Look. Over there!
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- Date published:
3:26 pm, September 5th, 2008 - 49 comments
Categories: same old national, spin -
Tags: crosby textor, misdirection
A friend has just rung to excitedly inform me that National’s conservation policy has now also been released by Trevor Mallard.
That means there is officially a leak in the National Party caucus.
I expect in the next hour or so the Nats are going to start their misdirection campaign and I expect it will include lines like ‘this has been stolen from us’, ‘the Prime Minister must tell us what her involvement is’ and ‘we are the victims of theft and will be bringing the police into this’.
In short, they will do anything they can to direct the story away from the real issue, which is who is leaking from their caucus and what this means for John Key and his leadership.
We’ve seen this Crosby Textor tactic over and over again and we’ve seen the media buy it over and over again.
They bought the “stolen emails” misdirection during the Hollow Men scandal (even though the documents included diary entries and a handwritten fax)
They bought the “dirty tricks” misdirection during the secret agenda scandal (even though the Nats were secretly interrogating and vetting their own activists)
They even started to buy the carefully arranged rubbish misdirection until the absurdity of it was pointed out by various MPs and blogs.
So in a few hours when National try to cry wolf again will the media swallow it?
Sadly, I think they will.
UPDATE: Frogblog weighs in.
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Old news Bill – this story was on the Herald website yesterday
IV2: You’re confusing it with the environment policy. Now conservation has leaked too.
Wow,
this could prove to be crushing for National, there goes there ‘it was just a mistake’ misdirection.
Two leaks in two days, i am very excited.
both of them! both environment and conservation, jesus, what’s going on with them?
“‘it was just a mistake’ misdirection.”
They tried that when the first of the tape recordings came out and it was painful to watch Bill humble himself next to Key. When the second one came out they went on the attack. I reckon this will follow the same pattern.
Wouldn’t Trevor be better off releasing Labour’s conservation policy ?
Was that a misdirection?
Was that a misdirection ?
HS: Why would he, when he can release National’s instead?
L
Captcha: `two-year-old heart’. There’s a tempting joke about a menu in here.
This makes the previous document look less like a cock-up and more like a leak. The person doing the leaking must either be ‘anti-National’ and keen to sabotage them, or ‘National’ determined to undermine Key. Again, it looks like they can’t run a cake-stall. I find it hard to believe that they are so stupid that they would not detect a mole, or that they are so self-destructive that they seriously want to lose the election just because they don;t want Key in power … this does however fit a pattern of cock-ups which has increased since the beginning of the year. On the bright side, at least no one can accuse them of not having any policies.
Perhaps it’s a conspiracy, MB.
hs,
“Wouldn’t Trevor be better off releasing Labour’s conservation policy?”
i dont think that he should right now.
I am sure you are aware that successful politics is all about timing.
I think he would be better off and wait for the media to kick up a frenzy about how the National party is divided, there are leaks, John key doesnt have control, he is a poor leader, bill is trying to role him etc,
i think that would be the better way to go.
Who’re the common threads in all the leaks?
Hollow Emails: Nick Smith
TaperGate: Nick Smith
Environment: Nick Smith
Conservation: Nick Smith
Maybe he’s really a greenie after all!
L
Touche.
yl
I’m sure you’re right, however it does little to improve my opinion of politicians.
Lew and whose camp is Nick Smith in? Clue: he’s angry and he talks about selling things ‘eventually, but not yet’
Nick Smith is scheduled to be interviewed on Agenda, Sunday morning.
Unless he is suddenly ‘unavailable’.
hey – maybe now they’ll tell us who the taper from the Nat conference is? Key repeated claims that it was Labour on Bfm when he said:
Mikey Havoc: That’s a wee bit like your undercover Labour Party supporters taping you comment though wasn’t it.
Key: Yeah well that was right though. But anyway putting, let’s
Havoc: What, we’ve heard no more about that John.
