tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post5985053596620883897..comments2024-03-28T21:25:08.138+13:00Comments on Bowalley Road: Trivial PursuitsChris Trotterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-66392223410228564272011-10-01T12:56:19.457+13:002011-10-01T12:56:19.457+13:00Chris
The moral of your piece is surely that a ne...Chris<br /><br />The moral of your piece is surely that a new code of manners is now in place, whereby "niceness", ostensible good humour, friendliness and a degree of superficiality and flipness are what's required of politicians. <br /><br />This is partly a result of John Key's own light touch. But is also reflects an underlying cultural shift, possibly linked to the ubiquity of new media and, more broadly, the permeation of society by short-term commercial imperatives.<br /><br />Perhaps it's also a symptom of widespread embourgeoisement.<br /><br />And it's a shift that's all the stronger for fitting in so well with many long-established Kiwi cultural desiderata.<br /><br />In fact, subtract the flipness,and you may have something resembling New Zealand politics in the decades of post-war consensus. I wasn't here then, so I'm just guessing. <br /><br />Of course, cultural shifts aren't like diamonds and don't last forever. <br /><br />It's quite possible that continued economic travails will reinstate both moral passion and the rancour that often accompanies it to a central place in political discourse.<br /><br />But don't hold your breath. In the meantime, successful politicians need to concentrate as much on being "nice" as on being "good".<br /><br />Phil Goff, like Helen Clark before him, understands this shift. But neither has proved capable of assimilating their personalities to it.<br /><br />For his part,Trevor Mallard seems essentially tone deaf to what's required.<br /><br />But how many are there on National's front bench, apart from Key, who comprehend these imperatives, let alone, who can play to them. Not all that many, I suspect.Victornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-63908896872463113222011-09-30T16:30:28.329+13:002011-09-30T16:30:28.329+13:00I am grown up Chris,
and I regularly remind mysel...I am grown up Chris,<br /> and I regularly remind myself that University Lecturers<br />and the media are not really accountable to anyone,<br />Politicians are.Annnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-90021202434410836222011-09-30T16:07:36.315+13:002011-09-30T16:07:36.315+13:00For God's sake, Ann, grow up.
There is a wor...For God's sake, Ann, grow up. <br /><br />There is a world of difference between responding to the inappropriate comments of a Member of Parliament, and launching an unprovoked attack on a young university lecturer for doing no more than attempting to provide New Zealanders with a valuable service in election year.<br /><br />Sometimes I simply despair!Chris Trotterhttp://bowalleyroad.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-45932123094202585732011-09-30T15:36:28.524+13:002011-09-30T15:36:28.524+13:00Trevor Mallards negative comments not okay,
Chris...Trevor Mallards negative comments not okay,<br /> Chris Trotters okay ? ? ?<br /><br />Not in my opinion: but if I am honest, I enjoyed the gossip re: Dr. Bryce <br />Edwards. .Why do the left carry negativity too far so often ?Annnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-81761980714688641502011-09-30T08:13:52.306+13:002011-09-30T08:13:52.306+13:00Why does Key have to be on all the National electo...Why does Key have to be on all the National electorate election hoardings? Doesn't he trust his MPs to stand on their own? (Garth George, you never said a truer word re yesterday's Herald piece, re the analogy with the Roman age and ours...emperors and glAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-68305748762990167112011-09-30T08:04:43.759+13:002011-09-30T08:04:43.759+13:00Goff is scared of Mallard, by the looks of things....Goff is scared of Mallard, by the looks of things.<br />Mallard, a tough old dog, of the old school, aggressive to the limit.<br />Time for retirement? Get real!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-21231496421564408862011-09-30T05:19:19.897+13:002011-09-30T05:19:19.897+13:00Isn't it time that Red Alert's value to La...Isn't it time that Red Alert's value to Labour (as opposed to its opponents) is assessed. Darien has made an excellent apology to the Mad Butcher today (in the face of something of a beat-up) but Red Alert allowed the matter to arise in the first place. And this is the problem, sometimes, with blogs - they provoke people in to writing things that, on reflection, they might decide not to say. Red Alert has diverted more than a lttle attention from the real target, and that can't be good.Robert Winterhttp://robertwinter.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-41773305643887967502011-09-29T22:56:58.789+13:002011-09-29T22:56:58.789+13:00Hi Victor
That quote from Groucho is a a bit obsc...Hi Victor<br /><br />That quote from Groucho is a a bit obscure for me. You have clearly 'out Groucho'd' me!<br /><br />My father was a child of fourteen, number 10 to be exact, (thank God for Catholicism), I am a child of one, and I have five children.<br /><br />You can fetch one of my five children if you wish, but be aware, I have been careful to influence them along the way. ;-)Brendan McNeillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02741263914308842497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-15271974286680268012011-09-29T19:27:31.534+13:002011-09-29T19:27:31.534+13:00And Groucho also said:
