Fran on Key and Obama
Fran compares John Key to Barrack Obama, and not in a good way!
The “Mr Nice Guys” like Prime Minister John Key – and US President Barack Obama – who have soared high on the basis of personal popularity and feel-good vibes – are now finding out the hard way thatthere is more to making a good political hamburger than mere sizzle. …
Less than one year into his reign as New Zealand Prime Minister, Key’s popularity – like that of his party’s – is rocketing high in the opinion polls.
Much more so that Obama incidentially. Obama has only a net 11% positive rating, and the Democrats are polling only 4% ahead of the Republicans nationally.
Like Obama, Key has succeeded in one critical area: changing “the vibe” around his nation’s capital. Like Obama he is perceived as a Mr Nice Guy in large part because he is not his predecessor: Helen Clark in Key’s case, or George W. Bush (Obama).
That is a fair point. Of course John Key hasn’t won the Nobel Peace Prize simply for not being his predecessor!
It is a political truism the crucial strengths that underline a leader’s popularity are also their weaknesses.
Key – like his alter ego – is now in desperate need of the vital machine skills to ensure his Government does make progress on controversial flagship policies.
Key will be hoping he doesn’t have another week like the last one. The public are fairly forgiving of stuff ups, if they are corrected quickly. But if they start to form a pattern, then confidence gets shaken.
October 17th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Well, he’d better bloody well do something about it!
October 17th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Both have a nickname starting with the letter M: “Messiah” for Obama, “Malleable” for Key.
O’Sullivan’s article is fair.
Less than a year into their respective terms these two weak and indecisive leaders are starting to show their shortcomings. We’ll pay the price for their inaction.
October 17th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
And Manolo? Master of Red?
[DPF] Of course John Key hasn’t won the Nobel Peace Prize simply for not being his predecessor!
And the evidence for this is …?
[DPF: You don't read the papers much do you?]
October 17th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
“Key has succeeded in one critical area: changing “the vibe” around his nation’s capital. ”
thats a very good observation, however I’m beginning to feel Key is like listening to Justin Timberlake singing Bob Dylans old covers
October 17th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Couldn’t agree more Manolo, yet people like Adolf will continue on like he is some kind of visionary.
October 17th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
I read the papers daily, but wonder on what basis you assert Obama was awared the Nobel Peace Prize “simply for not being his predecessor.”
October 17th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
this bit is also interesting..
“..If Key does not want to preside over a one-term Government, he must set about constructing a crucial point of difference by starting to act as his nation’s CEO ..
.. instead of the prime political firefighter who repeatedly rides to the rescue to save his Government from fiascos caused by his own lax political management..”
and this bit..
“..It goes further: the fiasco also demonstrates that three ministers in Key’s Cabinet – Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully, his associate Gerry Brownlee and Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman –
- have not got all the ground-work in place to ensure the rugby event is a success .. and does produce an economic legacy for New Zealand..”
(and..gee..!..this bit too..!..)
“..Cabinet Minister Nick Smith is making a pig’s arse of shepherding through both issues.
Business is squealing over the lack of time to make submissions to the climate change select committee ..
.. and Smith failed to get the Government’s support partners – Act and the Maori Party – on side before moving on ACC.
If Key isn’t thinking Cabinet reshuffle by now he needs his head read.
He could start with dropping the Mr Nice Guy portfolio of tourism ..
.. and get the players in place who can orchestrate significant investment here ..
.. so that the gap with Australia starts to close..”
why did you leave out all the ‘juicy’-bits..?..dpf..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
October 17th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
He needs to start showing some leadership and making the hard calls, rather than trying to please everyone and not actually moving the country forward.
Should start with
- replacing Tolley with Peachy. It would piss the Unions off, but who cares
- do a proper review of ACC with a focus on those who cost the most pay the most
- bring Judges into line over sentencing
- fix the Smacking bill with the Burrows ammendment and move on
- give the Maori Party a fixed budget and on the basis of your people, your problem
- start exploration for minerals in the National Parks
- show some vision
October 17th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
“..Key is like listening to Justin Timberlake singing Bob Dylans old covers..”
fuck..!
starr said something funny..!
(should i start looking for other signs of it being ‘the end-times’..?..)
phil(whoar.co.nz)
October 17th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
SR
Agree with everything except the Maori funding and the Judges.
It’s racist, what about the PI’s or the Chinese or the Italians, South Africans………?
It would help to put the ACE funding back, each ministry wastes at least $40m or more a year and the social benefits of the funding far outweigh the losses.
Its all very well bringing the judges into line, but we need a two tier prison system, one for those we can save and one for the fuckwits who have decided that the law is an ass for them but not for us.
That means NI and SI prisons with classrooms and trade school and councelling. that involves money over time.
and its pointless unless we target the kiddie abusers and the children Celia Lashley speaks of.
Key is not the man for it sadly.
