Posts by Tom Semmens
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Many men can give a great speech. But, like Lincoln, when Obama speaks his music soars.
-
Listening to McCain's call for untiy and his obviousness awareness of the possible reaction to a black man being elected president, I was reminded of attitude of Robert E. Lee after the civil war.
When the Confederate ex-governer of Virginia Henry A. Wise heard his son had the oath of loyalty that was a pre-requisite to get his rights as a citizen back, he exclaimed "You have disgraced the family!" To which his son replied, "But father, General Lee advised me to do it."
Taken aback, Wise said "That alters the case. Whatever General Lee advises is right."Hopefully, whatever Senator McCain advises will be taken by his more crazy followers to have altered the case.
-
Thank God the John McCain that conceded just now wasn't the one Obama had to campaign against.
-
By the look of some of these results we mightr be seeing the effect of having a politician whose rhetoric has empowered the margins to get out and vote... In other words, the disenfranchised poor in the U.S. are out, and are voting Obama.
The implications of this for both the Democrats and the GOP are terrifying, if you think about it. Is the cosy ossified beltway ready for real democracy?
-
I am always amused by the way the largely white, largely middle class media follows the largely whitr, middle class National party on an expedition to "South Auckland" once every three years, then on the basis of three photo ops offers breathless opinions on the death of the Labour vote. Its deeply condescending and reflects the race and class divide that defines the 1960's Auckland of the NZ Herald from the reality of most of the majority of Aucklanders. For what it is worth, my experience of my interactions with the PI's is you'll usually get an initially astoundingly (to my urban liberal ear) reactionary view of social issues, followed by a canny assessment of where class interests leave their vote.
PI's are like any stereotype - far more nuanced, canny individuals than any paintbrush view will allow.
-
The GREATEST sledge of all, without a doubt in my mind, is the following exchange between Glenn McGrath (Australia) and the VERY rotund Eddo Brandes (Zimbabwe).
McGrath: "Oi, Brandes, why the hell are you so fat?"
Brandes: "Cos every time I fuck your wife, she gives me a biscuit".
-
My first thoughts on this bit of John Key slipperyness was "well, he was there, but it doesn't mean he knows anything and maybe I couldn't remember exact dates from 1987-88 either."
But then I read over at the standard that Key wasn't a lowly tea boy at Elders Merchant Finance, he was the HEAD of foreign exchange.
If he says he didn't know about this fraudelent transaction, it will be about as believable as Winston saying he knew nothing about Owen Glenn's donation.
-
The best thing that could happen for NZ politics would be for both Winston and Rodney to not be re-elected, which would leave them free to persue their rediculous, middle aged crisis of a feud out in the carpark.
-
If the gift of rhetoric consists of the ability to take what from anyone else would sound sappy and hokey cliché and turn it into inspiration and belief then my goodness, that Obama has the gift.
McCain just looks old and tired and Palin mean spirited when they go up against that sort of speech making. -
I suppose I'll be accused of seeing a conspiracy, but the Herald's editorial line is just to convenient. To me it has to be seen in the context of what seems to be an ongoing campaign. First, get rid of Labour. Then repeal the EFA and make sure untrammeled wealth can buy the next result they are after - getting rid of MMP, which NatActoid's loath for denying them power and for giving the untermenschen to much say by half. Then the Herald can relax, with country presumably safely in the hands of a scaled up version of the CitRats.
The use of the "white woman attacked by the black man" as a catalyst for brutal lynchings and all-out racial war has a long and disgusting history in the United States. It is really scary to see it wheeled out now. It is almost certain that had this woman not been so obviously disturbed, there are plenty of white Americans only to ready to believe such a story. I am sadly coming to the view that the U.S. RWNJ rantings (all, one must sadly relate, faithfully echoed chapter and verse here in NZ amongst the proudly credulous right wing blogsphere), semi-endorsed by the McCain-Palin campaign has sent the signal that ending Obama's life is an acceptable election option for some of their more crazed followers.