Can the “Abhisit anywhere, any time” campaign convince voters he is downtoearth and a tough candidate to become prime minister?

From now on, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva will not leave his party headquarters early and will spend longer with his audiences to show he is dedicated to the mission – as all good politicians must be – according to his strategists.
The elitestyled politician needs to see all walks of life to show them he is truly a man of the people.
Last Friday, Abhisit was greeted with some screaming from showbiz operators and transsexual performers from the Tiffany show in Chon Buri while campaigning in the province.
The party’s strategic team has recently changed the image of their leader in order to win the hearts of voters. With the new motto of “Abhisit anywhere, any time”, he is now like a 7Eleven convenience store and able to meet people any place around the clock.
He also visited shopkeepers on Khao San Road as well as taxi and tuk tuk drivers on the same night.
Taxi drivers were great supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his Thai Rak Thai Party.
What Abhisit did, Thaksin had done before, and became very popularity as a result.
A party strategist said the campaign aimed to show Abhisit as a young, hardworking and determined politician. He was willing to meet all groups of people, including nightlife workers who have little chance to meet politicians during the day.
But this new flurry of meeting people anywhere ended on Saturday.
However, the strategist admitted the “anywhere, any time” campaign was really a kind of rebranding rather than a campaign, adding that Abhisit had already visited the people he planned to visit.
Meanwhile, another strategist said the campaign was designed to be a surprise. Besides, “the iron must be forged when hot,” he said, referring to the opinion poll released last Thursday that showed Abhisit was leading People Power Party leader Samak Sundaravej as the person most suitable for the prime minister’s post.
Abhisit has also dropped the “sharptongued” character of the Democrat Party he succeeded from his supporter and party chief adviser, Chuan Leekpai.
His approach has changed too. When asked to attack Thaksin, Abhisit declined and said he would rather do his job.
The Democrat leader has also learned during the election campaign that people were bored with politicians attacking each other and wanted the election and a new government as soon as possible.
Abhisit’s rebranding came after the party’s “Urgent Operation Plan Doable in 99 Days” campaign was launched earlier this month.
A strategist said the campaign was designed to do away with the “sluggish” image of the party and aimed to instil confidence in voters that the party can do what it claims it will do.
The party’s People’s Agenda campaign, launched a year ago, had received good feedback but people still wondered whether the party was too slow.
 “It needs some time before people understand the People’s Agenda,” the strategist said, while the party had to launch the 99day plan nearer election day.
“The party must be sure enough to make promises. In such a short time, where can it hide its face if it can’t do as it says within 99 days?”

Kornchanok Raksaseri,
Yossawadee Hongthong
The Nation