Internet-Mana Party. The fallout begins

So the fallout of the Kim Dotcom Internet Party and Hone Hawaria's Mana Party merger has begun. This in itself isn't a suprise,  as Sue Bradford made clear when the meger was first suggested that she was dead against it and would quit if it went ahead. Thankfully Sue is a woman of her word and has stuck up for her principles. Contrasting with Mana Party leader Hone Hawaria's money and anti John Key lust, that has lead to him selling out his principles.

I can only conclude that Hone is selling out for Dotcom's cash, because there is no other reason for Mana and The Internet Party to contemplate any sort of alliance. They have no crossover appeal at all.
One party is a Maori national socialist party from what would generally be described as the hard left. The other is in the mold of the Pirate party, a largely single issue technology based party,  with general appeal to technology savvy voters. Most experts agree that the general type of voter that the Internet Party should appeal to are tech savvy,  business minded, younger, center-right leaning voters.
In other words in a normal world these two parties would not even consider talking to each other, let alone entering into a formal merger for parliamentary purposes.
They should be ridiculing each other in the time on political tradition,  not jumping into bed with each other like some messed up drunken game of jealousy sex.

Luckily for us we have Sue Bradford,  and likely others, to confirm to us that Mana is selling out its principles,  and indeed its mana, for the sake of money from Kim Dotcom, and a chance to skew the 2014 election in their favour. If it wasn't for Sue standing up for jer principles,  no doubt Mana and the Internet Party would be trying to spin this as some sort of great coming together of the minds.

Although I don't, and never will agree with Sue Bradford's politics, I have had the chance to meet and deal with Sue Bradford,  and can say she is a nice respectful person,  and appeared to me to be no different to you or I. Rather than her public persona, which is generally ogerish and rabid.

Thus I can conclude that for Sue Bradford to be so against this merger, as to quit a party she joined soon after it was founded, she must have a genuine belief that this merger is against the best interests of the political left in New Zealand, and New Zealand politics in general. This is reinforced by her reported comment on Radiolive this afternoon.

"Sucking up to German millionaires is not my vision of the future."

Clearly reflecting her socialist anti capitalist views.

What will be interesting, and is something that hasn't been given much media attention, is what Maori think of the merger. Especially those Maori who were drawn to Mana's strong  Maori nationalistic policies. I can't see them gaining anything from this merger.
Indeed I see many reasons for them to be appalled at the merger, given there's only room in a party for one large personality. And I hate to tell you, Hone won't be that large personality,  Kim Dotcom will. He's a one man publicity machine, especially since his extradition trial is likely to be big news in the lead up to the election. Mana's policies and issues will be swept by the way side in the Kim Dotcom tsunami. There will be no room for discussion of any Maori issues. How can this be good for Maori voters?

How many other Mana Party members will wake up to this and defect from the party? What effect will that have on the combined Internet-Mana party vote come election day. Is it a case of rats jumping from a sinking ship before it's even left port?
Only time will tell. But in my eyes it doesn't look good.