Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Go Us

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  • David Ritchie,

    Are McCain and Palin secret BSG fans? The resemblence is uncanny.

    (On preview: ARGH foiled by Ranapia by a matter of minutes)

    Since Nov 2006 • 166 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Yes? Seriously, if National was a coven of such Satanic cunning why are we having an election at all?

    Oh, come on Craig, even your lot like to keep up appearances. ;-)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    And with that wee rant out of the way, Palin's an interesting choice. It's now, effectively, the black man vs the white woman, because anyone with the slightest bit of forward thinking is looking at her as the probable POTUS within 18 months of the election. McCain just ain't got the longevity going for him, and that means she has to be evaluated as a serious presidential candidate.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Oh and on the subject of international awesomeness, and we still haven't even signed the disappearance convention yet. Here's hoping that Idiot/Savant's petition makes a difference on that.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    This works for you? Actually, I trade tragic addictions; my wife's big on Project Runway.

    Seriously, I decided long ago ('neeeever to walk in aaaanyone's shadow...' ahem, sorry) that you must never think that any popcultural thing you like is somehow unworthy. Like what you like and bugger the naysayers!

    I think ProjRun is arguably a better show, because watching Top Chef you can't taste anything they make! But fashion is all about the look. It's the perfect TV-competition medium.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • JohnAmiria,

    Good grief, Russell. Let it be.

    I think we all agree that the story is distasteful, but I believe it needs to be followed (not here of course, so I'm happy to let this part of this thread drop). If true it's a bigger conspiracy than the Lewinsky cover-up.

    </my.last.word.on.the.subject>

    hither and yon • Since Aug 2008 • 215 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Like what you like and bugger the naysayers!

    I'm saying nothing, nothing I tell you, nothing at all.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Jake Pollock,

    Personally, I find the way most of the major Republican commentators have greeted this -- hey, who cares, she's anti-abortion and she can hold a gun! -- yet another depressing example of the way those people have infantilised a political culture on which the rest of the world relies. It's really bullshit.

    The days of the competent imperial managers are nearly over.

    And I have already made enormous cultural capital with my undergraduate students simply by admitting that, yes, I have seen Flight of the Conchords. All the sophomore lasses seem to have posters of Brett and Jemaine in their dorm rooms. Truly, we are punching above our weight on the world folk-comedy-duo stage.

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams,

    McCain just ain't got the longevity going for him, and that means she has to be evaluated as a serious presidential candidate.

    Which is why I genuinely think that the more serious candidates are waiting to have a go in 2012. I know why Guiliani wasn't an option but Huckabee was as were others. All the haste in the selection of Palin suggests, to me at least, that she was last minute and I wonder how many others politely declined.

    I think ProjRun is arguably a better show, because watching Top Chef you can't taste anything they make! But fashion is all about the look. It's the perfect TV-competition medium.

    There's an Australia version that's still in its first season too - complete with a competitor who sounds like a kiwi but may not be.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    It's interesting in the way these things can be interesting, although I'm shocked at the tone of the Kos article.

    Palin's here in the ADN in February, looking a bit more pregnant than in the other pictures. The public comments underneath don't seem to speak so well to the wildly-popular-Governor image, although they seem to be from local Republicans if anything.

    That's a relief (of sorts), the existence of a source I mean. Still, the doctor didn't seem to think it was unreasonable of her to fly home.

    Read the story. She didn't clear it with her doctor.

    I've read up a little on birth issues with Down's babies (yes, alright, I can't help myself). I'm a bit more shocked than I was. Nearly half of Down's babies have heart defects, and some require heart surgery immediately after birth.

    Palin got on a long-distance flight, then drove away from competent hospitals to have her baby delivered by her hometown GP.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    All the haste in the selection of Palin suggests, to me at least, that she was last minute and I wonder how many others politely declined.

    One popular theory is that McCain wanted Lieberman and Rove wanted Romney, and McCain chose Palin to piss Rove off ...

    But that's idle speculation. What does seem undeniable is that she was vetted very lightly and very late.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    I'm saying nothing, nothing I tell you, nothing at all.

    If the use of 'bugger' in this context is, in fact, offensive to anyone here, I apologise, and replace the word with the uncontroversial gender-and-orientation-neutral 'damn' or 'fuck'.

