Daily Review 18/09/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 pm, September 18th, 2015 - 43 comments
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This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.

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43 comments on “Daily Review 18/09/2015 ”

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  1. Morrissey 1
    18 September 2015 at 6:04 pm

    David Farrar claimed this afternoon that Trump “speaks truth to power”;
    But Michele A’Court didn’t acknowledge the exquisite nuttiness of that statement.
    Friday 18 September 2015

    There are undoubtedly some smart, well informed comedians, such as Frankie Boyle, Steve Coogan, Jon Stewart, John Oliver and John Clarke. Because of the success of The Daily Show, it has often been asserted, with some justification, that the best political commentators are now the comedians. In Australia, Clarke and Dawe are far more honest and incisive than any “serious” commentator on the ABC or SBS. In this country, Jono and Ben (and Guy) are the most credible and intelligent political commentators left on our television screens.

    Those few honorable exceptions aside, however, most comedians are in fact no brighter or better informed than the average commentator. To be fair, only a few of them are as depraved as Sacha Baron Cohen or Jerry Seinfeld, or as crude (not to mention unfunny) as Andrew “Dice” Clay. We have already looked at the embarrassingly stupid comments of Andrew “Dire” Clay when he has tried to be serious.[1] Clay, along with fellow comedians Mike King and Jeremy Elwood, has been to Afghanistan ostensibly to “entertain the troops”, but unkind observers noted that sending them over there amounted to three very cost-effective public relations stunts by the army. Ever since, all three of these embedded comedians have been shills for the “great work” that they claim Kiwi troops do over there. U.S. authorities pulled the same trick to co-opt and thereby silence criticism by David Letterman, Louis C.K. and Lewis Black.

    This morning another Kiwi comic showed he really doesn’t know much about anything at all. On Kathryn Ryan’s show, Te Radar unwisely decided to try and make a serious comment about the Donald Trump phenomenon….

    TE RADAR: He’s Corbyn-esque! I mean he’s a joke candidate who’s getting amazing cut-through!

    Damningly for her credibility, the supposedly brilliant Gemma Gracewood failed to react to that foolish statement, as (unsurprisingly) did Kathryn Ryan.

    A few hours later, on Jim Mora’s light chat show The Panel, one guest used his “Soapbox” segment to make what he obviously imagined was a witty comment on the “instability” of recent politics….

    DAVID FARRAR: Bernie Sanders is a proud socialist and socialism is a dirty word in the United States. He makes Keith Locke look like a neoconservative by comparison.
    MICHELE A’COURT: [dutifully but anxiously] Ha ha ha!

    A few minutes later came this classic.…

    DAVID FARRAR: They like Trump because he speaks his mind, he speaks truth to power. There are five or six plausible Republican candidates, Marco Rubio for instance….

    Michele A’Court (another professional comedian) failed to pick up on the absurdity of those two consecutive statements—Trump speaking truth to power, and Marco Rubio being “plausible”—but she did spring to the defense of Madame Mao….

    MICHELE A’COURT: I don’t think that Hillary Clinton’s only card to play is that she is not a man….

    [1] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-03122013-2/#comment-738469
    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06122014/#comment-936221

    • arkie 1.1
      18 September 2015 at 6:45 pm

      I heard and was very disappointed at Te Radar’s comment.

    • Anne 1.2
      18 September 2015 at 8:09 pm

      David Farrar says:

      They like Trump because he speaks his mind, he speaks truth to power.

      Crosby/Textor subliminal bullshit speak when trying to pull wool over eyes.

    • the pigman 1.3
      18 September 2015 at 8:35 pm

      I’m pretty sure I heard Jim Mora call him “David FarrIEr” shortly before those comments, too (wouldn’t be the first NZer to make that mistake). I was genuinely puzzled as to why they would be seeking his input on the Panel.

      Then again, I’m equally surprised as to why David Farrar’s input is sought…

  2. Gabby 2
    18 September 2015 at 6:34 pm

    Cut through is the new top of mind.

  3. mickysavage 3
    18 September 2015 at 8:26 pm

    Latest Roy Morgan is out.

    National down 6% to 44.5%. Labour up 4% to 31%. Greens up to 15% (fecking good) and NZ First support is down.

    Pretty damn good although no doubt the next result will bounce back. But if Labour and the Greens can form a government without NZ first support …

    http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/6456-roy-morgan-new-zealand-voting-intention-september-2015-201509180721

    • Anne 3.1
      18 September 2015 at 8:34 pm

      Wow! These polls are bouncing around all over the place.

