According to Index, I cannot win the election in North Pest. Of course I can!! If the voters of the Brussels parties make a mistake, I will be the laughing third 😁 #northpest #pestujhely
What do you think about the Index article claiming that there is no scenario in which I could win here in North Pest? Actually, there is — let me show you.
I’ll draw it on the back of this defective poster.
According to the current polls, the strong candidate here in North Pest is Balázs Barkóczi. I’m just slightly behind him — Balázs Németh. And here are the others: Tisza, Mi Hazánk, and the Two-Tailed Dog Party.
And the scenario that would favor me is the following: if Tisza voters make the tactical mistake of getting carried away by enthusiasm and vote for their own candidate in the individual district instead of supporting Balázs Barkóczi, the locally strong Brussels-aligned left-wing candidate, then I will be the laughing third. 😁
1️⃣ “Hostile media” framing
Excerpt
“According to Index, I cannot win the election in North Pest.”
Technique
The politician presents a media article as a hostile actor.
➡️ “according to Index…”
➡️ “I cannot win”
This suggests that the media is not an objective analyst, but a political opponent.
Goal
- to discredit negative media coverage
- to mobilize the candidate’s own supporters
- to portray criticism as a hostile attack
Effect
Supporters may develop the feeling that:
➡️ “the media is working against us.”
This is a classic populist media-framing technique.
2️⃣ “Us vs. Brussels parties” framing (us-vs-them framing)
Excerpt
“If the voters of the Brussels parties make a mistake…”
Technique
Opponents are grouped under a single negative label:
➡️ “Brussels parties”
This simplifies the political landscape.
Goal
- to delegitimize opponents
- to frame the political conflict as a national struggle
Effect
Readers may form the impression that:
➡️ “they represent Brussels, not Hungary.”
3️⃣ Manipulation of tactical voting (strategic voting framing)
Excerpt
“If Tisza voters make the mistake of voting for their own candidate…”
Technique
The politician does not emphasize his own program, but focuses on the mathematics of the election.
➡️ tactical mistake
➡️ vote splitting
➡️ “laughing third”
Goal
- to portray the election as a strategic game
- to create uncertainty among opposition voters
Effect
A voter might start thinking:
➡️ “maybe I really would be making a tactical mistake.”
4️⃣ The “laughing third” narrative (underdog comeback)
Excerpt
“I will be the laughing third.”
Technique
The candidate portrays himself as an underdog with a potential comeback.
This is a common campaign device:
➡️ “I’m not leading right now”
➡️ “but there is a path to victory”
Goal
- to energize the candidate’s supporters
- to challenge the perception that the race is already decided
Effect
Supporters may feel:
➡️ “the election is still open.”
5️⃣ “Drawn explanation” populist visualization (simplified visual politics)
Excerpt
“I’ll draw it on the back of a defective poster.”
Technique
The politician explains politics with a simple drawing.
This is a deliberate communication tool:
➡️ informal
➡️ direct
➡️ “people-style” presentation
Goal
- to make electoral mathematics easy to understand
- to build a direct, non-elitist image
Effect
The message spreads more easily on social media.
Overall picture
Balázs’s message is not about policy, but about three main narratives:
1️⃣ Hostile media (Index)
2️⃣ Brussels vs. the national side
3️⃣ Tactical voting → the “laughing third”
This is a typical campaign rhetoric, where:
- media criticism → is framed as an attack
- opponents → are linked to an external power
- the election → is presented as a strategic game.