David Shearer may appeal to potential Labour voters because of his freshness, but there are some media training issues he needs to work on. His opponemt, David Cunliffe, is an expert at getting his points across clearly and concisely through the media. He can talk in sound bites. This is a valuable skill and one Shearer needs to learn if he becomes the Leader of the Opposition. Cunliffe has clearly had media training, because he is an expert in media interviews. In contrast, Shearer has been stuttering his way through his answers, and is not communicating his messages as clearly as his opponent. To some extent, this may impress people because he doesn't come across as a slick politician like Cunliffe does. But if he is to lead his party, he will need to learn how to communication effectively through the media. While he has an impressive CV, it appears that his roles have not required major communication through the media. Shearer clearly needs media training and to learn how media interviews are like no other conversation. But once he has gained these skills, there is no reason he can't be an effective Labour leader.