Posts by cindy baxter

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  • Hard News: Poll Crunch,

    Can anyone explain to me why the reporting of NZ polls don't mention the undecideds? I find this really weird and a distortion of the results.

    Look, for example, at the One News Colmar Brunton Oct 4-9. The undecideds in electorate vote rose by 5% to 17%. And rose again last week to 19%. But that doesn't get a mention.

    Isn't that significant?

    How can one write a headline or news story predicting outcomes when 19% of those polled are undecided about who they'd give their electorate vote to?

    auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 102 posts Report

  • Hard News: Life Goes On,

    Why do US newspapers come out and endorse candidates and ours do not?

    All New Zealand newspapers, with the exception of, I think, the ODT, are owned by one of two large Australian companies - APN and Fairfax. Corporate New Zealand, on the whole, doesn't support Labour.

    Sure, the US newspapers are also owned by large companies too, but it seems to me they have more independence.

    auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 102 posts Report

  • Hard News: The odds, and the simply odd,

    thread, even

    auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 102 posts Report

  • Hard News: The odds, and the simply odd,

    Not entirely relevant to this threat, but an absolute must-read: Rolling Stone on "mad dog Palin".

    My favourite quote:

    It even crossed my mind that there was an element of weirdly self-destructive pique in McCain's decision to cave in to his party's right-wing base... by picking the most obviously unqualified, doomed-to-fail joke of a Bible-thumping buffoon.

    As in: You want me to rally the base? Fine, I'll rally the base. Here, I'll choose this rifle-toting, serially pregnant moose killer who thinks God lobbies for oil pipelines. Happy now?

    I just hope the Troopergate stuff sticks.

    auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 102 posts Report

  • Hard News: Have you met thingy?,

    "do you guys know each other" - good tactic.

    i had a terrible time once when I would often be showing a new volunteer around the office and introducing them to people. I used to get to one particular person - Paul - and, for some reason, I would suddenly draw a blank - despite working with him every day.

    it got to the point of farce where it happened so many times that I would either just ask him to introduce himself - or make up a random name. it became a running joke... I now call him "tim john paul david".

    i've decided to simply accept that occasionally I forget names and to be up-front about it - and give up worrying about looking bad. Make a joke against myself and move on (as fast as possible, mind!)

    At least, Russell, you can explain your mistake - both called john, both flying nun, etc...

    auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 102 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Debate and Onwards,

    The format is structured to just be sound bite exchange rather than actual debate

    Exactly. It's fairly obvious why.

    the CBS interview was extraordinary. CNN's Cafferty wasn't impressed.

    auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 102 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Debate and Onwards,

    Craig

    But it's the utter reality-deficient arrogance on display that pisses me off

    exactly. Who the hell are they to do a deal?

    I do, though, think that TV3 and TVNZ should both call their bluff and say "thanks, but no thanks - there will be no debate then"

    ... but it seems the terminology "spineless wonders" is extending from Clark/Key to the b.casters themselves.

    auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 102 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Debate and Onwards,

    but speaking of debates...

    Are our broadcasters just gonna cave to the little deal cooked up between Clark and Key and shut all other parties out of the debate?

    TV3 already has,by the look of it.

    Are they going to run at least one "minor party debate"?

    auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 102 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Debate and Onwards,

    This was supposed to be McCain's area of expertise - and Obama's weakest point. I thought Obama held his own - except maybe on Iran. And yes, he's shot up in the polls as a result.

    But I tend to agree with Maureen Dowd at the NYTimes who pointed out that Obama wasn't hard enough on McCain. She said:

    Obama did a poor job of getting under McCain’s skin. Or maybe McCain did an exceptional job of not letting Obama get under his skin. McCain nattered about earmarks and Obama ran out of gas.

    he was too nice?

    I'm looking forward to a Biden annihilation of Palin, although Palin's lot have been careful not to agree to such an open format.

    auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 102 posts Report

  • Hard News: I've been hybridising for a…,

    phew. what a discussion. Am loving it.

    As a relative "newbie" to NZ media (well not new, but things change a lot when you're out of the country for 13 years) I came home to find the MSM strangulated by its owners and editors with what little analysis there was having to be either provided by [usually] right wing commentators (to reflect views of owners/editors) or stories lifted from the Grauniad. And what room there was for comment on the MSM websites was moderated.

    NZ's MSM was now controlled by so few, with so little competition that I went into mourning for an independent fourth estate. I even missed the UK redtops.

    Adrift in a bloody sea of law and order or accident stories; horrified at the prospect that a slip onto a highway north of Wellington could actually make it into the national radio news bulletins for a whole day, I was heading into deep depression - until I discovered the NZ blogosphere - most especially Hard News, but also sites like Scoop.

    it's the blogs which don't have editorial control, keep the MSM on their toes, cover the stuff the editors don't want to see, and allow room for intelligent commentary... thank you all for keeping me sane.

    More please.

    auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 102 posts Report

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