Fairfax Press Peddles the Marrickville Myth

It began with speculation in the wake of last year's state election that the Greens' Fiona Byrne just missed out on the seat of Marrickville because of her support for BDS*.

This was fuelled by the loose talk of ex-Green Ian Cohen and then Australian Greens leader Bob Brown, and assiduously fanned by Murdoch's Australian: BDS is electoral poison. It became one of those memes known as 'received wisdom'.

And here it is again, in the immediate wake of the NSW local government elections, putting in an appearance in the Fairfax press:

"The result is likely to be interpreted as a backlash at the council's support of boycotts of Israeli business under the Greens and its focus on international relations." (Tide turns in era without Brown, Heath Aston, The Sun-Herald, 9/9/12)

"In some municipalities such as Leichhardt or Marrickville, where the Greens controlled the council, it might have been the anti-incumbency effect. It is tough keeping everyone happy with childcare centres, garbage collection and parking rules, especially if you are seen to be distracted by things such as the Palestinian cause or uranium exports." (Editorial: The voters are restless, 150 election results are telling us, Sydney Morning Herald, 10/9/12)

Apparently, we're supposed to believe that Marrickville voters in particular found BDS such a turn-off 18 months ago, when Labor pipped Ms Byrne by a mere 1.8%, that they maintained the rage right down to this Saturday when they took a baseball bat to the the Greens - even though the BDS banner was nowhere in view!

[*See my 4 A Myth Is Born posts 29/3/11 - 31/3/11.]