steve,
I have, so far, received no reply from The DA regarding my recent email.
It will be interesting to see whether I get the courtesy of an acknowledgement. Perhaps now Joel Pollak is, unavailable, in the States, the blacklisted dictator will now be called upon ??
I hold my breath.

Subject: 2009 bill-boards
Date: 18 November 2008 9:05:12 AM
To: headoffice@da.org.za

Dear Helen Zille,

If I was advising The DA on bill-boards for the 2009 election, I would show some gleaming black Porsches, Mercs and BMW’s with the caption..

“ANC DELIVERY!
HOUSING, HEALTH CARE AND SCHOOLS?”

[BLACKLISTED DICTATOR]

I await the bill-boards...

Dear Mr Posner

Thank you for your suggestion. I have forwarded it to the marketing team.

Kind regards

Gaironesa Sonnenberg
Leader's Office
Democratic Alliance
Parliament

[BLACKLISTED DICTATOR]

Shikota? Likshowa!

As far as I know, “Congress of Loads of People” was one of those orgies in the desert. I remember it was mentioned in in the bible. Wasn’t it the reason why Moses went up the mountain and cobbled together some commandments?

Btw, did he actually forget to put in a commandment about orgies or was it covered by adultery and not coveting your neighbour’s ox??

[Daniel]

Hmmm. Did anyone ontice that the rays of the Sun look a little bit like the ANC's wheel spokes? Comments? Is there something to that?

[Mike]

looks like Bibi and the Likud is using the same web designers.

http://netanyahu.org.il/?section=StopIran:English

[Steve]

Nope, I don't see much resemblance with the wheel spikes :)

The Likud site design is actually quite nicely done. Can't find the English version though.

[Darren]

Heh, Bibi's team ripped off Obama completely. Switch the layout around to account for the right-to-left reading style and the sites are virtually identical.

Interesting that the only two language options on Netanyahu's site are Hebrew and Russian, with Arabic and English being absent. The lack of Arabic I can understand (Likud have what, three Arab Israeli supporters), but not having an English option is a curious choice when you consider the political influence the diaspora can have. Perhaps it will be added later?

[BLACKLISTED DICTATOR]

Sould you look into the sun? Won't it make you go blind?

[Darren]

Wait till everyone picks up on the subliminal message of a benign white sun rising above a land with no black stripe...

They really didn't think this through, did they?

[Steve]

And Bibi is probably the best English speaking Israeli politician around. One of his best qualities is that he can be put in front of the cameras and do an exceptional job in English.

[BLACKLISTED DICTATOR]

Darren,
I agree with you. The DA really didn't think it through.

[Lawrence]

Darren I think it entirely appropriate, the DA is a party for rich whitie and blacks who know their place.

[Lawrence]

whereas the ANC is a party for the black elite while pretending to care for the poor they sold down the river, and put them in power. The DA don't pretend to care for the poor at least.
But then coming to think of it do the ANC these days even pretend?

[Steve]

Lawrence,
The DA under Leon proposed vouchers for school leavers and a basic income grant for all South Africans to be funded by a 1% increase in VAT.

Not necessarily what your "rich whitie" is after.

[BLACKLISTED DICTATOR]

Steve,
Lawrence isn't interested in facts that might contradict the arguments he attempts to uphold. Please keep them to yourself! You do your blog a great disservice by trying to be rational.

[Lawrence]

BD your projection of your irrationality onto me is tiresome.
last I checked Tony Leon spent all his time hobnobbing, gladhandling and sucking up to the ubercorrupt captains of business and industry, guess that shows how the suffering of the poor really meant so much to him and his party.

Guess the indigent in SA must be really stupid not to support a political party that has their welfare at heart. As for " not necessarily what your rich whitie is after", "rich whitie" supports the DA, often wholeheartedly. Gee why is that Steve? So give me a break....

[BLACKLISTED DICTATOR]

Lawrence,

More of my tiresome irrationalitiy...

If African leaders, in countries which have valuable mineral reserves, could denude their lands of the population and bring in Chinese workers to work the mines, then they would.

This is the sub-text of The DRC and Zim. I have my suspicions that it will also apply to South Africa. Perhaps it already does?

The African populace, for the most part, are an incumberance.

“People Get In The Way” (PGITW) A new political party for the next election? Vote… self- extermination and an early grave.

But there is method in the ANC madness. Mugabe/Zim denialism is similar to Aids denialism. Both lead to massive reductions in population which is the unstated policy of the “ANC-Zanu PF” coalition.

It is time that the SA electorate woke up and started to think, on which road, their leaders are taking them,