Posts by Craig Ranapia
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This post says it all.
Thanks. I do look at his record - and I've got say this as a gay man. Obama supports the complete repeal of DOMA. Clinton doesn't. I don't have a clue where she stands on 'don't ask, don't tell', because it seems to morph depending on the time of day and which fundraiser she's at.
And if Clinton want to cite her husband's administration as some kind of frigging on the job training (and let's not even get started on how fucked up that is on the feminist tip), then she's going to have to accept that her husband signed DOMA in the middle of the night and with token resistance, and then had the fucking nerve to run campaign ads citing how it proved he was sound on 'family values'.
And DADT... Well, when we're seeing desperately needed Farsi translators being discharged under this policy it's not merely obnoxious, but an active threat to national (and international) security.
So pardon me if I politely but firmly suggest Ghost of Violet can go stick the large object of his/her choice all the way up his/her patronising arse. And if that makes me 'sexist', then let me bare my buttocks for the ceremonial kissing. Because if there's an empty suit in the room, I sure think it's a rather charming Donna Karan piece that isn't from her menswear collection.
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When will you ever learn? You comment on bilefacials.co.nz and think you'll get to star in a romantic comedy?
I was thinking more Alien: The Musical -- where in space, nobody knows any good tunes,but will reliably run into dark corners where they can die. Horribly.
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Still would like to see a woman President, though, eh?
As a very dear sparring partner from a politics list I'm on -- and a self-described 'raging lesbian-feminist liberal from your nightmares' -- tersely puts it:
"Yes, but not her."
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Meanwhile, you've got to love the blogisphere for lifting The Standard:
I’ve just listened to Key’s reply to the PM’s speech. I’m underwhelmed.
Stop the presses! The Standard thinks John Key sucks balls. Next you'll be telling me Cam Slater thinks Helen Clark's preferred mode of transportation is a broom stick.
But I do have to thank 'all-your-base' for this distubing insight into what makes a lefty blogger squee his pants:
In terms of replies, Peters stole the show. He laid into Key, taunted the media,** took a swipe at immigrants** and mocked Burka Bob.
FFS... Sorry, folks, can we just come to a consensus that Winston Peters' immigrant-bating is just beyond the pale, no matter how slick the presentation?
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Oh, and before anyone thinks I've become a PR flack for APN...
No, I'm over-impressed with the quality or depth of the O'Herald but think that has more to do with miserable under-resourcing than some nefarious political agenda (covert or overt).
Discuss.
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I have had (private) conversations with two Herald journos in recent occasions and in both cases, they didn't contradict me when I accused the Herald of having a pro-National agenda.
And with all due (and perfectly sincere) respect, Geoff, why would they bother? I've recently gotten a predictable bile facial from the usual suspects over on Kiwiblog over agreeing to write for Media 7. You know, unprincipled heretic whore who will sleep with the enemy for money blah blah blah. My mistake thinking that kind of crap is worth engaging with.
Then, there is the bloody Listener. If I pick up another issue that has a cover story on the obsessions of baby boomers (real estate, investment, health, how to get your little darlings into Auckland Grammar), I may well puke.
And I'm bloody sick of Vogue which is full of endless bourgeoisie crap about designer clothes, makeup, fashionable people and ads for high-end consumer goods. Bores me rigid, though I guess Conde Nast isn't trying to appeal to the slobby near-middle age style-retarded male market. Yes, I don't really find your average Listener cover story that engaging, but I don't think its really pitched at me either. (Then again, I don't think there's much of a market for a magazine aimed at mildly right-wing sci-fi geeks.)
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Labour has had overwhelmingly hostile op-ed from the Herald in recent months (for sure, not all of it undeserved). And John Key is having a very long honeymoon. I actually can't recall a positive editorial in that time.
And I still feel my stomach flip when I recall the treatment Bill English got at the hands of The Herald, not least the copious crocodile tears that flowed when he got rolled? I also hope in a few years, certain media outlets are going to look back on their post-Orewa predictions of race war in the streets if Don Brash ever became Prime Minister and just feel ashamed. In my book there are some places you just don't go, even for rhetorical effect.
I'd also suggest Clark didn't exactly get a three day honeymoon in Hamilton during the rainy season either.
In the end, the test for the media is whether this shared equity scheme is going to get the kind of in-depth, and healthily sceptical, analysis it deserves. I certainly agree with Jeanette Fitzsimmons (really) that the speech was a little light on specifics. Not encouraging to hear the Prime Minister blithely on Checkpoint blithely dismiss a reasonable question about what she meant by "moderate income", with "That's getting into definitions." OK...
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It's just that the rest of the material released doesn't bear out the relentless shared-equity focus. Perhaps that's all part of the plan too... Conspiracies abound! tinfoil-)
Who's conspiracy mongering, Gareth? It seems blatantly obvious to me that every politician -- and every spin-thing they have on the payroll -- are going to be trying to get as much favourable media coverage as humanly possible. Welcome to the permanent campaign and the eternally rolling poll.
No visit to your favourite milliner for an aluminum chapeau required. Hell, even the Budget has become something of an anti-climax, now that all the really juicy bits tend to be leaked well in advance of the lockdown.
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Key didn't have his "compassionate conservative" thing down by then, and his lament that "there's the chance to build something pretty good there" -- ie, so long as the poor people are kept well clear -- will no doubt be raised again. And fair enough too, actually.
And perhaps he should start reminding people when Helen Clark lwasn't keen on having dirty poor people in her backyard either. But I guess the problem isn't being a NIMBY, but the wrong sort of NIMBY...
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Slightly off-topic, but am curious how shared equity became the headline of that leaked speech - I read the full transcript and there is ONE sentence on it that is actually the 3rd or 4th point of the housing affordability section.
Because that's what got *cough* strategically pre-released to the media, based on the assumption that was what would really grab the interest of mortgage belt morning newspaper readers? Kathryn Street didn't get Mike Munro's job to bring the sexyback.
And such is the Herald's love affair, it appears, with John Key that the website story on the speech is topped with pictures of both the person who gave it and the saintly Mr Key, even though he is not actually mentioned in the story.</blockquote>
Just as I'm consitantly bemused at the way the press solicits Helen Clark's opinions on all kinds of matters where her views could be considered marginally pertinent.
<quote>I think this is going to be an interesting test of the Herald's editorial voice, because the housing affordability package looks detailed and technically sound to me. Might the Herald's leader column actually say something positive about the government?
I'm sure it will, along with all the other occasions its said all kinds of positive things about the Gummint. Really, leave that kind of low-level paranoia to the Sub-Standard Left where it belongs.
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