      • ScottGN 3.1.1
        18 September 2015 at 8:46 pm

        RM does seem to have become quite volatile in contrast to the telly and newspaper polls which never seem to change. I do wonder though, if infused still maintains that Key was on the side of the ‘silent majority’ with his (and Cameron, Harper and Abbott’s) flatfooted response to the Syrian refugee crisis.

        • mickysavage 3.1.1.1
          18 September 2015 at 8:52 pm

          Yep and the sudden change by him, Abbott and Cameron. Initially they were going to accept no more refugees then within a matter of days they had all changed their minds.

          The problem is the left has a rough idea of trends in polls whereas the right has a day to day snapshot of what is happening. Seems very unfair …

          • ScottGN 3.1.1.1.1
            18 September 2015 at 9:00 pm

            Also, in spite of what Trevett (and the Herald’s editorial board) and Gower et al have said I think Key’s pretty shameless politicking over the flag has not washed with most NZers. In fact, if anything the whole schemozzle of the flag referendum is starting to weigh heavily on Key.

            • mickysavage 3.1.1.1.1.1
              18 September 2015 at 9:12 pm

              Yep pushing it while a hemisphere away we are witnessing the biggest refugee crisis the world has seen for many decades makes him look cheap and totally uncaring. Not what Crosby Textor would consider to be an ideal result …

    • b waghorn 3.2
      18 September 2015 at 8:35 pm

      No need for Winston !! Living the dream baby living the dream

      • mickysavage 3.2.1
        18 September 2015 at 8:44 pm

        Yep that is the baseline for success. If Lab+Green need NZ First then it will be messy. If they can do it by themselves then they can achieve great things. But I am reasonably sure the next poll will bounce back. Makes you really wonder how accurate they are.

        • b waghorn 3.2.1.1
          18 September 2015 at 8:55 pm

          I know they bounce around but of all the shitty things keys done I think the flag debacle will be looked back on as the beginning of the end for this government.

          • Anne 3.2.1.1.1
            18 September 2015 at 9:11 pm

            Agree b waghorn. He has upset quite a few of his own supporters over this flag debacle and he knows it. Hence the game playing with Labour. He’s hoping by attacking Labour and blaming them for the mess, he will get out of the hole he largely dug himself. It succeeded over ‘Dirty Politics’ so he’s hoping it will do so again.

        • Draco T Bastard 3.2.1.2
          18 September 2015 at 9:02 pm

          Makes you really wonder how accurate they are.

          I know all the maths say that they’re accurate but they seem to always randomly either get a RWNJ over-abundance of people willing to answer to the poll. I suspect that there’s a group of people more willing to answer than any other that the statistics just doesn’t take into account.

      • weka 3.2.2
        18 September 2015 at 9:53 pm

        “No need for Winston !! Living the dream baby living the dream”

        😀

        (and let’s not forget that Peters is still capable of forming govt with National in that scenario, which is a message for all left wing voters).

        • b waghorn 3.2.2.1
          18 September 2015 at 10:07 pm

          I can’t see how Peters can go with the sale it all party , and while I’m not totally against him in a left block party the thought of “gunner” Marks or
          “How great I am” Jones taking over gives me the chills.

          • weka 3.2.2.1.1
            18 September 2015 at 11:07 pm

            Peters will do whatever suits him, that’s what he has always done. The left has made the mistake before of underestimating this.

            Key can defer asset sales for a term if it means getting another term.

      • Lanthanide 3.2.3
        18 September 2015 at 11:01 pm

        Winston is king-maker.

        National + NZFirst > Labour + Greens.

        So it needs to be Labour + Greens + NZFirst > National.

        What deal would National do with Winston to stay in power? Could Labour + Greens offer a better deal?

        • weka 3.2.3.1
          18 September 2015 at 11:09 pm

          we might get really lucky and NZF drops below 5%. Which would be a shame, but Peters is such a bad influence on NZ politics and it looks like NZF is getting set to follow in his footsteps.

        • b waghorn 3.2.3.2
          19 September 2015 at 7:28 am

          Minister of racing outside of government

    • swordfish 3.3
      18 September 2015 at 9:20 pm

      23 Polls since the Sep 2014 Election.

      First 16 Polls = Govt ahead of the Opposition Bloc in all but 2

      Last 7 Polls = Oppo ahead of the Govt in all but 2

      Have we reached a tipping point without realising ?

