Thursday, May 5, 2011

Lonely teardrops, we've been crying

Tuesday lunchtime, from a recently bought-out political party now operating from the boardroom of a firm of corporate lawyers who regularly act as conduit for press releases from the Business Roundtable:
[Don] Brash also confirmed that Hide would retire from Parliament at the next election, rather than seek a place on ACT's list or seek to remain in Parliament.
[...]
Brash announced the changes in a boardroom at Chapman Tripp in Wellington today saying he was unable to make the announcement at Parliament because he was "not legally allowed" to hold a press conference there, because he was not a Member of Parliament.

Hide was rolled as leader last week after Brash described him as toxic and a liability to ACT.

Brash had also made it clear that he did not want Hide to retain his ministerial portfolios. He said yesterday that he changed his mind because Hide had important legislation to get through Parliament.
[...]
But Brash could not name one of the pieces of legislation.
And here at the palatial Riddled offices it was all sad faces and red eyes and tears before bedtime because a political future without Rodney Hide's special brand of hilarity would be a sadly impoverished one. For Don Brash had declared that his old friend Hide's "brand was toxic" so he must go. It all seems to be about branding more than ideology from his perspective, though it never became clear whether Don's preferred symbol was a Lazy 8 or a Double Cross.

The only consolation is the entertainment value in watching how the electorate reacts in the coming election to the present clown-car pile-up. Will they see the Brash buy-out as an admirable show of strength, as the journalists seem to think, rather than as a display of disloyalty, untrustworthiness, back-stabbing and naked opportunism? (clowns with road-rage should not be trusted with knives and should definitely not be allowed to strip naked). Though as a friend pointed out to me at the pub last night -- he was buying a pint, so I had to listen to his opinions -- it doesn't really matter what 95% of the voting population think of the ACT party, since their sole objective is to win support from all 5% of the crazy raving sociopath demographic as opposed to the mere 2% they are currently receiving in polls.

But wait, a few hours later, Hide's promise to stand down at the election is no longer operative!
Rodney Hide hopes to be around as an MP after the election even though he told ACT's new leader Don Brash that he'd quit at the election.

Dr Brash agreed to keep him in Cabinet until then. Today, Mr Hide's ever hopeful of staying on as an MP.

"Well what I said to Don Brash was clearly I didn't have his support and that I wouldn't stand if I didn't have the leader's support but it's my intention to persuade him that I've got a lot to contribute," he says.
An outside observer might well th
ink that Hide had been promised a well-paid job made specially for him if he would quietly go away and cease to stink the place up, but belatedly he has realised what a strong bargaining position he has -- not to mention how much money there is behind the new owners of ACT -- so he is holding out for a better offer.

So our tears are dried and it is back to the Old Entomologist with high spirits for a night of "Origins of Eusociality among the Hymenoptera" Trivia!

21 comments:

77south said...

I did badly on trivia night, I based my study on the origins of Eusociality on Thomas Malory's 1485 work. recently however, the 'strange women lying in ponds distributing swords' method of choosing a queen has fallen under intense critical scrutiny in entomological circles.

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

'strange women lying in ponds distributing swords'

Try the Lemmy, 77south.
~

Substance McGravitas said...

An outside observer might well think that Hide had been promised a well-paid job made specially for him if he would quietly go away and cease to stink the place up, but belatedly he has realised what a strong bargaining position he has -- not to mention how much money there is behind the new owners of ACT -- so he is holding out for a better offer.

That kicks ass on the Peter Principle. The Hide In Plain Sight Effect?

Dr.KennethNoisewater said...

Women? Ponds? Swords?

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

(clowns with road-rage should not be trusted with knives and should definitely not be allowed to strip naked)

But clow-cars are totes okay!

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

Uh, "clown" cars... I blame fish.

Dr.KennethNoisewater said...

(clowns with road-rage should not be trusted with knives and should definitely not be allowed to strip naked)


LEAVE SMUT ALONE!!!!!!!!

Dr.KennethNoisewater said...

Uh, "clown" cars... I blame fish.


I like this. I am blaming all my atrocious spelling and grammar mistakes on fish, too. And it's RETROACTIVE.

Dr.KennethNoisewater said...

Perhaps we all need to limit our intake

M. Bouffant said...

he was buying a pint, so I had to listen to his opinions

I hate when that happens. Some tmes the old traditions just suck.

Smut Clyde said...

The old charters are just as bad.

Whale Chowder said...

Surely this is good news for John McCain.

Unknown said...

Putting some sex in their violence, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jChqf7syif0&feature=related

inagg, yeah I do so what?

Hamish Mack said...

"Well what I said to Don Brash was clearly I didn't have his support and that I wouldn't stand if I didn't have the leader's support but it's my intention to persuade him that I've got a lot to contribute," he says.

Oh dear the nasty boys will think up nasty things for Rodney to do and still kick him out.
for someone with such a disdain for the Public Service he's awfully keen on staying in it

Kathleen said...

so that's how you celebrate Cinco de Mayo down there

Smut Clyde said...

clowns with road-rage ... should definitely not be allowed to strip naked

You do not need to know where the emergency back-up red nose is kept. It would spoil the magic.

Smut Clyde said...

so that's how you celebrate Cinco de Mayo down there

Every day is piñata day, Kathleen.

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

I realize, of course, that I am the only one that recognizes the lyrical references in the post titles, but I want to say well done and keep it up.

Also, Ann Althouse is a twit.

fish said...

the 'strange women lying in ponds distributing swords' method of choosing a queen has fallen under intense critical scrutiny in entomological circles.

Oh but if I went 'round sayin' I was Emperor, just because some moistened bink lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away!

fish said...

The only consolation is the entertainment value in watching how the electorate reacts in the coming election to the present clown-car pile-up.

Watch out for the mime field

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

I realize, of course, that I am the only one that recognizes the lyrical references in the post titles, but I want to say well done and keep it up.

I sees the B.O.C. lyrics tag, I punches it into the great gazoogle, and I sez, yessss! I recognizes it, too, zrm.

The sky is grey and I am cold.
Lord I tell you, lord I tell you.
All I want to do is get back home.
~