On Baird

David Hand writes: Re. “Cui bono? The curious case of the grim industry that thrives on the lockout laws” (Friday). Baird made a PR cock up with his posturing but unfortunately for those of us who enjoy going out, the influence on Baird is not so much the casinos but middle aged people who last visited Kings Cross at around 9pm in the evening in 1992 and who now sit at home watching The Biggest Loser and being scared to death by lurid reports on Today Tonight. These people vote. Patrons of bars in the Cross tend not to.

I was in a bar with a colleague in Kings Cross a few months ago at around 9pm on a Wednesday night. We ordered a bottle of wine and two glasses. The bar was not allowed to let us have the bottle on our table but kept it behind the bar because they were an “at risk” venue. This was a surprise as we were the only customers in the bar at the time. It didn’t turn out too badly because in the 45 minutes we were there, not a single other customer came in so the bar staff had the time to personally refresh our glasses. None of the coward punches that generated such hysteria occurred after midnight and they still happen today in other suburbs. But the Cross is dead now. The nimby set whose property values are increasing due to the gentrification of the Cross will make sure of that.

On Rubio

Peter Rennie writes: Re. “Rundle: political deathwatch at the Rubio wake” (Thursday). I have been enjoying your columns Guy, but this comment made me smile: “Bernie won’t win”. Maybe it’s not just the Rubio supporters who exist in a bubble as you also wrote.

Last month I noticed a change in the number of readers who began writing comments to a number of New York Times articles that were clearly pro-Hillary and anti-Bernie. At first it was hundreds but over the last few weeks sometimes over two thousand readers chose to show their written support for Bernie. People have gone to the trouble to write not just press the recommend button’ which can be three times that number.

When you read the most recommended posts you can tell these are sophisticated people. Of course they are progressive. Most are old and many declare that they are women. I write this because it has now become clear that Bernie has also garnered the support of the young who mostly aren’t included in the NYT comment writers demographic.

So Bernie has the support of the politically aware older voter, male and female, and he has significant and growing support amongst the young. Bernie won’t win … how can you be so sure?