Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Some Politics

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  • matthewbuchanan,

    Someone's gone to a bit of trouble to 3D render an iPod on the hammer thrower in the Clinton ad. That wasn't in the original. Cool.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 163 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Someone's gone to a bit of trouble to 3D render an iPod on the hammer thrower in the Clinton ad. That wasn't in the original. Cool.

    Actually, its' based on the version of the ad shown at Macworld Expo in 2004 - for which Apple itself added the iPod.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • matthewbuchanan,

    Ah right, yes I think I did know that now you mention it. Nice job anyway.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 163 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    Damn, my paranoid 3D RWDB tangents quashed...

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    I like the quote in the Citizens and Ratepayers' attack flyer that says

    "...you can fix the fiscal mismanagement, the broken promises, the ethics issues, and the poor direction of Auckland City by... voting for [National/ACT Party allied] Citizens and Ratepayers Now."

    I presume by 'fix', they mean, 'make permanent'.

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • Andrew Wilson,

    I wonder if its time to have an Orwell clause to Godwin's Law.

    Aberdeen, UK • Since Nov 2006 • 13 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    or a Godwin's Law clause to Godwin's Law

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • plum,

    Actually, the circular logo on the hammer thrower's tee is the logo of the Obama campaign. Very sophisticated video editing, that.

    Wellington • Since Feb 2007 • 15 posts Report Reply

  • Neil Morrison,

    So you've got a viral video by an anonymous Democrat made into news by a longtime conservative hitman on the internet.

    There's a more prosaic and less conspiratorial explanation than Greg Sargent's - the story took two weeks to gain momentum, to move from internet fringes to the mainstream. It became news not because of the evil Drudge but because both Clinton and Obama started to talk about it once it became the phenomena it did.

    Or there's a vast right wing conspiracy to convince people that Clinton and Obama are in comptetion.

    But its an interesting development in viral political advertising.

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report Reply

  • richard,

    Personally, I would like a see a mash-up covering health board conflicts of interest based on this E-Trade ad...

    Not looking for New Engla… • Since Nov 2006 • 268 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    or a Godwin's Law clause to Godwin's Law

    <chortle>

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Thank you, Neil. When the Republican primary begins to get really nasty (and I think it's safe to say there are elements on the far-right of the GOP who'd rather see Osama Bin Laden in the White House than either McCain or Giuliani) I'm sure 'longtime liberal hitmen' will fastidiously look the other way.

    I'm pretty sure Drudge won't bei hanging back either.

    And back to the top of the item:
    Until he stood down in December - after the tender had been granted to Labtests, the company in which he had a substantial private financial interest - Dr Bierre was a Citizens and Ratepayers member of the district health board.

    Simple statement of fact from Russell. So how did it mutate in the House yesterday into 'Tony Bierre's National Party stooge, so it's time for Paul Hutchinson to STFU'. Talk about desperately trying to muddy the waters...

    AFAIK, ever since I've been involved the National Party has a clear policy that it doesn't run or endorse local body tickets. (Labour does, which is their business. But I'll note there are plenty of Labour-affiliated folks in local government who don't stand or serve under the party banner.) Nor are National Party members who stand for local bodies required to get a signed permission slip from John Key or Judy Kirk. Unless, Mr. Hodgson and Mrs. King really know something I don't, I don't think that's the tack they should be taking to make this debacle go away.

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

  • Craig Ranapia,

    BTW, on the whole Labtest tender farce, I'm happy to take my default position of 'cock-up trumps conspiracy in 99.999% of cases' - but I'm quite happy to be proved wrong.

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

  • Riddley Walker,

    oh riiiiight, so there is no association between the National Party and Citizens and Ratepayers. good one Craig

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • Neil Morrison,

    someone has come forward as the creator, appears to be genuine.

    He see this is the start of a new people-taking-back-politics-from-the-system movement. I tend to think these sort sof ads just preach to the converted even if they are amusing. But this guy wasn't trying to be funny, he meant it.

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    "AFAIK, ever since I've been involved the National Party has a clear policy that it doesn't run or endorse local body tickets."

