I just love your accent
at 3:54pm
on Monday, 2nd February 2004
The Hack � 30/1/2004
American politics with a British Accent, and vice versa�
Politics in 3
Over Here - 3 things that already happened:
1) Winning this Streak � The hairdo that is John Kerry won the New Hampshire Democratic primary by a whopping 39%. Despite frenzied media speculation, the Senator from Massachusetts became the first candidate to win both Iowa and NH (first two to vote) since Jimmy Carter. In a selection system designed to reduce the power of party bosses by allowing the public to vote (theoretically more democratic then Labor or Conservative) - a record 220,000 registered Democrats and Independents got to grant the revered title of �frontrunner.� It has succeeded in concentrating power in the early states (which are tiny, and don�t reflect the U.S. population), because money, glory and press will now follow the winner.
2) Doctor in the Doldrums � things are going less swimmingly for Dean. Having enjoyed double digits leads in NH for 6 months, he took a beating from the media and the electorate, has now sacked his campaign manager, freezed his staff�s wages, pulled TV ads and there are rumors he�s blown his $40 million.
3) Those Pesky Program Related Activities � away from primary season, the search for WMDPRA goes on (since the State of the Union speech we�re now only looking for Weapons of Mass Destruction Program Related Activities). With chief hunter David Kay (apparently no relation of Peter Kay) resigning this week Bush acknowledged they might never be found, mentioned 9/11 for no apparent reason and squarely blamed the intelligence services. The CIA is considering a name change to BPRA � Buck Passing Program Related Activities.
Also in the news: Dick Cheney�s rating dropped to 20%, Bush prepared to announce a $521 (347,000,000 Pounds) trillion deficit, and the Democrat candidates gear up for a seven state race next Tuesday (South Carolina, Missouri, Delaware, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and North Dakota), which will shift the race to the west and south � not natural territory for those white liberal north easterners Dean and Kerry.
Under Reported - 3 things you might not know:
1) A break down of NH�s results reveals voters are turning into mini-pundits: 50% of people voting for Kerry did so because they felt he could beat Bush, who 83% said they were angry or dissatisfied with. See, Americans aren�t all bad.
2) The Democrat party have condensed the selection process this time round � so that 40% of delegates to the National Convention will be decided by early March. These primaries are all about electing delegates to go to the Convention (being held in Boston, in July) � the guy who gets the most delegates wins, and gets to stand under a glitter ball, say God Bless America and head out to fight the General Election begins. Really, the complexities involve more charts than Peter Snow could fit into a Newsnight studio.
3) The Republicans are not contesting their candidate (one G.W. Bush) � but they held a vote in NH anyway, and he won with 88% of the votes. There was an extremely low turn out of 63,000, with 4,600 of those voters writing in the names of Democratic candidates.
Just Guessing - 3 speculative opinions:
1) It�s Electability Stupid � Sitting in The Wild Rover, Manchester, New Hampshire last weekend, a real, live voter said to me �The only thing I care about is getting rid of Bush. He is creating a divide in this country, which is not how we�re supposed to be governed.� With three pints inside me, this seemed like the most enlightening piece of political punditry since Michael Heseltine said the Tories were being buried under horse manure in 1997. The majority of Democrats seem to be voting for whoever can beat Bush, which is a risky strategy � because they are choosing nothing more positive than a �not-Bush� candidate. But if recent polls are right (only 46% of people say they would vote for him tomorrow, compared to 49% for Kerry), it could just work. There is a sense that Bush is not working to unite the country, perhaps because his election strategy is as much about bringing out the core vote (and the 50% of non-voters), as it is about attracting swing voters. Cue Bush making extremely partisan speeches (abstaining from gay marriage etc), and ignoring some very, very angry people.
2) Everyone�s favorite 2nd choice � watch out for Edwards, the suave Southern Senator, who, as the son of a mill owner turned millionaire trail lawyer, every other candidate wants as their running partner. His theme is Two Americas ("One for the privileged and powerful, and one for the working-class families who struggle to make ends meet"), which appeals to a divided country, and has a distinct Disraeli ring to it. I�m not convinced the deserving poor have got much traction, but he�s good looking so who cares. He should win South Carolina next week, but Kerry may decide to try to kill him before he gets too popular.
3) Why policy doesn�t matter � When voting Americans seem to ask themselves the question: can I trust this guy in a crisis? When we vote, we seem to ask: what will this guy/gal do for me? Hence why character trumps policy over here.
British politics with an American accent � 3 American pieces on Blair�s fortitude and the Beeb�s future.
Seeing as y�all have had a crazy week, you might want to see how its being reported over here:
1) �Tony Blair, Vindicated�, and in contrast �George Bush, In Denial� New York Times, leaders.
2) Eric Alterman�s a media commentator, and has some interesting things to
say about how the Hutton Inquiry might have turned out differently over here.
3) Fox news take on what they like to call the �Kelly Flap.�
Want more?
Read about the Democrat candidates favorite songs, and feel once again smug that we got the Beatles and they got Britney.
Want even more?
Or, want it abit differently? Let me know what you think, how it could be improved, if there are articles you like, tips you have or things you just really hate.
Know others who want more?
Send their email address thehack_2004@yahoo.com, or forward this to them.
Want much less?
