I do not say Andrew Bolt is a complete weasel
But I do say that Bolt’s performance yesterday following Prime Minister Gillard’s tears in Parliament is a study in the use of weasel words.
I do not say Julia Gillard’s tears in Parliament today, in talking about the Queensland floods and Cyclone Yasi, were anything but genuine. . . .
But I do say the tears follow much damaging criticism about Gillard being ”wooden” in responding to the disasters.
I do fear that to suddenly go from one extreme to the other will jar with many.
Again, I do not conclude that Gillard is insincere. I just suspect that they will not do Gillard the good they may have done had she cried in front of the victims instead.
I do not say that, if Gillard had actually cried in front of flood victims instead of in Parliament, Bolt would have written something like...
I do not say Julia Gillard’s tears in front of flood victims were anything but genuine.
But I do say there’s a time and place for everything, and though I do not lightly say so unless pressed to give my opinion, I suspect that a weeping Prime Minister unloading on already traumatised people may seem inappropriate to many people.
I do not say that alcohol is an effective remedy for a bad taste in the mouth.
But I do say that a drink after reading anything by Bolt might well be considered medicinal.
posted by Jacob A. Stam at 2/09/2011 01:50:00 PM
8 Comments:
Oh yes: how apt.
I'd actually written an email to Caz on this (in reply to a joke she'd forwarded) but iinet suffered one of those "connection to the server was reset" thingies and junked it. Too lazy to rewrite...
Bolt is an asinine imbecile; his scribbling is ever the more errant and arrant the longer the "false" prime minister continues in office. Like many a fool he subscribes to the religion of the right that Abbott resurrected the Coalition vote to within a pubic hair of office.
Fact: Abbott improved the Coalition vote by some 1.3% from its defeat in 2007. The ALP, by contrast, suffered a defection of 5.4%. Andrew and Tony here's a tip: that swing away from the ALP (bugger the "two party") did in no way go to the Coalition. Clearly Abbott is no alternative PM in the minds of voters.
Recent remarks by the opposition leader regarding shit - and how it might make its presence felt – were unfortunate in that he uttered them in front of a camera and live microphone. They won’t do him long term damage. What will is his reaction which was adolescent and Lathamesque.
It is remarkable that Bolt, political analyst par excellence, has not taken his anointed one to task either for his comment or reaction. TABCORP is paying $00.25 for your invested dollar that had the “Wooden Woman” (Gillard) uttered such the world would not be large enough to contain the vitriol and sputum flowing from Bolt’s pen.
I tend to take Laurie Oakes’ view here: for once the “iron control” this woman refuses to relax deserted her. As I was to write to Caz – there is a personality and a woman under all that party political control and it would be nice to see it just once. Just to know it was there when the minders and “sound bite writers” had pissed off.
"It is remarkable that Bolt, political analyst par excellence, has not taken his anointed one to task..."
Afraid I'll have to vigorously disagree with you there, Father Park. There's nothing remarkable at all about that relentlessly partisan individual giving his side of politics a soft ride while shamelessly fabricating pure shit about someone on the other side "giving aid to Mugabe."
... oh, but I'm repeating myself.
As for Mr Rabbit, I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt, i.e., that no disrespect for the dead soldier or his comrades was intended - if only to let it slide for the sake of the poor family.
But I do say ... *cough*
It does, however, reflect on the man's judgement and maturity. The "shit happens" remark was clearly an attempt at a form of gallows-type humour, possibly intended to impress or ingratiate himself with the officers and other soldiers present. Tony overall seemed intent on making his trip to Afghanistan into something rather like a Boys' Own adventure, e.g., that unfilfilled wish to go 'embedded' with a patrol through enemy territory.
Who does the guy think he's going to impress with those kinds of stunts? Maybe someone like Dr Easychair, but that kind of says it all.
And yes, it almost goes without saying that, if Gillard had said something like that, the Dr Easychairs and the Dr Pussyfoots and the Akermans and the Alan Joneses would have all laid in the boot.
For now, I'll bow to your judgement that there's anything in Gillard at all.
Ahah, it's raining here . . . just for a change.
"What will is his reaction which was adolescent and Lathamesque"
No it was not Lathamesque Mike. Unfortunate, and ill considered yes.. (some would perhaps say ..human? ) nothing like Latham..
Latham has form.. Abbott does not..
Look, I have no time for Abbott, but, for God's sake how can anyone read violence into a thirty second searing stare..
So, we are mind readers now are we?
Shit! The man has never laid a finger on anyone..
Look, I have no time for Abbott, but, for God's sake how can anyone read violence into a thirty second searing stare..
The Lathamesque moment was that very odd handshake thing. Abbott seemed to channel the nutter in that "I'd dearly love to knock your head off" glare. He clearly was at no loss for words; simply that those which came to mind were not at all (like "shit happens") for public consumption. Had he said what he was thinking his leadership may well have been terminal.
His real problem is the failure to deal - or prepare to deal - with something his staff already knew about: the offending tape. Some chronic failure of perspicacity or perception led him to have this out in the glare of a camera rather than elsewhere. His staff certainly knew the offending tape was to be aired along with the attendant question yet here he is - very embarrassingly - caught like that proverbial rabbit in the camera's spotlight.
Rabbit Abbott.
"caught like that proverbial rabbit in the camera's spotlight."
"Rabbit Abbott."
I love it!
Totally off topic Jacob (and I'll have to take a few minutes to catch up with the comments on this thread) ... stemming from our recent discussion, thought you might enjoy this little piece in NYTs:
“You want to send evolutionary biologists out to rural America?” Dr. McClain asked. “On purpose?”
The road trip came on the heels of a study that found that a biblical explanation for the diversity of life on Earth is still taught in many schools. Few of the nation’s biology teachers, the study found, directly tell students that evolution forms the foundation of modern biology."
Cute piece:
http://tinyurl.com/6b2mqj2
Thanks Caz, that really is a 'cute' story!
It's shocking to think a gifted young person might feel alone and isolated in the heartland of the most advanced nation on earth:
The Center ... paired junior scientists with a senior scientist in each of the locations, “so they wouldn’t feel alone and isolated”
And nice to see that a neurotic old dead guy continues to contribute to coaxing his country into modernity:
. . . the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a major private funder of biomedical research, recently announced plans to spend $60 million producing documentaries in an effort to raise the nation’s scientific awareness.
And:
When students recoiled and said “Ewww!” watching pictures of large jungle cats devouring their prey, the scientists told them: “This is what happens, people. Get professional.”
You wonder how much students from these places are still disadvantaged in trying to gain entry to the top science academies in the States.
"nd though I do not lightly say so unless pressed to give my opinion"
Bwaahh! Bolt is such a card!
Father - I think Gillard is the worst possible outcome of a person who has done nothing other than devote herself to fulfilling political office; there is definitely something missing, a few chinks of personality have been hacked off in the process, a few channels between individual and society have been filled-in with concrete.
I figure she isn't like this in private, not entirely, but I don't think there's some astonishingly different, warmer, wittier Julia hiding under that horribly oppressed good-girl politician who would negotiate a compromise with a snake if it meant keeping power.
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