Not ready for prime time

28 comments on “Not ready for prime time ”

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1. gobsmacked 1

   17 July 2008 at 4:17 pm

   That Radio Live interview with Key was pathetic. Bill Ralston didn’t challenge Key’s assertions, hadn’t done any homework, and generally just gave Key an open opportunity to mislead the public.

   I wonder why?

   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10510437
2. jafapete 2

   17 July 2008 at 5:28 pm

   Is there a transcript of the Mikey Havoc interview/
3. Steve Pierson 3

   17 July 2008 at 5:30 pm

   Not that I’ve seen, you having trouble with the audio?
4. sweeetd 4

   17 July 2008 at 5:42 pm

   nothing Key says or does would impress you. Yeah, we know, we have heard this song every single day from you for months now.
5. Matthew Pilott 5

   17 July 2008 at 5:46 pm

   Oh Sweet Mother of f#@&, I see The Weekend Herald is doing the “Unauthorised Biography of John Key”. Check their homepage.

   Hard hitting?

   Wank-fest?

   Take a guess.

   Prove me wrong, baby, prove me wrong!

   Jafapete – there’s a link to the audio in the “wonder why” link…
6. BeShakey 6

   17 July 2008 at 5:46 pm

   sweeetd – I think this is the bit where you say why “no fault, 24 hour, no fault, blah, blah, blah.’ is a good account of ACCs principles, how Key was ‘misquoted’, ‘misrepresented’ or insist that the Radio Station (without any threats from the Nats) are soon to withdraw the interview etc etc.
   Or is the new C/T talking point – ‘stop picking on Key, he has a pretty smile remember’?
7. Matthew Pilott 7

   17 July 2008 at 5:50 pm

   He was talking about insurance in Australia, BeShakey, for god’s sake!
8. sweeetd 8

   17 July 2008 at 5:58 pm

   BeShakey

   Really, what is the point anymore?

   The fight for the behive won’t be won or lost on a blog, the fight will go to the people that really don’t follow politics much, or even at all. The finer points of a particular policy won’t amount to much more than a small hill of beans, or a 5 second sound bite on TV3/TVone.

   So, Pierson doesn’t like Key, not a little bit, not even at all. Not really news is it?

   The theme on this blog of down on everything Key does is beyond a broken record, and amongst the key (excuse the pun) market, the people that don’t follow politics that closely, it is not having an effect.
9. dad4justice 9

   17 July 2008 at 5:58 pm

   “Prove me wrong, baby, prove me wrong!”

   What a retarded comment.
10. coge 10

    17 July 2008 at 6:14 pm

    The fact is Labour aren’t up with the play. They have not communicated successfully with the general population. 2000 word opinion pieces that trash the opposition leader certainly do not work, as sweeetd has outlined. Maybe Labour would do well to take a leaf out of the Crosby Textor handbook.

    Our friends on the left claim that the general public are misinformed. That sort of patronising attitude towards people just gets their back up. It smacks of “we know whats best for you” It represents to the public the very worst of the left.
11. jafapete 11

    17 July 2008 at 6:17 pm

    Thanks everybody. Yes, I need a new audio card, probably, because my sound’s gone. Cheers jp
12. Blar 12

    17 July 2008 at 6:55 pm

    “John Key’s media trainer.”

    “The Herald on Sunday – where Ralston provides a politics column – called later to say he had told the paper of the Business Herald’s inquiries but assured them he personally had no involvement with the media training of the National Party leader.”

    Someone is lying Steve. Given your record I think that person is you.
13. Felix 13

    17 July 2008 at 7:09 pm

    jafa, remember to check for problems with your drivers first.
14. Tony 14

    17 July 2008 at 7:34 pm

    I noticed when Key was commenting on the student allowance issue he was filmed in a set up shot smiling with Christine Rankin. Perhaps he was there to talk to her about her penidng placement on the National Party list.

    Meantime he described a move towards a universal student allowance as a massive bribe – a bit like all those other Labour bribes, eg Working for Families, Interest free student loans, 20 free hours child care, income related rents, etc which Key and the Nats have now officially adopted as policy.