    Always seems like a dishonest rouse to me. Very much in a similar vein to all those false front "independent research" organisations supported by the same tired old names who made a packet in the 1980s and 1990s.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    it's true National likes to pretend they aren't really Citizens and Ratepayers, but then there's this sneaked out from those paragons of leftwingism Ben Thomas (NBR journalist) and David 'W' Young (former Business Roundtable PR guy) in their blog at

    http://dogbitingmen.blogspot.com/2004_10_01_dogbitingmen_archive.html

    "Citizens and Ratepayers Now, an amalgam of ACT- and National-aligned local body activists, has been worse than decimated. Going from a majority (13 councillors out of twenty) to merely seven, it has ceded control to City Vision, the Labour and Alliance ticket. The community boards offer no solace – even Aaron Bhatnagar, the closest thing to a community board rock star, has been dumped from Hobson in favour of the also-right, but anti-motorway Action Hobson.

    National Party MP Maurice Williamson is performing the autopsy like a skilled surgeon. And a practiced one – it’s 2002 all over again inside the Playhouse as he holds forth on the “swing to the left, away from the right – it’s a swing whose time had come.”

    The major problem here was that C&R failed to distinguish themselves sufficiently from Banks. “People were telling our team in Eden-Albert, ‘we’re not going to vote for anyone who is on Banks’ ticket’, and there was no way to get across that we were different from Banks.”

    Unsurprisingly, perhaps. Williams, who read out the results, is actually Banks’ scrutineer today. Nick Albrecht, the C&R campaign manager, works in Williamson’s electorate office."

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • Nobody Important,

    I don't have a problem with the letter inasmuch that the sender has given their name and sources for the claims they make ie they're not hiding who they are. Its all part of the political realm. And to be fair Simpson & Caughey DID sucker their ward by claiming to be centre right and then siding with the left once elected. But then to be fair, again, their key platform was to stop the eastern arterial and that was only going to happen with the help of the left. So I guess the voters in their ward can blame themselves for being such dumbRs'es ~ which presumes the voters in that ward were all right of centre. Maybe the ward has swung left? I dunno

    As for the vids, the Barrack/Bears one is pretty lame compared to the Clinton one. Kids these days, eh? What they can whip up on their computers ...

    expat • Since Mar 2007 • 319 posts Report Reply

  • Nobody Important,

    Oh yes ... one more thing ...

    I was one of the "anyone but Banks" brigade too. Told all my friends to vote him and his ilk out. But then got the shock of my life when The Left took control. Guess I was the dumbRs too. Why do I hate the Left? Well I don't hate them but they always spend for Africa whenever they get into power. And they don't just spend, they play catch up on all those projects they were rebuffed on when they were the minority.

    Case in point: Penny Sefuiva spending $7million dollars to buy the Liquor King site on Ponsy Rd so the Ponsy residents can have 'a Town Square'. FFS! I'm a Ponsy resident and I don't need a town square! And besides, what about all that dead space by Western Park? Could have a nice 'Town Square' at that end, and it would be well used by those living/working in the new development they're putting on the old yeast factory (whatever they finally build) ...

    expat • Since Mar 2007 • 319 posts Report Reply

  • Marcus Neiman,

    Mr/Ms. Important: There is little to suggest that "Spending for Africa" is a phenomenon that is limited to the Left - Bush's America, for example. In any case it's not as if Auckland as an urban space already has a surfeit of transport, housing, and cultural infrastructure.

    I also suggest your perspective on Ponsonby is somewhat car-centric. The open space of Western Park is not that accessible for those people closer to the Three-Lamps end. If we, quite reasonably, want people out of their cars, certain amnenities need to be brought to them.

    Sydney • Since Feb 2007 • 107 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    this doesn't seem like the right week to be making conflict-of-interest allegations against other parties.

    Ain't that the truth! Now I hear on the radio that National's Paul Hutchinson recommended Tony Bierre to Wayne Brown in the first place.

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • Nobody Important,

    There is little to suggest that "Spending for Africa" is a phenomenon that is limited to the Left

    Don't get me wrong - I'm an equal opportunity whiner! You should have heard me bitch about all the money Banksie & C&R spent on the viaduct. $40 million on Maritime Square alone, largely for the benefit of the local apartment owners.

