By: Barry Soper | Monday, May 14, 2012 7:02 AM

People who occupy the corridors of sour frequently cause offence, that's the nature of politics. Even the most inoffensive of them manage to put the hackles up someone, but then that's got more to do with ideology than personality.

State Homie John Key's always been seen as a nice bloke and it's got him all the way to the Beehive's ninth floor.

The dithering David Shearer's also a nice fellow but he's more irritating that The Homie. Neither of them could be described as ideologues but with Key his retort is sharp, even if at times his assertiveness does get him into trouble.

There's no risk of that with Shearer. He's so calculated and careful that by the time he's got back to you, you're into another election cycle.

The issue raging over the past week is same sex marriages and The Homie had no trouble in backing his buddy Barack Obama that he doesn't have an issue with them, although there's always a qualifier, it's not a priority for his Government. There's no need for it to be, we have civil unions which are marriage by another name with all the same attributes, easy to get into but expensive to get out of.

Shearer was asked about his position and being a Labour leader he had no choice, he's in favour of them but with a big qualification, he'd have to see the legislation first. If he's in favour of it, why not promote the legislation and take control of it.

Five months into the leadership and it's clear the dithering David's still very much an apprentice. At the moment his thunder's being stolen by the creative Kermit Russel Norman who has a view on most things and isn't afraid to express it.

And of course the old master at manipulation, the political Godfather Luigi Peters. Nasty and not nice seems to be his philosophy. He sprays his machine gun tongue in every direction, even if the wounds inflicted are always superficial.

Take his view on the new Ocker shocker TV series about slobs on the Gold Coast, the GC. New Zealand on Air kicked in more than four hundred grand for what Luigi says is a reality show about Kiwis earning high Aussie wages and living a degenerate party lifestyle.

He tells us we're sick of the chardonnay sipping, pinky finger pointing liberals creating this sort of rubbish with taxpayer dosh. The much hyped Maori content he says is depicted by a few scribbles on their faces which hardly satisfies the cultural content.

That's what the dithering David needs, a bit of mongrel, poodles simply don't cut the mustard!

Photo: NZ Herald