Posts by Paul Williams
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Steady on, Paul!
Deborah, I meant only that Mike Rann, the SA Premier, is a kiwi of sorts... honest!
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What a political mess. Miss Clark has lost all credibility over here. What on earth is happening over the ditch?
Really? How'd you measure that? I don't imagine many Australians give NZ politics too much attention frankly. Certainly I've heard lots of people comment favourably about Clark, particularly during Howard's later terms as PM.
Some NZers will always see some advantage to living in Australia, and for the moment I'm one of them, but I can't think of why any would think Australian politicians, State or Federal, were any better than NZ's - there's almost no evidence they are and shit-loads that says they're not. Where you living Peter, South Australia?
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...and Olbermann's line at the end.
Who'd've thunk that; not me in a million years.
May I please note for the record that my original rhetorical question was whether America couldn't do better than both the alternatives now on offer.
Definitely so, definitely. But I've heard lots of commentary suggesting that the Republican division on McCain remains his biggest challenge and he'll have a job to get voters to turn-out... somewhere up thread, I think this point was made already... but I don't think Obama will have that challenge now and for that, he really does owe the Clintons.
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Well, he didn't sound like 1) an out-of-touch elitist fawned over by his celebrity pals, 2) a slick but hollow preacherman, or 3) an Islamofascist-Marxist Manchurian Candidate. Mission accomplished!
Yeah, well put. Plus, he hit McCain directly and consolidated his position as first mover (even if he was responding to some of McCain's lines). McCain now has to respond in a way that matches the substance and the style.
It's been particularly interesting to see how earlier speakers set up McCain with feint praise. He's a "nice guy", a "good senator" but is a crappy candidate, a has become a photostat of GW. Kerry did it best, I think, but so too Clinton and Obama made clear the contrast; himself vs. GW III (queue the "8 is enough").
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How does Hooton do this? Time after time, he says stuff that is simply not true, and he does it on National Radio and in national newspapers. Yet he keeps getting invited back to do it again.
Itss bizarre but then Winston's been doing it for years.
My dealings with Hooten are about a decade old now, but it seems nothing's changed in that time. My conclusion is that any alternative, for the NatRad slot that is, probably recognises that Harre's going to better them on most occassions whereas Mathew wouldn't know or care.
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I was a volunteer on Mark Thomas' campaign, and believe you me National is still paying the price for that particuar mouth-fart from Bolger.
I remember that campaign, I was a volunteer for Alick... but I knew Mark well from student politics. I felt very sorry for him and parliament was denied a good politician.
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I don't think Obama is the saviour and I'm not sure we will even see him in the White House but give me him over a cornered, only vaguely internationally literate McCain. Both have to face the institutions and the military complex but one can only hope that Obama will be slightly more willing to confront or at least question them rather than quickly acquiesce.
I guess I've got higher expectations than this, but if this is the least he might achieve as President, that'll do. I've been impressed by his approach to foreign policy; it's less dogmatic, less influenced by Cold War thinking and more pragmatic in its recognition of the role other powers than McCain's. It was this piece by Slate's John Dickerson and his comments in the YouTube debates that defined the difference best IMHO.
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On the DNC, Bill Clinton just filled the one gap that some commentators noted in Hillary's speech; Obama's readiness. He was repeatedly unequivocal. Of course that's not enough to stop McCain's attacks on his experience, it's clearly a valid criticism, but it does put to bed the position of the Clintons. Bill Clinton even clearly equated his own election in '92 with that of Obama's. And on this, if nothing, else, you've got to give them credit (plus acknowledge that Hillary's clearly got her eyes on the future).
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Why should we jump into this ETS like some excited crusaders when the climate debate is still very vibrant.
Jump in? You mean like all of Europe and soon Australia? I can understand some of the opposition to the ETS, but not the objection that NZ is being precipitate.
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See, I'm Italian and we have a proven remedy for that, so I can assure you that whilst writing that I had a hand firmly planted on my... Which accounts for the slow typing.
Do we all need to do likewise to counter the hex... I've got lots of work on is all?