Obama and Key
The media are unable to resist the quote from a Financial Times interview in which John Key compares himself to Barack Obama!
But before people get worried that Key seem himself somewhat immodestly, it is useful to put the quote in its full context:
“I’m a bit like (Barack) Obama,” Mr Key, 47, told the Financial Times in an interview published today. “I am not institutionalised in Wellington”.
“I had 18 years in the commercial world and I will be quite pragmatic,” the old former Merrill Lynch investment banker said.
Key was pointing out that like Obama, he was relatively inexperienced in capital politics, which has its pluses and minuses. He wasn’t suggesting the same oratorical ability and I don’t think National are planning on 80,000 for the campaign opening 
September 1st, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Yeah, except that Barack has had no kind of experience in anything. I wish John Key wasn’t so prone to drinking the mainstream media kool aid on such issues. He could have at least used Sarah Palin as an example. A much more politically useful analogy.
September 1st, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Obama charismatic? More rubbish pushed by the left-loving mainstream media.
John Key could run rhetorical rings around Barack Obama ten days out of ten.
September 1st, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Keys not a muslim?
September 1st, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Good point by Redbaiter, Obama is more of a semi-professional political animal from the start, almost as bad as our own Dear Leader. Whereas John Key has crossed over into politics from a successful career in commerce – shock, horror.
September 1st, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Yeah John Key didn’t begin his career as a commuinity activist
Maybe it is Sue Bradford who should be comparing herself to Obama
September 1st, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Bradford is as institutionalised as they come.
September 1st, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Obama is a lawyer with a running mate who is a lawyer. Both the running mate’s sons are lawyers. Obama is married to a lawyer. The woman he beat for the nomination was a lawyer married to a lawyer. Their main opponent was a lawyer who is married to a lawyer but who has recently had a fling with an astrologer or something.
Key is an investment banker.
So there is at least one difference.
September 1st, 2008 at 3:36 pm
in true Ali G style.
“Is it because I is black?”
September 1st, 2008 at 3:48 pm
OBAMA is a brilliant orator but flounders as soon as he is questioned on practical policy. I hope KEY is the reverse.
September 1st, 2008 at 3:57 pm
It’s not immodest of Key to compare himself to Obama. They both utterly lack substance, will say anything they think people want to hear, and are trying to spin their lack of political experience as some kind of asset.
What would be immodest would be John Key’s speechwriters comparing themselves to Barack Obama’s speechwriters.
September 1st, 2008 at 4:20 pm
“..He could have at least used Sarah Palin as an example…A much more politically useful analogy..”
i agree..reddy..
key is definitely a ‘palin’..
..and he is definitely not an ‘obama’..
we agree..!
..but quite possibly..
..for very different reasons..
..phil(whoar.co.nz)
September 1st, 2008 at 4:53 pm
So true – Obama’s not institutionalised in Wellington either.
September 1st, 2008 at 5:03 pm
“..# baxter (486) Add karma Subtract karma +1 Says:
September 1st, 2008 at 3:48 pm
OBAMA is a brilliant orator but flounders as soon as he is questioned on practical policy. I hope KEY is the reverse..”
well..we know key isn’t a ‘brilliant orator’..
..so i guess you are halfway there..
..eh..?
..baxter..?
(and..on a more serious note..
..keys’ experience in ‘practical policy’..is..?..)
..phil(whoar.co.nz)
September 1st, 2008 at 5:25 pm
And I hear that smarmy arsehole Cullen has already come out with his predictable misrepresentation of what was said.
The sooner he goes the better – at least Helen is more bloke than him.
September 1st, 2008 at 5:46 pm
the only thing key and obama have in common..
..is that they both have a pulse..
and..can we now call key..barack hussein key..?
..(he’d blush..and take that as a compliment..eh..?..)
phil(whoar.co.nz)
September 1st, 2008 at 7:41 pm
See how gleeful the PM was to call this statement “ridiculous”?
Pathetic really.
September 1st, 2008 at 9:07 pm
yeah i agree kimble. to watch clark call key a “wooden speaker at the best of times” and then say obama is one of the greatest orators in our times or what ever she said makes her look like a sour old trout who is terribly grateful for the opportunity she thinks this diversion has given her. keep talking helen. keep mocking. keep bringing that smarmy git cullen out with his tired old sarcasm.
September 1st, 2008 at 11:21 pm
How pathetic of the MSM to bother picking up this story at all – clearly no substance to it – they just picked up some govt/Labour press releases aimed to distract our hopeless journos with something to shift the real issues off the headlines. Headline should be “PM and Cullen show themselves desperate for any opportunity to change the subject.”
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:23 am
What was it Hilary Clinton compared Helen Clark to again? – I seem to recall it was a cockroach?