      • McFlock 3.3.1
        18 September 2015 at 9:40 pm

        what was it like in the 23 polls after 20ll election

        • swordfish 3.3.1.1
          18 September 2015 at 10:54 pm

          First 23 Polls following 2011 Election:

          14 = won by Govt
          7 = won by Oppo
          2 = Tied on same %

          So, in both cases (post-11 and post-14), the Oppo Bloc were ahead of Govt in
          7 of the 23 Polls.
          But the Oppo wins were very evenly dispersed throughout the 23 following 2011 election – not a clear chronological pattern / apparent turning-point like post-2014.
          You certainly didn’t have a whole cluster of Oppo wins like you do at the moment.

          • swordfish 3.3.1.1.1
            18 September 2015 at 11:21 pm

            Bearing in mind, of course, that the Oppo led the Govt in polls throughout much of 2013, yet still lost the following election. So, you know, I wouldn’t want to get too excited at this stage. Maybe just permit ourselves an enigmatic smile now and then.

      • weka 3.3.2
        18 September 2015 at 9:52 pm

        What do you mean by Opposition in those figures Swordfish? You’re counting NZF right?

      • Clemgeopin 3.3.3
        19 September 2015 at 12:32 am

        ROY MORGAN NEW ZEALAND POLL

        National Party-led Govt* VS Parliamentary Opposition Parties#

        2015

        August 31 – September 13, 2015— 47 Vs 51.5 [Latest]
        August 3-16, 2015 ———————-52.5 Vs 46
        June 29 – July 12, 2015—————–45 Vs 52
        June 8-21, 2015————————–51.5 Vs 45.5
        May 4-17, 2015————————– 56Vs Vs 42
        April 6-19, 2015————————- 48 Vs 49.5
        March 2-15, 2015———————– 49.5 Vs 48
        February 2-15, 2015——————– 50 Vs 48
        January 5-18, 2015———————- 54.5 Vs 43

        2014

        November 24-December 7, 2014—–49.5 Vs 46
        October 27-November 9, 2014——–51 Vs 45
        September 29-October 12, 2014——46.5 Vs 47

        *National-led Government: [Nats Party, Maori Party, ACT and United Future]
        #Opposition Parties: [Labour Party, Green Party and New Zealand First]

    • Clemgeopin 3.4
      18 September 2015 at 11:52 pm

      ACT’s Rimmer and UFUT’s Dunner are probably quite pleased with their party support, each with 0.5%, rather than at 0%! (On dear, ‘half a person’ supports them out of every 100! Ha, ha! Cool bananas, with completely undeserving power of office!)

    • Michael 3.5
      19 September 2015 at 1:04 am

      The good thing about this poll is that both Labour AND the Greens are up. Labour is clearly getting votes off National/NZF, and there isn’t just a redistribution of votes on the left happening.

  4. ScottGN 4
    18 September 2015 at 9:02 pm

    Radio NZ news is leading with this poll.

  5. b waghorn 5
    18 September 2015 at 9:15 pm

    http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/72182332/Labours-number-crunch-Hamilton-home-ownership-falling
    I’d love to know how stuff thinks Hamilton house ownership and last years election results are related.

  7. The Chairman 7
    18 September 2015 at 10:20 pm

    The forestry industry has unveiled a robotic tree logger to cut deaths and injuries and boost production.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/agribusiness/72179932/remote-tree-logger-aims-to-cut-forestry-deaths

    • b waghorn 7.1
      18 September 2015 at 10:28 pm

      These machines are good if they save lives, we just need a government that’s looking for ways to employ the people who will lose there jobs to them as opposed to a government who will see it as a way to increase profit for forestry’s foreign owners.

      • The Chairman 7.1.1
        18 September 2015 at 11:39 pm

        Indeed, preventing loss of life or injury is good. Productivity gains are also good. But it wasn’t too clear whether it would cost jobs at this stage. Operators are required.

  8. repateet 8
    18 September 2015 at 10:22 pm

    So the serious political commentators in the land are to be Michele A’Court, Te Radar, Mike Hosking and David Farrar. Two of those are comedians whose talents are limited to limited comedy, one is a political operator whose talents and interests are limited and who is definitely not a comedian, and the other is Mike Hosking.

    It’s good that comedians are involved in the scenario, as the acceptance of any of them as serious commentators is a fucking joke. A bad one.

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