Posts by Angus Robertson
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Latest CBS polling shows McCain and Obama tied with McCains positives up substantially from pre-convention (though still well behind Obama).
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What an utter crock.
I'll concede right-wingers regularly claim victimhood of "the innocent children" for political gain. They'll set up a whole self-serving agenda around protecting "the innocent".
But these examples of supposed claiming victim for status themselves are crap.
What about Key bleeting like a little injured lamb everytime anyone attacks his integrity.
National attacks his accusers, his party smears back. He doesn't claim victimhood of unfairness and set up a piece of shoddy legislation to regulate debate (like for instance the EFA).
And just take a look whats happening at the scary republican convention in the states. In defending Palin against the rabid media those mad shitbirds are taking victimhood into the stratosphere!
The candidate ain't breaking down in tears. They aren't claiming victimhood and trying to remedy it by some sort of "fairness doctrine". They are attacking the message as the product elitist, establishment snobs.
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again, for u angus, seems i should reiterate the point;
I questioned your judgement that McCain is more likely to bomb/invade somewhere than Obama.
But as to your point - it ain't a huge issue because the policies don't differ. National supported Labour deploying troops to Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Russell
Bhatnagar and his friends can grouse as much as they want. But when they're done with rolling around the floor whimpering and playing victim, they might want to consider how it looks for a city councillor to behave like an out-of-control man-child and then try and cover it up.
He ain't playing the victim, right wingers generally don't. The gross stupidity of Christine "regulation to control...wikipedia" Caughey is apparent for all to see - this he highlights.
As you've pointed out in this post Aaron has messed with Christine's profile on wikipedia on numerous occasions. His edits show up a pattern of pettiness and bullsh*t. You have highlighted this well and are going to piss off Aaron/Barzini. Well done, you are a smart political operator.
Chistine Caughey missed all this easy opportunity to attack her opponent and instead shoots herself (and her associates) in the foot. Suggesting she would like to regulate the editing of wikipedia is about as stupid a suggestion as anyone can come up with - it is not only obviously unworkable, but also it is gauranteed to piss off every wikipedia editor.
Politics is pissing off the least number of people. You piss off Aaron - good politics; Aaron pissed off Christine - good politics; Christine pisses off people who edit wikipedia - stupid politics.
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New Republican stance is a variant on the "Change" meme. Selling McCain and Palin as outside the beltway figures who are willing to work on the basis of ideas not party. Pointing out the swill type feeding frenzy of an uninformed media (new & old) smearing Palin as working whilst pregnant, having a daughter and (left unsaid) being a woman as evidence of an establishment fearing change.
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mark taslov,
will the US election bring about a scenario where kiwis are sent off to some other far flung country like afghanistan to fight for freedom? and will new zealand tax payers pay for this?
if McCain wins, probability 68%
if Obama wins, probability lowerDemocrats and Republicans have stuff all effective difference on the use of force. Democrats go to war and bomb places for "humanitarian reasons". Republicans go to war and bomb places to "fight for freedom".
Clinton went to war against Serbia and annexed Kosovo because of a humanitarian crisis. Obama has adopted Darfur as a hotline issue, describing the genocide as a humanitarian issue.
Bush (the first) went to war for the freedom loving Kuwaitis. Bush (the second) invaded Iraq and Afghanistan for freedom. McCain thinks that Iran is suppressing the freedom of its people.
Somewhere, someplace a tribesman is going to hear a roar, look up and see a cruisemissile inbound. The only difference this election is going to make is whether the explosion is going to be for "humanity" or for "freedom".
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And once more, someone should tell McCain and his party: If you want to be taken seriously, be serious. And if you and your campaign inner circle can't actually avoid reducing a fundamental act of due diligence to a farce, why the hell should anyone trust you to run a country?
Because after you have done the selection process based upon your selectee having a high approval rating (80%), compatible attitudes to major power plocs in your party (NRA, pro-life, Christian), pro-reform (enforced competition reforms on Exxon and Comoco duopoly in Alaskan oil), maverick credentials (ran through a GoP Alaska that was owned by big oil to do it - pissed them off so much that it was an Alaskan GoP representative that kick started the Trig is grandson meme to Kos/Huffington), a history of working bi-partisanly (because the GoP was corrupted she carried out the reforms by working with Alaskan Democrats - shock horror) and willing to do the job. Because after all that is considered positive the fact that her 17 year old daughter is pregnant seems puerile in comparison and that she worked through her pregnancy seems immaterial.
Seems puerile and immaterial still, but dirty campaigns are entertaining so long may the muck-raking continue.
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When you see a New York Times editorial headed Let’s Hear It for New Zealand, you just have to find out what that's about. Has the Times joined the Conchords fan club? No. We're part of an "admirable band" of countries holding the line against American attempts to reopen nuclear technology sales to India, a nuclear weapons state.
Really cannot see what is admirable here. India has 100 - 200 nuclear warheads and a more than adequate delivery system. Horse, gate, bolted.
All that NZ and others in the "admirable band" are doing is standing on principle to hold back the development of Indian Nuclear industry. One follow on effect is that Indian Nuclear power stations remain less efficient and they are forced to rely even more on coal fired thermal stations - more global warming. Yay for us - we're abetting an unnecessary increase in Indian CO2 emissions.
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A mate and I were talking about this on the wkend. He is quite involved in advocating for walking and cycling. He noted that many of the cycle people were... abrasive.
This is a fair point, cycling in Auckland is naturally selective for abrasiveness.
There are loads of hills and ridges. Shots of thousands of everyday people riding around Copenhagen or Amsterdam on granny bikes *do not* apply to Auckland. Try the shortest distance from Westmere to Parnell, either direction: Richmond up to Ponsonby; Franklin Rd to Vic Park; Victoria St over Nelson down to Queen up to Waterloo Quadrant down to Stanley up to Parnell Rd - what a rollercoaster!
But the most popular walking, jogging, roller-blading and cycling of weekend warriors (the slightly fit) is done on Tamaki Drive and round into the Viaduct - because it is flat, scenic and there are an abundance of waterholes along the way. I am reliably informed that shoreBoys (& shoreGirls) roam between Takapuna and Devonport for similar reasons. Link the 2 over the bridge and we can extend the enjoyment of these people.
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Dirty campaigns are more fun to watch, this is going to be a fun 2 months.