    See, Steve? Not so hard. Try that next time.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams,

    One popular theory is that McCain wanted Lieberman and Rove wanted Romney, and McCain chose Palin to piss Rove off ...

    And suddenly I like McCain more. Though spiting Rove by selecting someone entirely unprepared to be President might be taking matters too far. I watched the Civil Forum thing on the weekend; worse-case scenario, McCain should be an improvement on Bush but you have to worry about how many Justices he might appoint (and countries he might invade).

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • chris mcnair,

    worse-case scenario, McCain should be an improvement on Bush but you have to worry about how many Justices he might appoint (and countries he might invade).

    I worry that he would be worse.
    A lot worse given that he would be emboldened by the fact that he was elected running a campaign on very similar values to Bushes.
    It would be like a free ticket to destroy ecological progress, expand international conflict, enable corporate greed machines to get fatter and basically continue to drown the world economy.

    auckland • Since Jul 2008 • 39 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    'damn' or 'fuck'.

    How about IGNORE.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby,

    you know... i'm becoming suspicious that this might be the best bit of wedge politics *ever*.

    seems that the electorate is polarising over palin, and that's a better result that a "who's the VP? oh, that asshole again?"

    people actually care

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Read the story. She didn't clear it with her doctor.

    I never said she did. The same doc later said she didn't think it was unreasonable of her to have flown. I'm not so interested in the opinion of another obstetrician, to be perfectly honest. My partner and I have chosen to have our children at home, weighing pros and cons. I'm sure a number of obstetricians are against our choice.

    I'm a bit more shocked than I was. Nearly half of Down's babies have heart defects

    Fair enough, although how this is suddenly any of our business, I'll never know.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    How about IGNORE.

    You might want to work on that option yourself, dude. Or will you be following me and/or other members of the Women's XV around PAS for the foreseeable future with your little passive-aggressive snarks? That's obviously your prerogative (wow, I've quoted Whitney Houston *and* Bobby Brown today!), but I do like to be prepared. Preferably with popcorn.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    McCain should be an improvement on Bush but you have to worry about how many Justices he might appoint (and countries he might invade).

    Paul: Well, there's that whole advise and consent malarkey. And while it might be a little over-optimistic of the Democrats to predict they're going to pick up eleven Senate seats,, and secure a filobuster-proof majority, I do there there's going to be a net gain for them in both Senate and House. A McCain-Palin Administration would find that divided government is a two-way choke chain.

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

  • Andrew E,

    Completely off-topic, it is amusing (and slightly worrying) to see that the NZ Labour Party apparently doesn't know who the UK Home Secretary is. Its press release about who its list candidates are says that one of its candidates, Jacinda Ardern, is working for 'Home Secretary, Sir Ronnie Flanagan'.

    Actually Jacqui Smith is the UK Home Secretary and Sir Ronnie is a former Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, now Chief Inspector of Constabulary.

    But anyway...

    174.77 x 41.28 • Since Sep 2008 • 200 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    little passive-aggressive snarks?

    __Nemo me impune lacessit__

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    And suddenly I like McCain more. Though spiting Rove by selecting someone entirely unprepared to be President might be taking matters too far.

    Yeah, why can't he just spread an internet rumour that Rove is a downlow Muslim who enjoys secret threesomes snorting coke of the nipples of his celebrity pals, Britney and Paris? What goes around, and all that jazz...

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

  • Andrew E,

    Also says something about the subbing at the Herald and Radio NZ that this error was blithely perpetuated in their reporting of the list.

    174.77 x 41.28 • Since Sep 2008 • 200 posts Report Reply

  • chris mcnair,

    Also says something about the subbing at the Herald and Radio NZ that this error was blithely perpetuated in their reporting of the list.

    Oh, I thought they eliminated the subeditors as part of the last cost cutting excercise along with journalistic integrity.

    auckland • Since Jul 2008 • 39 posts Report Reply

  • Andrew E,

    Oh, I thought they eliminated the subeditors as part of the last cost cutting excercise along with journalistic integrity.

    That would explain it then.

    But doesn't excuse whoever drafted the Labour Party press release. I suppose proofing/fact checking for their candidates is passe too?

    174.77 x 41.28 • Since Sep 2008 • 200 posts Report Reply

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