Judging books by their covers

Wise old sayings were once taught to us all. A form of storytelling they prepared each generation for life.

One of the better ones is ‘‘don’t judge a book by its cover’’.

Well going out on a limb here, but aren’t we all guilty of doing exactly that?

It comes to mind as the election looms; as it appears both Prime Minister Bill English and Labour leader Andrew Little do have something in common - an image problem.

Their respective public relation teams will have to work hard this year to assist both leaders, especially as there’s the ‘‘there’s boring old Bill and Little’s not much better’’ catch-cry doing the rounds.

Jacinda Adhern’s rise to deputy leader of the Labour party now has some cynics suggesting she may be the lift Labour needs in the polls, more so if she replaces Little.

And, there you have it in a nutshell. Judging before understanding, judging before getting to know someone.

Hand on your heart have you never done it?

Politicians have always needed a bit of flair, a bit of showmanship to their game. A prime example of showmanship springs to mind (let’s just spell it out instead of voicing it aka T.R.U.M.P) but that doesn’t necessarily make for a good politician for the people.

It used to be you had the opportunity to get to know someone.

A deal was done on a handshake and a reputation was hard won.

Are men judged more harshly than women in the political arena? Certainly, Helen Clark had her share of critics and not so nice labels attached to her.

Did Jenny Shipley have a harder time than Clark?

And, finally, we come to the Invercargill vote. For the first time, the major parties are all represented by women. What labels will be attached to these respective candidates?

‘‘It’s all about the work they do, how they represent us’’ you may argue. I dare you on that.

We’ve always been quick to judge and quick to form opinions.

Is it a survival skill deep in our DNA to protect ourselves from hidden danger?

When it gets harder to get to people, to get past the gatekeepers, then this election, for many will be based on how politicians can attempt to connect with us.

Millennials want a vision painted for them and our elders just want to get past the ‘‘fandangled’’ technology to make an honest assessment of someone in the flesh.

So, there’s the challenge for all candidates this year chasing votes. If you don’t look after your reputation, someone else will . . . another wise old saying.