    Worth reading Cris Trotter’s piece in The Independent today (sorry can’t find a link) but clearly provides evidence of the partisanship of the mainstream media.

    As for the ACC announcement just more slipperiness and general ambivalence from the adoring, partisan media.

    If and when National win the election it’s going to be a rocky three years. It will be much more difficult then for the partisan journalistic hacks like Colin Espiner, Watkins, Ralston, Audrey Young and co to talk up Key and the Nats! But then of course they might be working for them as press secs!!
15. Tony 15

    17 July 2008 at 7:43 pm

    I noticed when Key was commenting on the student allowance issue he was filmed in a set up shot smiling with Christine Rankin. Perhaps he was there to talk to her about her penidng placement on the National Party list.

    Meantime he described a move towards a universal student allowance as a massive bribe – a bit like all those other Labour bribes, eg Working for Families, Interest free student loans, 20 free hours child care, income related rents, etc which Key and the Nats have now officially adopted as policy.

    Worth reading Cris Trotter’s piece in The Independent today (Sorry can’t find a link) but clearly provides evidence of the partisanship of the mainstream media.

    As for the ACC announcement just more slipperiness and general ambivalence from the adoring, partisan media.

    If and when National win the election it’s going to be a rocky three years. It will be much more difficult then for the partisan journalistic hacks like Colin Espiner, Watkins, Ralston, Audrey Young and co to talk up Key and the Nats!
16. Daveski 16

    17 July 2008 at 7:44 pm

    Chris Trotter isn’t partisan

    Labour doesn’t offer bribes

    Two tui moments in one post 🙂
17. Rex Widerstrom 17

    17 July 2008 at 7:47 pm

    Yes Ralston does outright deny training Key it seems. Though given the standards to which public accountability have slipped of late he could well be lying through his teeth.

    But then I guess that’ll be enough proof for The Standard, hmmm? What’s good for the Foreign Minister is good for the media consultant. This is what happens when you squirm around trying to run an argument which says it’s okay for public fugures to be less than straightforward and then accountable to no one when they’re called into question.

    Does training politicians make you a public figure? I guess it depends on what your role is. If it’s purely message delivery, perhaps not. If it strays into message shaping (and most of the time it tends to, even if the intention was to cover only delivery) then I’d argue you are.

    That’s why I’ve always been open about who I’ve advised, from the National Party Research Unit back in the day when they wrote press releases and spin doctors were unheard of, through the Michaels (Hirshfeld & Moore) to Richard Prebble when he led Act. I’d only deny it if I were ashamed of it, and I wouldn’t do it in the first place if I was. So I don’t see what Ralston’s problem is, really.
18. Felix 18

    17 July 2008 at 8:04 pm

    And who exactly has Labour bribed, Daveski?
19. gobsmacked 19

    17 July 2008 at 8:15 pm

    Blar

    In addition to the report linked above, the Herald reported (on June 27 and July 4) that Bill Ralston’s company has provided media training for John Key.

    You might want to take a bit more care with your accusations of “lying”. Easy to type, harder to back up.
20. Tony 20

    17 July 2008 at 10:07 pm

    Daveski, you have missed the point. Chris Trotter is of course partisan – his columns are branded From the Left, etc, just as Richard Long’s in the Dominion Post is identified National leaning opinion piece from a former National Party spin doctor. Nothing wrong with this as it is clearly stated and all adds to the debate.

    The problem with Ralston, for example, is that he doesn’t identify or declare his interests as John Key’s media trainer, yet writes columns and hosts a daily talback slot on a so called objective news network.

    As for the issue of bribes, again you mised the point. National accuses Labour of “bribes” and then adopts these “bribes” as policy. The point here is that if you consider these things bribes then why doesn’t the National Party have the moral rectitude or courage to say “we are not going to adopt these things as policy because they are bribes.”

    And for the record I don’t consider most of these things as bribes. Income related rents allowing lower income people to live in some form of dignity is not a bribe, but in the National Party view of the world who knows? After all they think it is okay for new employees to lose their jobs without any rights in the first 90 days.