National need an ACT with 10%
Kiwis need to harden up as it’s downhill at the moment and will get worse if they don’t.
How about this for a start, if you’re getting a benefit you should be working for the taxpayers who are paying you, at least 20hrs a week documentable.
Hey it’s their money.
October 17th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
“If Key does not want to preside over a one-term Government…..” (Fran O’Sullivan): the great unspoken fear has now been spoken very publicly, and in terms that damn Mr Key’s management, much of his Cabinet and his agenda. Ms O’Sullivan, old hand that she is, is sounding the warning bell. Polls shift rapidly. There are no guarantees thyat they will not turn badly against National. A few more weeks like the last one and who knows where we might be.
For Labour, the best that could now happen is that much of the advice offered in this blog comes about. The Government hardens its neo-liberal agenda, begins a reform process not canvassed in the last election, and Mr Key is shown to be untrustworthy. But if he dosen’t, his own side will tar him as incompetent, and the media will lash his government. He has a difficult path to chart.
October 17th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Well, I said some months ago, about when Key sacked Worth, concisely and economically and without a lot of drama, that behind his nice ‘John-Boy, aw, shucks’ image, that Key did have backbone.
Perhaps it is part of his make-up that he likes it when people under-estimate him, because then he can surprise them when he trumps [ends idle speculation].
I was angry with him over his disregarding of the anti-smacking referendum and his handling of the Boscawen bill. Perhaps he has calculated correctly; that Kiwis are very forgiving, like a quiet life, and ultimately he will get away with it.
October 17th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Fran’s pretty good but she’s got a way to go to catch up to the brilliant Janet Albrechtsen-
http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/janetalbrechtsen/index.php
October 17th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
MikeNZ agree just still pissed that Taito got 6 years and the guy who killed the Indian grandfather in “road rage” only got 2.
Setup the prisons to teach trades and manufacture stuff in competition with China. All these jobs are gone in NZ anyway so shouldn’t be an issue.
People on benefits would get
- 2 days per week on “green” projects like cleaning SH1
- 1 day of community work or training
- 2 days to find a job because they won’t like the first 2 for too long
I thought Key was going to be different, but hes just a populist.
Spent a couple of years getting the old man to vote for National and now hes all upset because his motorbike rego is going up.
October 17th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Albrechtsen’s good,as far as she goes, but she’s got a long way to go to catch up with Al franken
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/15/jon-stewart-takes-on-30-r_n_321985.html
October 17th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
“(should i start looking for other signs of it being ‘the end-times’..?..)”
is that when you HAVE to go and get a job?
October 17th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Fran is perhaps suffering from a little hero worship indulgence. I wonder how many Americans compare Obama to Key? Why would they? Why do we do the reverse? Who has got the biggest Sky Tower? It all smacks of a cultural inferiority complex and is just a little cringe-inducing.
October 17th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Probably no different Luc than your admiration for Hitler.
October 17th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Blardy hell…what next? Oh, I know, Satan reincarnated?
Ever considered a debate on the merits or otherwise of a comment instead of inventing wild fantasies?
October 17th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
“..Ever considered a debate on the merits or otherwise of a comment instead of inventing wild fantasies?..”
heh-heh..!
(are you forgetting where you are..?..)
you’ve got as much luck as asking brownlee to go for a run…
phil(whoar.co.nz)
October 17th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Obama got the noble prize for not being Bush National is high in the polls because Key isn’t that hag Clark. Yeah it fits.
Also Obama will be a lame duck fairly soon and Key is one now.
October 17th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
SR
A great proposal.
No comment from the phool though, probably doesn’t understand the concept.
October 17th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
At least Key has some amount of moral fiber, Obama is a dishonest scumbag…….. The people rate him at present, but not for long….
October 17th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
wot pentwig..?
this bit..?
“..Spent a couple of years getting the old man to vote for National and now hes all upset because his motorbike rego is going up..”
what’s not to ‘understand’..?
more lies from key..?
more pre-election promises broken..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
phil(whoar.co.nz)
October 17th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
“more pre-election promises broken..?”
When did Key make a promise that National wouldn’t put up the motorbike rego’s, phil?
October 17th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
do you really want me to list the broken promises..?..
to date..?
(careful..!..another ‘hole’ ahead..!
you know what happened last time..!..)
phil(whoar.co.nz)
October 17th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
howd’yareckon key would have gone in the election..
if he had laid out what he has done to date..?
how could that not be the most telling proof of the lies told..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
October 17th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
If you did read the papers you’d know that Obama had been in office 12 days when the 5 Norweigen chaps settled on him as the recipient-in-waiting. After 12 days in office I’m sure Obama could find the Whitehouse gents, but doing anything globally significant? Nope.
October 17th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
For those that haven’t seen it yet – The Onion : Obama to Enter Diplomatic Talks with Raging Wildfire
[DPF: heh I blogged that a few days ago - it is great]