Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The perils of political confidence

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  • Ana Simkiss, in reply to Russell Brown,

    It is possible Mr Hosking has very strong feelings about privacy and the like given the trouble (and cost!) of his unsuccessful case for breach of privacy against various media (Court of Appeal decision available here for the masochistic). I would not blame him at all if he had a bit of an axe to grind.

    Freemans Bay • Since Nov 2006 • 141 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Rob Stowell,

    You can't avoid this issue, and follow the ole- "give the answer to the question you wish had been asked."

    Why not when it has worked well for Key for several years? Hooten spins that as the reason, and cunningly links the walkout not with Brethren-era Brash but with Clark's earlier Corngate interview with John Campbell.

    The problem is that the Prime Minister's success over the last few years is so great that his team hasn't had much experience in dealing with political crises. To quote someone else, he is a victim of his own success as a popular and competent prime minister.

    Like telling a job interviewer my greatest weakness is I work too hard.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    And I thought it was a Diana moment ;-)

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    There also seems to be a bit of frustration around the country about National Party candidates not turning up to, or pulling out of election meetings.

    Not in their interests to discuss policy and I doubt any existing National voters would be complaining.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    there was a really good, packed, well-organised, cross-party meeting on social policy issues in Wellington last week organised by various NGOs, but no Act or National MPs attended.

    The organisers should put a male shop window dummy on their chairs. Y'know, a hollow man. Geddit? Or a tub of lard.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to merc,

    I think Brand Key is significantly tarnished.

    And because, I'll proffer, the media is bothering to question a bigger picture than the sleepwalking a lot of them have been doing for some time. Yes Goff tried to suggest Policy would be their point of campaigning, media preferred smile and wave and cups of Tea , but start pushing the media around, it is their duty to question this. It is after all their profession which is now at issue. I mentioned 3 years ago, Key would be like the bully at kindy who throws all the toys out of the sandpit if he can't have them all. Now it would seem tantrums go with it.Too many egos, so little time.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • PaulC,

    Hooten, farrer and slater, the three hobbits, will be going out of their minds to spin this, seriously, has there ever been a worse election campaign anywhere?

    Labour are not doing that well, the greens may have just chumped their good showing thus far, but the prime ministers performance has been abysmal

    Auckland • Since Nov 2011 • 19 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    WRT the teal coalition: The Greens might want to think very carefully about how the LibDem/Tory coalition is working out for the LibDems in the UK.

    The general consensus of opinion seems to be that the LibDems are coming across as a bunch of naifs who are getting played like stone cold suckers by the highly experienced, ruthless Tories, who haven't had to break sweat in order to outmaneuver them at every turn, while giggling at their clumsy attempts to push back. Rather like a cat playing with a mouse, eventually they'll get bored and break it's neck, but mildly divertingly entertaining in the meantime.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Carol Stewart,

    Yes, I can't quite work out why Goff seems to be concurring with the PM's line that it's all the rotten media's fault and everyone should just move on.

    I can see why he would. It's lost airtime for Labour, and it's lost airtime about economic policy, upon which National can be asked some very hard questions. Also, he gets to trade on the same vibe Key is going for, about the right to privacy, without having anything to hide.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to BenWilson,

    Also, he gets to trade on the same vibe Key is going for, about the right to privacy, without having anything to hide.

    And has been outperformed on that by Turei.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Ana Simkiss,

    It is possible Mr Hosking has very strong feelings about privacy and the like given the trouble (and cost!) of his unsuccessful case for breach of privacy against various media

    His run-ins with Jono Marshall publishing pics of his kids seem to have a lot to do with it.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Stewart,

    As long as it’s only words you’re pushing into other people’s mouths, Craig.

    Steve may have been a little harsh with his call on ‘average voters’ but there’s no need to make out he was raving like a David Icke.

    You might think talking about “average voters” like they’re complete venal idiots – at least when they’re voting the wrong way – is endearing. I don’t.

    Don’t like it from Camron Slater constantly belittling Labour voters as tit-sucking beneficiaries.

    Don’t like it from The Standard constantly belitting National voters as “rich pricks”.

    Especially don’t like remembering when I’ve done it myself.

    For the majority of my life, free, fair and credible elections have returned government not to my liking. To coin a phrase widdums. And if, a week from Saturday, Phil Goff pulls of the greatest return from the dead since Jesus - repressing the urge to make a long string of "hey, fuck you" calls - I’ll have to get over that without being a total douche-canoe. Because that’s how respecting democracy and the electorate works.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Rich Lock,

    WRT the teal coalition: The Greens might want to think very carefully about how the LibDem/Tory coalition is working out for the LibDems in the UK.

    Indeed. The UK LibDems seem to be going the way of Winston First in 1996-99.

    And to those living in Epsom, feel free to promote this as widely as you can.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    Phil Goff might be celebrating the greatest return from the dead since Jesus Christ and resisting the urge to make a long string of "fuck you!" phone calls.

    a beautiful image

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Keir Leslie,

    And has been outperformed on that by Turei.