    We have every reason to be very worried if a National Government led by bond trader Key is elected.
21. Tony 21

    17 July 2008 at 10:15 pm

    Daveski, you have missed the point. Chris Trotter is of course partisan – his columns are branded From the Left, etc, just as Richard Long’s in the Dominion Post is branded as a right wing National leaning opinion piece from one of their former spin doctors. Nothing wrong with this as it all adds to the debate.

    The problem with Ralston, for example, is that he doesn’t identify or declare his interests as John Key’s media trainer, yet writes columns and hosts a daily talback slot on a so called objective news network.

    As for the issue of bribes, again you mised the point. National accuses Labour of “bribes” and then adopts these “bribes” as policy. The point here is that if you consider these things bribes then why doesn’t the National Party have the moral rectitude or courage to say “we are not going to adopt these things as policy because they are bribes.”

    And for the record I don’t consider most of these things as bribes. Income related rents allowing lower income people to live in some form of dignity is not a bribe, but in the National Party view of the world who knows? After all they think it is okay for new employees to lose their jobs without any rights in the first 90 days.

    We have every reason to be very worried if a National Government led by bond trader Key is elected.
22. infused 22

    17 July 2008 at 10:53 pm

    Yawn again… I think you seem to forget… most people are not voting National because they like them, they are voting National to get Labour out of power.

    Anything you say or post isn’t going to make a damm of difference. There is a reason the polls haven’t changed. The public is sick of Labour. Running my own business I talk to a lot of people. None of them care what National are doing. They just want Labour out.

    Scream all you like, no one can hear you.

    You only have yourselves to blame. The biggest issues were the EFB and the antismacking bill. You fucked you selves by thinking you knew best. Don’t blame anyone else.
23. Blar 23

    17 July 2008 at 11:35 pm

    In addition to the report linked above, the Herald reported (on June 27 and July 4) that Bill Ralston’s company has provided media training for John Key.

    You are a liar and a tard. The stories stated that a company of which Ralston is a director was engaged in providing media training to John Key.

    Ralston denies – and there is no evidence to doubt this denial – that he is personally engaged in this training. This is more than a lawsuit away from Ralston being his “media trainer”. If you can’t see the difference I am not going to hold your hand and take you through it you fuckwit.
24. gobsmacked 24

    17 July 2008 at 11:56 pm

    You quote what I say.

    Then you say I am a liar.

    Then you yourself say … exactly what I say. Strange.

    But anyway, thanks for confirming Bill Ralston’s clear conflict of interest, which he did not disclose when interviewing John Key.
25. theavergekeywi 25

    18 July 2008 at 12:11 am

    infused- you’re just repeating Key and C/Ts soundbites. “tired govt” etc. You’re right about the EFA and S59 as being turning points in the polls but you don’t really think beyond that I assume.

    “None of them care what National are doing.” – isn’t that sad mate? an electorate who don’t know who they’re voing for and what the party stands for and what they’re going to do.

    This post concerns the so-called media – the media wITH little balance who simply toe the Key C/T lines. Sad mate.
26. NX 26

    18 July 2008 at 12:47 am

    I’m shocked!

    Shocked that you haven’t used your favourite catch phrase ‘brand key’ in this post ;).
27. Ari 27

    18 July 2008 at 2:07 am

    Yawn again I think you seem to forget most people are not voting National because they like them, they are voting National to get Labour out of power.

    Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. I’m not exactly the hugest fan of Labour, but I think people are way too quick to dump an efficient and motivated government for the first bunch of media-savvy neoliberals who’ll promise them some taxcuts and empty sentiments about how it’s “time for a change”, although they refuse to tell us exactly what type of change they’re referring to. 😉
28. killinginthenameof 28

    18 July 2008 at 2:49 am

    Is it really going to be a change is what im wondering. Nicky Hagar said at drinking liberally that it will be like the last 9 years of labour never happened, and I tend to believe him on that, it certinly seems as if that may be the case.

    So what will it be? Time for a change, or Time for more of the same.

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