Send an email to thehack_2004@yahoo.com, with the subject NO MORE PLEASE
The Hack � 30/1/2004
American politics with a British Accent, and vice versa�
Politics in 3
Over Here - 3 things that already happened:
1) Winning this Streak � The hairdo that is John Kerry won the New Hampshire Democratic primary by a whopping 39%. Despite frenzied media speculation, the Senator from Massachusetts became the first candidate to win both Iowa and NH (first two to vote) since Jimmy Carter. In a selection system designed to reduce the power of party bosses by allowing the public to vote (theoretically more democratic then Labor or Conservative) - a record 220,000 registered Democrats and Independents got to grant the revered title of �frontrunner.� It has succeeded in concentrating power in the early states (which are tiny, and don�t reflect the U.S. population), because money, glory and press will now follow the winner.
2) Doctor in the Doldrums � things are going less swimmingly for Dean. Having enjoyed double digits leads in NH for 6 months, he took a beating from the media and the electorate, has now sacked his campaign manager, freezed his staff�s wages, pulled TV ads and there are rumors he�s blown his $40 million.
3) Those Pesky Program Related Activities � away from primary season, the search for WMDPRA goes on (since the State of the Union speech we�re now only looking for Weapons of Mass Destruction Program Related Activities). With chief hunter David Kay (apparently no relation of Peter Kay) resigning this week Bush acknowledged they might never be found, mentioned 9/11 for no apparent reason and squarely blamed the intelligence services. The CIA is considering a name change to BPRA � Buck Passing Program Related Activities.
Also in the news: Dick Cheney�s rating dropped to 20%, Bush prepared to announce a $521 (347,000,000 Pounds) trillion deficit, and the Democrat candidates gear up for a seven state race next Tuesday (South Carolina, Missouri, Delaware, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and North Dakota), which will shift the race to the west and south � not natural territory for those white liberal north easterners Dean and Kerry.
Under Reported - 3 things you might not know:
1) A break down of NH�s results reveals voters are turning into mini-pundits: 50% of people voting for Kerry did so because they felt he could beat Bush, who 83% said they were angry or dissatisfied with. See, Americans aren�t all bad.
2) The Democrat party have condensed the selection process this time round � so that 40% of delegates to the National Convention will be decided by early March. These primaries are all about electing delegates to go to the Convention (being held in Boston, in July) � the guy who gets the most delegates wins, and gets to stand under a glitter ball, say God Bless America and head out to fight the General Election begins. Really, the complexities involve more charts than Peter Snow could fit into a Newsnight studio.
3) The Republicans are not contesting their candidate (one G.W. Bush) � but they held a vote in NH anyway, and he won with 88% of the votes. There was an extremely low turn out of 63,000, with 4,600 of those voters writing in the names of Democratic candidates.
Just Guessing - 3 speculative opinions:
1) It�s Electability Stupid � Sitting in The Wild Rover, Manchester, New Hampshire last weekend, a real, live voter said to me �The only thing I care about is getting rid of Bush. He is creating a divide in this country, which is not how we�re supposed to be governed.� With three pints inside me, this seemed like the most enlightening piece of political punditry since Michael Heseltine said the Tories were being buried under horse manure in 1997. The majority of Democrats seem to be voting for whoever can beat Bush, which is a risky strategy � because they are choosing nothing more positive than a �not-Bush� candidate. But if recent polls are right (only 46% of people say they would vote for him tomorrow, compared to 49% for Kerry), it could just work. There is a sense that Bush is not working to unite the country, perhaps because his election strategy is as much about bringing out the core vote (and the 50% of non-voters), as it is about attracting swing voters. Cue Bush making extremely partisan speeches (abstaining from gay marriage etc), and ignoring some very, very angry people.
2) Everyone�s favorite 2nd choice � watch out for Edwards, the suave Southern Senator, who, as the son of a mill owner turned millionaire trail lawyer, every other candidate wants as their running partner. His theme is Two Americas ("One for the privileged and powerful, and one for the working-class families who struggle to make ends meet"), which appeals to a divided country, and has a distinct Disraeli ring to it. I�m not convinced the deserving poor have got much traction, but he�s good looking so who cares. He should win South Carolina next week, but Kerry may decide to try to kill him before he gets too popular.
3) Why policy doesn�t matter � When voting Americans seem to ask themselves the question: can I trust this guy in a crisis? When we vote, we seem to ask: what will this guy/gal do for me? Hence why character trumps policy over here.
British politics with an American accent � 3 American pieces on Blair�s fortitude and the Beeb�s future.
Seeing as y�all have had a crazy week, you might want to see how its being reported over here:
1) �Tony Blair, Vindicated�, and in contrast �George Bush, In Denial� New York Times, leaders.
2) Eric Alterman�s a media commentator, and has some interesting things to
say about how the Hutton Inquiry might have turned out differently over here.
3) Fox news take on what they like to call the �Kelly Flap.�
Want more?
Read about the Democrat candidates favorite songs, and feel once again smug that we got the Beatles and they got Britney.
Want even more?
Or, want it abit differently? Let me know what you think, how it could be improved, if there are articles you like, tips you have or things you just really hate.
Know others who want more?
Send their email address thehack_2004@yahoo.com, or forward this to them.
Want much less?
Send an email to thehack_2004@yahoo.com, with the subject NO MORE PLEASE
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