Key: Ah well, we’ll see.
He’s always worth a listen….
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0809/S00064.htm
What a shower, you couldn’t make this stuff up.
Private conservation work to get tax credits…who will benefit from that? And more work for IRD I guess… And I can guarantee that DOC working with all these volunteers is going to add to their workload.
Less bureaucrats is looking fewer likely!
“Less bureaucrats is looking fewer likely!”
For all those who say it doesn’t matter…
Hat’s off to you, Dom!
Here’s the official misdirection:
““Mallard is trying to manipulate the media by spinning it out over a couple of days and then claiming multiple leaks.”
So, Mallard is directly lying to the media now. Big call, me leaky blue friends.
Read the rest – it’s full of the usual gobshite from National.
Just so you don’t think I’m an old party hack (I’m only middle-aged!!)
I’ve had a dig at National – they need to sort this sort of shit out.
http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2008/09/tighten-up-mr-key.html
For the non-TV watchers.
TV3 have said during the coverage of the Cnservation leak/ find/ act of carelessness that their tip off about whatsisname flying in to meet JK came from within Nat. Draw your own conclusions I guess.
nothing on tv1 yet – sport is on now – i thought i saw something about it in the ads leading up to it. its on the onenews website. did i miss it?
Labo0ur is releasing National policy because they haven’t got any of their own.
Swampy: Yeah, but if you objected to the Standardistas bagging National for the reverse any time in the past 12 months, it’d be logically inconsistent for you to bag them now 😉
L
“Labo0ur is releasing National policy because they haven’t got any of their own.”
Late entry for spectacularly stupid comment of the week.
I suppose Parliament has been sitting under urgency just to finish a really long game of Monopoly?
Like, metaphorical
On the tv3 story tonight Mallard came off as a bit of a dork. He was trying to be funny but came over as arrogant. I don’t know why Helen lets him deal with the media.
Oh well your big ‘story’ didn’t even make the TV1 news, they were too busy talking about Glens tell-all on Tuesday.
The only mis-direction is coming from the red corner as they shit themselves before Power gets to interview their biggest donor (unscripted).
Was good to hear JK on the radio chuckle about the fact labour was finally releasing some policy.
is he going to tell how when he didnt get an honoray consulship he spat the dummy?
Spat the dummy..or told the truth?
Can Trev give me a Liverpool kiss?
sure when do you want it?
Always thought Trev was a violent nut case. You just proved it randal.
Thank you for your assistance.
randal, punch: settle down.
Not a misdirection, but off topic… what’s the difference between a conservation and environment policy? Might be a difference to politicians but wouldn’t it make sense if they were compiled and released as one (whether leaked or not)?
I don’t think there is any point in National discussing it, Camryn. Any attempt to address the f**k -up will be derided as ‘spin’ or misdirection anyway. The best they can do right now, is start to perhaps create the impression amongst the electorate that they actually take the whole ‘election-thing’ seriously, rather than as a bit of a giggle. I’m finding it annoying that this is the best that an opposition can muster – It’s tweedle-dee, Tweedle-dummer. On balance, if you have two f**kwits to choose from, most of us will at least choose the f**kwit with the most experience. This is all good news for Labour, but still not chardonnay time..
what punch wants punch gets…hhahahaha
Anytime randal
wow…go and see trev…I dont even know you and furthermore I dont want to!
coreection…I do know you punch. you are angry,belligerent, truculent, petulant and out there looking for a fight and have decided to vent here. well go somewhere else like say one of nationals public meetings! I am sure your wish will be granted there.
I could sit beside you – as you’ll have the tape recorder going eh randal.
Both of you take two days off.
Nick Smith acts as a surrogate for Bill English.
With Brash gone after Hollow Man and if Key doesnt get enough votes to sweep past the minor parties guess who would be the only replacement- but only over Williamsons dead body
Theres enough personal animosity with that lot to make their own series of Bad Girls