Hooton praises Labour
September 28th, 2007 at 5:04 pm by David FarrarThe Standard has highlighted this rare praise from Matthew Hooton:
PRESENTER: Ah, right, we better start with climate change policy announcement… How do you think it went, Matthew.
HOOTON: Well, I have to say it was probably the most successful policy announcement by a government in a democracy that I’ve ever heard of.
The Greens are now starting to complain a bit though. However that probably reassures most NZers 
September 28th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
I would have thought that what’s more worrying for you and many of your readers, DPF, is when National Party automatons like Hooton start praising Labour perhaps Labour might be actually be doing the hard yards prior to the election. Contrast this with the Ryall/Key cluster-fuck on National’s health policy….shocking.
Maybe some of your readers might be well advised not to underestimate the government.
National might not have *yet* snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory – but with the help of monkeys like Ryall, National’s certainly feeling around the lip area and has tentatively run its fingers across victory’s dangerously jaggy teeth. Too much deeper and it’s a goner.
Vote:September 28th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
Oh I think it has been a very useful wakeup call. I 100% do not regard the result of the next election as anything but competitive. National is in the lead but leads change.
Vote:September 29th, 2007 at 8:41 am
Dead Duck Dux:
*sigh* Matthew has quite a record of giving Labour credit where credit’s due – it just doesn’t happen that often. And not wanting to put words into DPF’s mouth, I think we’re the same.
A little more grown up than knee-jerk opposition for opposition’s sake, don’t you think? And if my memory serves, Matthew went on to say that the launch may have been very successful but the substance of the policy was a lot less impressive. Lila Harre went on the say much the same from her perspective.
The real risk, for me, is that both National and Labour confuse style with substance, and process with workable policy.
Vote:September 29th, 2007 at 9:13 am
“The real risk, for me, is that both National and Labour confuse style with substance, and process with workable policy.”
Baffles me why you see an historical and present certainty as a “risk”. Election campaigns are merely contrived and idiotic events and will always be that when they are designed to appeal to the knee jerk reactions of uninformed random morons reacting to the telephone calls of pollsters.
The divergence and convergence of the polling lines tells the story. Key/National are only popular right now because for the time being, the random morons with their superficial political perceptions “like” them. as soon as Key/ national do something that can be portrayed as unpopular by Labour’s media minions, they will become unpopular. Its not the way to win government.
The process is almost totally devoid of the “substance” Craig is concerned with. This commodity could become part of elections tho if the Nats had the balls to make it so. If they only stopped playing the polling game, and instead, came out with a strategy based on policies that offer a clear alternative to socialism.
Success in government does not depend on the like or dislike of random morons. It depends on convincing or converting concerned electors to a certain policy and ideology. When there’s no basic differences, the random morons will control the elections.
National needs to stop pitching for the votes of the random morons, and present a more ideologically based package to the voters, one that offers a clear alternative to socialism. Of course, this is a strategy that would take some work, some effort, some political nous, the right policies, and the key ingredient of course, ideology.
Given the Nats have been white anted for a decade or more by the presence of liberals and progressives with ideas that better suit the Labour party, that key ingredient (ideology) is something they just cannot come up with. Until they solve this problem, the Nats won’t really ever win. Even when they’re in government, they’ll be doing Labour’s work.
Nats have to ditch the polling based strategy. Get back to the basics of conservatism. Stop selling sweets to kiddies and start selling policies to adults.
Vote:September 29th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Sweets to kiddies, Red? I know someone who deserves a big gobstopper. Mind you, there’s a certain appeal to “adults only” policy. The manifesto would need to come in a plain brown paper bag and be stored under counters.
Craig, I’ve had personal dealings with Hooton. My comment was based on personal observation. Hey, you might be right, he might have mellowed since working in government. Personally, I subscribe to the “leopard and spots” theory. But, I am willing to be persuaded.
Vote:September 29th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Hooton is an idiot. Journalist used in the same sentence as Hooton is an injustice to Journalists up ad down the country.
I’ve never given credence to any word he’s spoken, and now he’s praising Labour I’m not about to start listening to him. The funniest hour on radio is him on National Radio with Lila. His claims that a policy statement from Labour once was Stalinist nearly made me choke with laughter. He’s about as professional a commentator as I am, and that’s saying something.
Vote:September 29th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
“Hooton is an idiot.’
Do you really think posts here composed entirely of empty unsupported opinion are worth the effort?? I mean- what’s the point?? ..and you write like someone with an extremely narrow political perspective. Do you ever talk to people who aren’t smug self righteous commies like you? Ever listened to (or even heard) an argument or view that differs to your one dimensional Marxist standpoint? Doesn’t appear so.
Vote:September 29th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
IS there a question in there?
Hooton is an idiot. But for some reason your hollow left baiting postings are meaningful, and mine aren’t? Pot meet Kettle.
“extremely narrow political perspective”, it’s called an ideological perspective you twat.
“Do you ever talk to people who…” are you really that fucking dumb that you don’t realise that I am here having as much fun baiting right wing jerk-offs like yourself as you think you are doing to me. We all come here for a good argument (as the python sketch goes).
What’s the point? Now there’s a good question that Reggie Perrin never really got to the bottom of.
Vote:September 29th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
“We all come here for a good argument ”
Who’s “we” and where’s yours?
Vote: