"If you present good government, then elections look after themselves"
About this Quote
“If you present good government, then elections look after themselves” is a politician’s attempt to invert the usual power dynamic of democratic life: stop obsessing over the theatre of winning and focus on the work of governing. Jay Weatherill, speaking from inside a system addicted to polling, messaging, and permanent campaign mode, is staking out a moral posture - and a strategic one. The line is built to sound like common sense, almost managerial in its confidence. “Present” does quiet but telling work: good government is framed as something you can display, curate, and package, not just practice. It’s an appeal to competence that still acknowledges politics as performance.
The subtext is defensive as much as idealistic. Leaders reach for this formulation when they want permission to prioritise contested reforms, unpopular decisions, or long-horizon investments without being accused of neglecting “the politics.” It also subtly rebukes opponents and media cycles: if voters care about outcomes, then the gossip, stunts, and outrage of daily politics are secondary noise. That’s the promise.
The risk is that it can read like a comforting myth. Elections rarely “look after themselves” because voters don’t experience government as a neat report card; they experience it through identity, trust, fear, and stories - often mediated by opponents. Weatherill’s sentence works because it sells a yearning many people share: a politics where competence is rewarded. It’s also a bid to be judged on delivery, not drama, even while conceding that delivery still has to be sold.
The subtext is defensive as much as idealistic. Leaders reach for this formulation when they want permission to prioritise contested reforms, unpopular decisions, or long-horizon investments without being accused of neglecting “the politics.” It also subtly rebukes opponents and media cycles: if voters care about outcomes, then the gossip, stunts, and outrage of daily politics are secondary noise. That’s the promise.
The risk is that it can read like a comforting myth. Elections rarely “look after themselves” because voters don’t experience government as a neat report card; they experience it through identity, trust, fear, and stories - often mediated by opponents. Weatherill’s sentence works because it sells a yearning many people share: a politics where competence is rewarded. It’s also a bid to be judged on delivery, not drama, even while conceding that delivery still has to be sold.
Quote Details
| Topic | Leadership |
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