Up Front: Choice, Bro
179 Responses
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Paul Williams, in reply to
And what exactly is that certainty based on, Paul?
Fair question, anecdata? I shouldn't have been so sure. I've not lived in NZ for ten years and not lived in Mangere since the early '80s. Perhaps I'm giving him too much credit?
Well, as I've said ad nauseum, remember when Fran Wilde handed National the '87 general election?
Zing!
If the poor old human spreadsheet had followed whatever flickering inner lights he had, instead of being guided by that dismal troll, he'd be in line for a consolatory knighthood and maybe a High Commissionership, instead of languishing on the worst kind of political skid row.
You're too kind to him. If he's so lacking in his own conviction, I'll happily hang him for aligning himself with Ansell. I reckon Muldoon was right about Brash.
I laughed for ages while reading all the jokes about this on Twitter at the time. The best was Jolisa's "who will rid me of this turbulent MP?" Heh.
I'm sorry I missed that, thanks for retelling it. I don't think even Hamilton West, a place I have no fond affection for, deserves Macindoe!
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BenWilson, in reply to
I reckon Muldoon was right about Brash.
What did he say about him?
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Muldoon was very disparaging of young Brash's inability to get the nod for a North Auckland seat. More so, as when he did get a nomination, he couldn't beat Gary Knapp. Brash has never won an election outside of his caucus(es). Dubious honour for, IMHO, an entirely unspectacular MP.
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BenWilson, in reply to
Very foolish idea to put Brash up against a Social Credit candidate! Practically their only strength was arguing against neoclassical economists.
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You could put it that way, I personally prefer the view that Brash is even less appealing that Knapp (the man who locked himself in a portable toilet in parliament as a form of protest).
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Brash did get chucked under the bus by Muldoon in that election.
ETA: er Simon, could you lay off the stupid digs at Labour for the moment? I don't want to brag, but we're doing marriage equality right now and it's pretty fucking awesome.
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simon g, in reply to
we’re doing marriage equality right now and it’s pretty fucking awesome.
Yes it is awesome. Louisa Wall has been awesome. But you can't have it both ways.
You say "We're doing marriage equality", but if "we" means "Labour", then the party leader has been a follower. Listen to his wishy-washy distancing here ..
http://www.95bfm.co.nz/default,206877,labour-leader-david-shearer.sm
It's been the same in many other media appearances, ever since Obama kicked it off. You can almost hear the advisers whispering "Don't sound too strong on this one! Waitakere Swing!", and the effect is thoroughly uninspiring. Is it so hard to say "I'm voting for equality, and I'm proud to do so"? Every time he downplays it, my heart sinks.
I acknowledge the Labour leader for allowing the private members' bill to be put in the ballot, and for voting for it (along with most government Ministers). He followed Obama and tied with Key. That deserves a pass mark. But it has been a missed opportunity for Shearer, and I suspect it's been missed for the wrong reasons. Saying you believe in something doesn't have to cost votes. Waffling usually does.
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Lucy Stewart, in reply to
You say “We’re doing marriage equality”, but if “we” means “Labour”, then the party leader has been a follower.
"We" definitely means "Labour", but "Labour" does not mean "David Shearer and David Shearer alone". You're ignoring a lot of work by a lot of people when you assume that.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
You’re ignoring a lot of work by a lot of people when you assume that.
Not all of whom are Labour, with or without air quotes, by any stretch of the imagination. Just saying... Don't get me started on Raymond Huo -- a shiver looking for a spine to run up if there ever was one. At least Sua William Sio could be arsed walking into the NO lobby.
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Not all of whom are Labour, with or without air quotes, by any stretch of the imagination.
Exactly. I normally wouldn't say nice things about almost any of the youth wings, but all of them seem to have taken leadership of their seniors in this issue, and young nats in particular timed their work pretty well.
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And for Craig's latest bit of bigotry:
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
Whereas Colin Craig is too stupid for this world or any other...
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Chris Waugh, in reply to
And for Craig’s latest bit of bigotry:
I found the Herald's note that Key was wearing a pink shirt a little odd, but I liked how they ended their piece:
Helensville local Jools Topp, from lesbian comedy duo the Topp Twins, was not impressed either. "Helensville is a cool town and I have never had a problem there," she said. "We could do without hate-fuelled opinions being thrust into our mailboxes."
And Colin thinks Key is too gay?
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Paul Williams, in reply to
Whereas Colin Craig is too stupid for this world or any other…
He should totally finance some Scientology-type movie
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Joe Wylie, in reply to
He should totally finance some Scientology-type movie
Battlefield Helensville? Nose tubes and foiled dreads would so complement Craig's inadevertent campiness.
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Official rules for describing unelected activists:
When Sue Bradford or John Minto turn up at a protest, they shall be called "rentamob". Even if no money has been paid to rent anyone.
When Colin Craig pays a lot of money to distribute pamphlets, he shall be called a "party leader". Not "the man who actually did rent a mob to march down Queen St".
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Kumara Republic, in reply to
And Colin thinks Key is too gay?
I wonder if the RadioNZ newscaster was trying to suppress laughter when reading out the report.
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Once the man with two first names has stood in a position that adjusts John Key’s gayness to a suitable level - I want to see what his next issue will be.
"There are people out there who simply don't like to see their prime minister doing things like dancing on stage with transvestites, as he has done in the past,"
I find Key's dancing droll.
We have a Prime Minister who sat oblivious to the social reforms from the 1970s onwards and is dead set on continuing the misguided work begun by the Douglas/Lange Govt.
Key skirts around issues, he is without foundation and soul and it shows.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
And Colin thinks Key is too gay?
I don’t know what planet My Evil Namesake lives on, but the people I know who live out Helensville way? Plenty of lifestyle block commuters who are more worried about making the next mortgage payment than Teh Evil Geh Agenda and *cough* eccentric hippy types whose brand of conservatism is very much “leave me the fuck alone, and I’ll repay the courtesy.” A concept I wish My Evil Namesake would wrap his head around.
Oh, and the idea that it's not hard to find a constituent who doesn't agree with everything (or even ANYTHING) their local MP says or does? Not news but simple reality. Democrazy's a bitch, ain't it?
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Chris Waugh, in reply to
whose brand of conservatism is very much “leave me the fuck alone, and I’ll repay the courtesy.”
Maybe I'm missing something, but that's what I thought conservativism was supposed to be.
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Sacha, in reply to
Liberalism, perhaps. Conservatives don't shy from forcing others to follow their particular beliefs about right and wrong, no matter what century those come from.
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BenWilson, in reply to
I don’t know what planet My Evil Namesake lives on
Planet "any publicity is good publicity". It's a sad planet, on which rich people spend huge sums to prove they are hateful dickheads.
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Paul Williams, in reply to
I anything but a fan of Key's but I thoroughly endorse his inclusive approach and capacity for self-deprecation. I don't think its confected either.
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Ian Dalziel, in reply to
Planet “any publicity is good publicity”. It’s a sad planet...
...true, I've never understood why people so readily trot out Oscar Wilde's hoary old chestnut; "The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about." when it is so obviously a paean to rampant Narcissism...
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Paul Williams, in reply to
“The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.” when it is so obviously a paean to rampant Narcissism…
I'm not sure if I'm (a) on the same point as you and Ben or (b) simply deluded (in which case, I'll plead distance induced naivete) but are you both saying Key's attendance at events like the Big Gay Out etc is entirely narcissistic? It doesn't seem that to me. I think him an entirely feckless leader, incapable of voluntarily addressing most of the pressing issues applying to NZ's medium-term future and a person who quite probably does not give a toss about another's sexuality.
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