hey everyone in #nzpol - if Hooton is in a comms role for Muller, then "the hat" is intentional - has already done the job, alongside the rest of the leadership challenge gossip angles - to dominate media cycle and take eyes of Ardern and govt covid response.

which will also mean there's a second part to it in the next week where it suddenly becomes 'not an issue' in media stories and thus builds positive momentum for the new National leader.

*if* Hooton is in a comms role he will have unparalleled networks within media to do this

and we'll start seeing the kind of dumb shit you see in the UK from Tories/Cummings, "a good friend of Muller/Hooton etc." ... in fact you've already seen this last week, as that is how Hooton described himself, as a form of 'disclosure'.

Just hope reporters aren't sucked in lol

we also already saw 'leaks' directly from what is pretty heavily implied to be the Muller campaign. For two weeks, without attribution. Outlets were pretty happy to report without analysis, as they often have been in #nzpol. this is going to be very very easy, I imagine.