    If we, quite reasonably, want people out of their cars, certain amnenities need to be brought to them.

    Really? So we spend $7million to buy a commercial property and Lawd knows how much more to demolish it and then landscape it?

    And besides, if it's too far for the folks at 3 Lamps to walk to Western Park, then surely it's just as far for the folk living at the Western Park end ...

    The Link Bus will take you from 3 Lamps to Western Park for $1.60. Too expensive I know (the Link is a rort for short trips) but cheaper than a car and you don't need to look for carparking. And in summer we can all walk or ride bicycles. And on special event days Vodafone (or someone) will provide a free shuttle bus looping up and down Ponsy Rd ...

    Utopia! (and less than $7+million)

    expat • Since Mar 2007 • 319 posts Report Reply

  • James Bremner,

    The Clinton video clip is so brilliant, so clever, and as Howard Fineman says in an article on the impact of the internet on the 2008 election, devastating.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17720439/site/newsweek/

    It reminds people of the worst aspects of the brutal "big brother" Clinton political machine, and highlights Hillary’s utter lack of warmth or charisma (traits Bubba has in spades) or genuineness. These days Hillary’s appearances are frequently described as "scripted", it really is painfully obvious that she is about as genuine as a $3 bill.

    I always had a hard time seeing how Hillary could get elected President due to the Clintons' history and her short comings as a politician and a candidate, but now I am having a harder time seeing how she can get the Dem nomination, even with all her money and the her political machine. After another 10 months of video clips like the Apple one and she will simply not be viable. And let’s face it; there is plenty of material for producing punishing Clinton video clips!!

    All we need now for pure spectator enjoyment is for Gore to jump into the race. The Clintons and Gores hate each other so much, it would be quite a sight to see their respective camps going at each other.

    On the other side, there will be plenty of mud thrown at Giuliani, and a lot of it will come from the Clinton side (while she is still viable and capable of winning the Dem nomination). It has already started. A 1989 video clip of Rudy saying he supports Medicaid funded abortions appeared the other day and also some details of his law firm representing Venezuela (Chavez) in the US made it into the public domain. I don't think anyone needs to spend much time guessing where this material came from.

    For Giuliani, the deal with conservatives is quite easy, and it has already been done. Rudy says he won’t advance any liberal social policies and says that he will appoint originalist judges like Roberts and Alito, which based on his previous statements; he would probably have done in any event. That is all conservatives need to hear from him. They love the rest of him in terms of national security, 9/11, cutting taxes, belief in the US etc. I never believed the common view that conservatives wouldn’t go for Rudy; after all, 2008 will be a national security election like1980, not about morals and decency which was a big factor in 2000. As far as conservatives are concerned, if you get national security wrong, the rest doesn’t matter very much. And while Rudy should keep most conservatives, he will pick up a lot of moderates and independents as well; I saw a poll the other day that had Rudy up 50 to 41 against Clinton or Obama in Pennsylvania. That is not a happy poll for a Dem strategist.

    Who knows, it is so far out from the primary, let alone the election, but Rudy is looking good at this stage, far better than most had predicted. I hope Rudy wins, I really do; I think he would be a damned good President.

    NOLA • Since Nov 2006 • 353 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    The way that local body affiliations fall in Auckland is quite eccentric. I dutifully vote for Hucker and Sefuiva, but they're actually a little too left for my taste (case in point: the way they needlessly got offside with small businesses over the billboard and street-seating reforms). I'm rather keener on centrists like Simpson and Caughey, but there's no Action Western Bays for me to consider.

    On the other side of the divide, the influence of Act Party types is much greater than it is at a national level, and some of the Nats involved are precisely the kind of National Party people I really don't have time for, which is probably why the CitRats have a dreadful history.

    In some ways, it's a function of the dumb local electoral system we have. STV would probably get us a more diverse and more effective council.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Austin,

    I still think it is too early to tell to be honest. Regardless of what Rudi may or may not have promised the christian right, I can't see how they'd be anything but suspicious.

    London • Since Nov 2006 • 1027 posts Report Reply

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