Posts by Tom Semmens
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I find the totalitarian circular logic of Joyce the most disturbing aspect of all this. It seems he cares nothing for morals, ethics or common sense in justifying his actions. He just needs the polls. The polls reporting opinion formed by his careful media manipulation and bullying. It a frightening glimpse into the mind of a man where morality is replaced by majoritarian rule, with the majority being where he decides it should be.
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Muldoonism anyone?
More like Tom Cruise and the Scientologists.
And I think polling and asking people if the conversation should have been taped is going to give you a deceptive answer. If you asked me, I would answer “no, it should not be taped” – a private conversation where neither party gives consent should never be covertly taped.
But there it is, done. So if you were to also ask me should this tape, since it exists, should be released I would say “Yes”.
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A glazed eye repeating of the same spam-bot message probably seems a great idea to Steven Joyce, but to me it is starting to sound decided creepy. Clearly the National strategy is to simply refuse to go off-message and not engage with the media. The problem with that is John Key has to campaign and front-up to the media, but I assume the solution for that is for Joyce and the rest of the ninth floor comms team to get busy ringing around and threatening the various media outlets if they persist in not towing the line.
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What is wrong with Key? Refusing to answer questions and storming off??? That is prime time 101 gold, just ask Dennis Conner. Is this how he is going to behave every time the media doesn't play by his rules?
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I can’t wait for Cameron Slater to post the full sound recording on his website. I mean, a man who can so assiduously supposedly track down the freelance cameraman involved must surely extend his never ending dedication to exposing the truth to publishing the tape? Surely? Surely?
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Believe it or not, in 2011 women can hold jobs and form their own opinions independent of their husbands/partners/CUPcakes/friend with benefits etc.
You've not heard of Jane Clifton then?
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I doubt there is anything on the tape. But the reaction of Key and his head campaign honcho Joyce is par for the course for their behaviour in government. The paranoia of hollow men like Joyce and Farrar cuts deep, and it demands they absolutely own and control the narrative at all times. Anyone who gets off message on cultivating a cult of personality around John Key is to be ostracised, bullied, threatened, and made an example of. It is as simple as that.
The results of pursuing this policy are there for all to see in the tame sycophancy of those journalists who have been cowed/trained to play by the rules and, most importantly, in John Key’s high ratings as leader despite the objective failure of his government to do anything constructive over the past three years beyond a round of tax cuts that most benefited the rich.
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Stuff’s Twitter account is reporting that Key will complain to the police over the matter.
National has got form on bullying the media when it goes off-message in cultivating the cult of Key.
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i think it is a telling comment on the state of our media that the HoS even asked for permission to publish. What a rum state of affairs that is! Is that what our newspapers have been reduced to? Meekly asking permission from the governing party to publish a story? I would have thought a real news editor would have hung onto the tape then got a reporter to ask a question of the PM to see if he contradicted what he said in private in public. THEN you go and publish the transcript. That is what good tabloid journalism is all about.
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Hard News: Presentation and Reality, in reply to merc,
It is a disgrace that he is allowed to continue writing his column two weeks out from polling day. It is an extended party political broadcast not extended to other parties.