"A child of five woul...And Groucho also said:<br /><br />"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five."<br /><br />Every politician in the land might benefit from doing so.Victornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-19984655471910913702011-09-28T23:20:47.117+13:002011-09-28T23:20:47.117+13:00Hi Victor
Groucho also said 'you don't li...Hi Victor<br /><br />Groucho also said 'you don't like my principals? well, then I have others!"<br /><br />I'm afraid that looks so much like Phil at present. At the heart of Rogernomics (for better or worse) and now staunchly on the left.<br /><br />Ah well.Brendan McNeillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02741263914308842497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-84572861024309243812011-09-28T14:48:27.707+13:002011-09-28T14:48:27.707+13:00There's an interesting and relevant article by...There's an interesting and relevant article by Jonathan Freedland on the Guardian's website concerning the current UK Labour Party conference.<br /><br />Freedland cites an opinion survey suggesting some voters found Ed Miliband "creepy", apparently for standing for the leadership against his elder brother. <br /><br />Similarly, there are obviously some Australian Labour voters who have not forgiven Julia Gillard for putting the knife into Kevin Rudd, despite the latter's unpopularity at the time of the coup.<br /><br />On the whole, voters like to be able to view their leaders as being at least as kind, genial and conventionally decent as themselves.<br /><br />And, ultimately, a lot of politics comes down to Groucho Marx's celebrated maxim: <br /><br />“The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made!" <br /><br />In my view, politicians ignore this maxim at their peril.Victornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-76212302979462108212011-09-27T21:52:25.402+13:002011-09-27T21:52:25.402+13:00I misread the title as Travel Pursuits and thought...I misread the title as Travel Pursuits and thought "Chris thats a bit harsh..but fair."Andy Cnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-35232972503159449032011-09-27T15:49:32.431+13:002011-09-27T15:49:32.431+13:00Never fear, they have decided to distract the el...Never fear, they have decided to distract the electorate with personal attacks on the universally despised Mad Butcher, that will distract them. Good plan .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-39048475829221624782011-09-27T14:00:04.105+13:002011-09-27T14:00:04.105+13:00If this sort of thing is what makes a difference t...If this sort of thing is what makes a difference to who gets in government, then it isn't worth voting.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the Emperor has no clothes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-17918901338713297112011-09-27T13:42:56.179+13:002011-09-27T13:42:56.179+13:00Good post. I enjoyed the JK video particularly. My...Good post. I enjoyed the JK video particularly. My son is a 4th year engineering student at Auckland, and from what I've seen of engineering students here, the video looked like a normal day at uni. Work? What's that??<br /><br />As for Mallard's comments, to my mind they are perfectly mild when compared to the shameful way in which he, and the Labour party in general, prepared a large bucket of shit and poured it all over Erin Leigh's head under cover of parliamentary privilege. In theory, my inclinations are more towards Labour than National, but I just could not bring myself to vote for a party some of whose members display such a lack of simple human decency.<br /><br />Sorry to bang on. Moderate away.Andrewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-20576598620721293982011-09-27T13:25:10.170+13:002011-09-27T13:25:10.170+13:00All very true.
And Labour needs to remember that ...All very true.<br /><br />And Labour needs to remember that it no longer monopolises the left-centre of our political spectrum.<br /><br />Frankly, the Greens appear a lot nicer and (guess what) most people like 'nice'.Victornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-43413921203682515352011-09-27T12:15:08.601+13:002011-09-27T12:15:08.601+13:00Good on you for calling Trevor Mallard out on this...Good on you for calling Trevor Mallard out on this Chris. You'd think that with the Erin Leigh wound reopened by the Supreme Court decision in her favour, he would have been keeping a low profile. It will be interesting to see whether there are any legal consequences as a result of this, which would be felt by Labour as well as the owner of Red Alert.Keeping Stockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13635959917715078192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-60139107936901161042011-09-27T11:39:52.795+13:002011-09-27T11:39:52.795+13:00Compared with Mallard's Labour shambles, Russe...Compared with Mallard's Labour shambles, Russel Norman and the Greens are a well oiled machine.Adolf Fiinkenseinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08045358863278087055noreply@blogger.com