Write your own headline
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- Date published:
7:03 am, December 20th, 2010 - 46 comments
Categories: brand key, john key, us politics -
Tags: barack obama
I was amused by this headline in The Herald yesterday:
WikiLeaks: PM plays power games with President Obama
Wow! Sounds exciting doesn’t it? Power games! With Obama!! So what’s the story???
US Embassy staff were pressured to set a date for Prime Minister John Key to meet President Barack Obama – because media had already been told the meeting was on. …
The cable shows Key pushing for a firm meeting date with Obama after speaking with him at the 2009 APEC meeting in Singapore. “Key said the exchanges resulted in him briefing the press in a certain way about the `invitation’, which he said he would not have done if he had thought the offer were actually more casual and indefinite.
“Expectations in NZ were set, Key said, and the matter potentially could turn into a political embarrassment for him. Key noted that his June schedule was `still empty’.”
“Still empty” — how fitting. Stuff supplies more details:
Mr Key’s personal pitch is noted in the cable as a measure of the depth of New Zealand’s concern about the issue; it was the first time he had personally raised the issue himself, preferring previously to leave the discussions to Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and his officials. …
The cable tallies with private briefings to journalists by senior National sources at the time; they were expecting Mr Key to make a separate visit to Washington sometime in the first half of the year. That appears to have been a factor in rising embarrassment that the trip had not come off, with Mr Key implying that he had been led astray by the Americans. …
The cable concludes: ” The manner in which PM Key pitched the bilateral visit indicated to the Ambassador that nailing down a June visit is of intense importance to Key.” …
While Prime Minister Helen Clark visited the White House twice, it has been decades since a National leader did so.
Reading these accounts I can’t help but think that the Herald headline tends to be a rather, shall we say “generous” interpretation of events. “Power games”? Key went personally begging for a photo op but the President of the US was too busy doing stuff that mattered. Yeah, I think I could have written a much more accurate headline for the piece. I’m sure you can too…
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The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.
Well, even Stuff had a more accurate headline:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4474659/Cable-reveals-Key-desperate-for-White-House-visit
Cable reveals Key desperate for White House visit
TRACY WATKINS AND PHILIP DORLING –
Last updated 12:22 19/12/2010
Key doesn’t open Barack door.
ouch!
Thanks for giving us the opportunity to write headlines.
My suggestions would be honest and direct .. but unpublishable.
Obama Takes Out A Restraining Order
Kiwi PM Denies Stalking the President
‘Maybe I’ll see you in Hawaii’: Key puts on brave face over Obama snub
After reading the detail rather than being able to be described as playing power games with Obama the only person Key could be accused of playing with is himself.
Key seeks photo with Obama for his “My Years as Prime Minister” album.
PM Key Laughs at Adversity.
Adversity shuns Key.
ianmac – How’s the weather?
Yesterday Sunday it was minus 8 during the day. Enough to make your nose drip and nearly freeze. Bracing. Now am Monday and warmer but OK light rain must have fallen last night. What fun. Imagine those who fought during wars out in the countryside. No heating eh!
Obama drops Key in toilet
“POTUS ignores antipodean gNat”
“Key starts Obama fanboi club”
“Obama: John who?”
or perhaps the one that best represents the original article:
“We love you John!”
How about:
“Clark bowed to sending Iraq troops for butter”
Wrong article infused. Thanks for playing.
Not quite, infused.
More like “Clark milked US relationship for trade, and approval from voters… Australian voters”.
NZ PM The HONjKEY pursues the first black leader of America – to get a shot at him.
Can’t think of one, laughing too much. I offer this instead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe-1j9tCMnM
Key defriends Obama
“I never really liked him anyway, and it’s totally his loss. He’s such an arsehole”
😀
I think you’ve captured the teenage-like infatuation perfectly, Pb.
I have this mental picture of Key sitting at his desk with a set of felt markers and a piece of cardboard, making a “I<3 u Obama – call me!!!!" sign to hold at the White House fence, like a 13 year old girl on her way to a Justin Bieber concert.
Key Gets the White House Blues
“There’s a White House over yonder, that’s where Obama stays.
There’s a White House over yonder, baby, that’s where Obama stays.
Well, I ain’t been home to see Obama in about ninety nine and one half days.
Wait a minute, something’s wrong. the Key won’t unlock the door.
Wait a minute, something’s wrong, baby. the Key wont unlock the door.
I got a bad, bad feeling that Obama won’t see me no more.
I might as well go on back down, Go back ‘cross yonder down off the Hill.
I might as well go back over yonder Way back yonder down off the Hill,
‘Cos if Obama don’t love me no more. I know Hawaii will!”
Or, again
“No Hawaii-a From Obama”
😀
Deb
Obama health scare avoided: “embarrassing minor irritant”
Harmless rectal parasite excised, Hawaian health authorities alerted
Key says that despite Obama snub they are still the same age
OBAMA: Rejection you can believe in…
I wonder if you know how much it says about you that you think Obama is the fool in this story.
Are you dense..?
Obama’s campaign slogan was: Change you can believe in, for John Key he offers: Rejection you can believe in…
Hardly saying Obama is the fool in this case…
I see through you.
Lol, good for you, whatever your paranoid mind believes…
Key finds Clark’s secret sucking up to US a hard act to follow.
Key appeals to Obama as blatant lie to NZ media is exposed.
“I told the Herald I had an appointment to sit at Obama’s feet when I didn’t.” confesses Key in exclusive interview with the Woman’s Weekly. “I’ve been learning to crawl ever since… it reminds me of my childhood as I moved from the log cabin on the Hawaiian hills to a state house in NZ… (woops – I got that myth wrong too…) {story continues from Key’s press secretary’s typewriter.}
Pathetic Pretend PM Pleads for President Pic
I vote for marsman’s headline …
You vote for that headline while ignoring how true it also was under Labour… I know, it’s different when Labour do it.
With “just saying” a very close second.
Key “But he said he would meet me” tears rolling down his fat little face
Wasn’t this a Flight of the Conchords episode?
Yep http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe-1j9tCMnM
PM JILTED “Remind me not to call Obama ever again” said the PM all down hearted and forelawn.
OBAMA HAD A BIRTHDAY PARTY AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND POOR JOHNY WAS EXCLUDED!
Can’t make it work, but remember this?
Huh! Now that takes me back…
Weirdly when I say “One day Roger Finch” to other people my age I get blank stares.
PM ON SUICIDE WATCH
PM ON SUICIDE WATCH
By the media? He’ll never do it.