The carbon price “debate” shows the effects of decades of spin. “Carbon cops”, busting down your front door and scaring the kids in pursuit of unauthorised emissions, had been invented by the Coalition.
Political spin
In defence of a spinner in the works
If the public don’t really care about spin, why are journalists so preoccupied by it? Brent Hooley, an author and former government media adviser, discusses.
Our pollies need to go back to spin school
The public understand that a certain degree of truth bending is part and parcel with politics, but our current crop of pollies too often present themselves as rude and obnoxious gas bags. They need to go back to spin school, writes Jane Fynes-Clinton.
The master spinner from Iran
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spins a story better than most PR people. He sidesteps tricky questions by instead attacking the US, changes his answer depending on the audience and relies on a translator, making it easy to ignore interviewers’ questions.
Atkins: The cruel jibes of snivelling schoolboy pollies
Tony Abbott loves a snappy scripted slogan — “great big new tax” — while Kevin Rudd is more of an acronym man — “ETS, RSPT etc”. It’s the only amusing thing in this tit-for-tat mining tax fight, writes Dennis Atkins.
Scoops, spin and gaffes: how the media portrays politics
Politics has become theatre, played simply to feed the media spectacle. Therefore, rather than focus on long term policy and ideas, politicians only care about creating conflict and a headline story.
Savva: Unlocking the Rudd riddle
Can we make this budget not like every other policy the Rudd government announces? pleads Nikki Savva. Just explain it simply, ditch the spin and don’t claim that it’s bigger and better than it is.
Putting debt through the spin cycle
In 18 months Kevin Rudd and co have managed to get our national debt to a whopping one fifth of a trillion dollars. Prepare to watch Wayne Swan spin out of control with this budget, writes John Izzard.
How the SA election can help Rudd win
Yes, it was perhaps a closer election in South Australia on the weekend than the ALP would have liked, but there are two significant lessons to learn for the federal election. Be positive and be careful of the spin, says Chris Kenny.
Turnbull: Just ’cause Kevin looks nerdy, doesn’t mean he knows what he’s doing
Prior to the 2007 election, Kevin Rudd has us all fooled as the workaholic bureaucrat, obsessed with policy. But really, Rudd’s all spin, with no dedication to follow policies through, writes Malcolm Turnbull.
Crikey Says: Sorry Kevin, apologies will only go so far
Oh to have been a fly on the wall yesterday as the Prime Minister and his boyish team of advisers scenario-played their Mea Culpa Strategy.
Advice from Malcolm Tucker: nail the line, Ron Jeremy style
Crikey came up with some scenarios (OK ripped them off from real-life events) for the poisonous Malcolm Tucker from In the Loop to spin. Apologies in advance for the profanity and the lols.
Advice from Malcolm Tucker: here’s how to do it, Lachlan
The poisonous political strategist Malcolm Tucker from In The Loop puts his spin on some all too familiar Australian political scenarios. A pollie who screams at an air hostess? He’s a terrorist-fighting hero.
Rudd’s goldfish-in-a-bowl approach: the three-second voter memory
Rather than implementing policy, Rudd is constantly maintaining a political campaign. Stay on message, make the Opposition the issue, win the day. But the big test for this government is if it can actually realise an ETS, says Trevor Cook.
Kerr: Rudd gets in a refugee spin
Rudd’s refugee media blitz is just confusing voters, because they don’t want confusing jargon filled explanations, they just want action. Kevin Rudd needs to dump the political cliches and rethink his media strategy, writes Christian Kerr.
Crikey Says: Rudd takes Turnbull for a spin
If Malcolm Turnbull wants to make an impact on PM Kevin Rudd’s popularity ratings, then he should learn to counteract Rudd’s clever communication strategies.
Timber strategy and a lesson in weasel words
The “rednecks” have won the battle over forest policy, and no one noticed, thanks to all the political spin attached, writes Frank Campbell.