    Nah, to be blunt, Turei has been lost in the damage control over the billboards. It must hurt to have to apologise for something so fucking funny.

    (Speaking of which, how dumb was it to (a) tell his partner and (b) admit that they had talked about it ? Surely an activist understand plausible deniability, and that once you've discussed plausible deniability it isn't plausible any more? And honestly, Norman looks like he's either incompetent or complicit, which is a shame.)

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Keir Leslie,

    I meant before that blew up. And the outbreak of foot-shooting would be deeply unamusing. The guy comes across as an incompetent and self-satisfied tosser with the "I'm sorry if you're hurt" non-apology. Love a bit of culture jamming, but it has to be done better than that.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Ana Simkiss,

    @Steve Barnes: I suspect "gullible" and "simple" are more a case of the middle & lower classes working longer hours to maintain their living standards. And that means shorter attention spans across the board. When middle classes feel they're fighting for their own survival, they're ripe for capture by reactionary demagogues.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    I keep thinking about the way this Govt. have ridden the public service, Council level too, you know the soldiers...how are they feeling about all this? I know they are not allowed to say.
    Also if only Labour had thrown something to small business, still, I doubt now whether it matters who is in charge, this has proven that you can do very little to sit on the 9th floor, the whole office should be in tatters, but it ain't.
    Turei would make a wonderful PM, in my view, just saying, BTW I did guess Ms Clark for first female PM, oh except for that other one, Mrs Shipley but don't think that actually counts ;-)
    A Clark quote, If the market is left to sort matters out, social injustice will be heightened and suffering in the community will grow with the neglect the market fosters.
    Phil, remember, it's the people, I think John has forgotten this.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    The Boraginaceae - Myosotis...

    Key yesterday said he could not remember if he suggested NZ First supporters were "dying out".

    He says that a lot!
    It worries me that we may a memory impaired - possibly early stage Alzheimers - person at the helm of our country, and he is looking tired (and grumpy and maybe some other dwarfs, too)...
    maybe it's for the best that a surprise landslide sweeps him from power, rather than him being pushed in front of increased heavy traffic by Mr Joyce, a few miles down the track...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    The average voter is pretty simple and rather gullible

    I'd substitute selfish and deluded.

    Selfish in that they want excess money and resources for themselves at the expense of other people and the environment.

    Deluded in that they believe they can actually achieve this, rather than themselves being screwed by the 1%.

    (Also, I'm not running for any office and hence don't need to be nice about the IVF).

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    Selfish in that they want excess money and resources for themselves at the expense of other people and the environment.
    Deluded in that they believe they can actually achieve this, rather than themselves being screwed by the 1%.

    Apparently that's called congnitive polyphasia although I'm still not sure I agree. I suspect most adults vote based on a combination of factors that weights their family circumstances above others but doesn't exclude all others.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Sacha,

    And has been outperformed on that by Turei.

    She has by far the best smile. At an unconscious level, I already like her. Similar to Key's effect on other people, but I just spent too long at a finance company, in the company of too many guys just like him, to fall for it. For a while, I sat right next to the "Chinese Wall", which separated the investment bankers responsible for all of the IPOs from everyone. I looked straight into their meeting rooms from behind glass, so spent a lot of time watching the body language without the voice, as they cut massive deals (J B Were did all of the big asset floats in Oz).

    Key is boilerplate for that place, including all the faux popular jocularity when talking to workers, and a sudden tone change in private. There were never raised voices - all discipline and other confrontation was done methodically, usually by a team, many on one. Direct angry shop floor confrontations always were met with an instant retreat, and typically followed by being politely shut out of access to meetings, no responses to emails etc. And far more scrutiny of your performance to the ridiculously artificial KPIs that staff were required to work to.

    The Chinese Wall was a bit of a joke - it was meant to prevent accusations of insider trading by stopping the bulk of employees from being able to freely walk into the area where all this secret dealing was done. I found, however, that all I needed to do to get past the secretary controlling the buzzer was to give my most winsome smile, and name someone in there, and she buzzed me through every time. And if I could lip-read I might have been able to make millions from insider trades.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • FletcherB,

    Sorry, I'm a couple of pages late, but...

    I think it’s just electoral thrill seeking rather than any calculated sabotage plot

    Oh come on.... 700 billboards "improved", 50 people doing it in wide-spread locations, all with the same stickers.....

    How could you get that to magically just happen over one night WITHOUT a calculated plot?

    Clearly, whoever organized it, has their shit together...

    West Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 893 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    All self interest tests prove positive, naturally.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Keir Leslie,

    And the outbreak of foot-shooting would be deeply unamusing.

    Oh, come on, those stickers were hilarious, until it turned out that it was being run out of the Green Party. Then it became awkward.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report Reply

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