Idiot box

For the purpose of having something to hang a new open thread off, I hereby present unilluminating 15-second ads for the Liberal candidates for Stirling and Cowan, which ran during Perth news bulletins this evening.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

352 comments on “Idiot box”

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  1. William,

    Problems with the site tonight? Dunno if the previous thread being so long has caused it, but i’ve had a lot of problems on the site tonight.

    Enemy Combatant was over on Possum’s site noting the same thing.

    Thought I’d let u know.

  2. This whole “local” campaign is just so pathetic. Why don’t they run for the council if they want to fix the local roads? What are they going to do about it in Canberra? It should be obvious to everyone that they can’t run on the record of the Howard government, indeed they are running FROM the record of the Howard government. It’s a desperate strategy and not likely to work IMHO.

  3. Ads are a bore. No mention of Coconut or Tip? Hmm.

    When is the next ACN poll due? It’s going to be CRUCIAL!

    You are not going to believe this, but I think the slight majority feel that the rate rise is a positive for the coalition. On Betfair with $1.7m executed, LIB have firmed into 3.25 from 3.50. ALP are at 1.42.

  4. Sorry to post off-topic, but did anyone else catch Mark Vaile’s “Address to the Nation” straight after the Sounds of Aus doco on ABC tonight? It’s interesting to see what appears to be a blatant political advertisement on old Aunty. It was authorised by someone called B Henderson for the National Party Canberra, just like any other political ad, except it was quite long, maybe 3 minutes. I wonder who on the board gave that one the nod…

  5. Hey guys. There is a reason they spending big with seat specific TV ads and another reason why they are not running ads for Hasluck and Swan- think about it.

  6. That “database error” thing just happens occasionally, usually for very short periods. Although it’s the same screen that appeared during LP’s recent problems, I don’t think I’m having the same problem they were.

  7. mad cow, Frank C, Lefty E and others, thanks. Broadband update.

    And William, seeing as you have nothing better to do. Not to mention it is a very slow process to load your low lights via my current provider. Which may or may not explain some problems as described by others.

    Secured today a new contract on original cost basis, with Telstra. Except its Cable, not ADSL.

    So, for a mere $388, no cost to me, the tech will phone to make an appt, to link me to the Foxtel cable in my street.

    Not that I have Foxtel, or ever would. But the cable is there. As I explained. As their computer records did not show, initially. Telstra says is not, I say is so, she says is not. I say, I am looking at it. Not only that, said I, the cable is in my roof, as a next door previous occupant, Foxtel subscriber, asked if he could run it via my roof.

    Puzzlingly, Foxtel on either its site, a call I must have made at some point, or both, claims one must have subscriber status to use the cable. Not so, says the Telstra lass. Hmm. Asks if I have ever requested Foxtel. Never, says I. Funny, your name is against a Foxtel outlet. Aaah, says I. That is because I am a contact person for a friend for whom I organised cable broadband. Next suburb, same exchange. To deal on behalf of as problems or whatever arise. So, you know all about it? Pretty well, yes.

    Thus, free install, free WiFi modem, cable speed at approx 8000/256, 12 gig, no excess, shaping, line rental included, phone concessions included. $59.95 per month.

    The Telstraists were somehat puzzled themselves at the no port situation at the exchange. Said there was no plan to upgrade infrastructure.

    Having sealed the Telstra deal, still can cool off, I phoned Internode. Explained. Internode plans as against this deal are much more expensive. And they don’t do cable. But you may have ports, probably, despite Telstra.

    She checked my line. Said no, stunning me, you cannot get ADSL, P to P whatever, and until copper thing (?) is fixed. Even then, can only get ADSL 1. No guarantee at all that the line will carry ADSL2.

    Oh, thanks, I say.

    Ponder. Now what did I say to the person who rang to offer the deal? She said would have to check the line to ascertain whether ADSL would work. I said, don’t bother, I have checked, I know it will. She didn’t check.

    QED. A little knowledge is sometimes not dangerous.

    Ps: I expect to return to realpolitik shortly. Leaflet dropping for the Greens tomorrow etc.

  8. Of course ESJ was joking with the 55/45 poll. He mentioned ‘the Senator’ which makes it pretty obvious he was just having a laugh.

  9. This particular local focus has manifested itself in the advertising for the Liberal candidate for the seat of Canberra. My wife emailed her and suggested that she should be running for the legislative Assembly elections – due next year.

    Interestingly enough the lates Liberal letterbox drop involves a leaflet that features on one side in predominantly blue and yellow the “Liberals’ strong economic team with a photo of john Howard and Peter Costello in earnest confab and a reverse red and black presentation “Labor’s Too IOnexperienced, Ther’re Still learning.

    the photo of Kevin Rudd suggest its was taken when he was probably in his early thirties, Wayne Swan looks earnest, Peter Garret looks cheerful – but he is labelled as an extremist and a serious llooking Julia gillard as an ex=trade union lawyer. with a warning that “We’re coming back’. As a bonus instead of steak knives we get 5 former ACTU leaders as Ministers.

    The leaflet makes the Greens panphlet look reasonable and well argued by comparison – it also arrived today.

  10. If you want to see some examples of some really cr*ppy ads. You should see the ads that Bob Baldwin is running here in Newcastle to try and keep his seat of Paterson. I don’t have a tv-card so I haven’t been able to capture any yet but he is trying the local angle as well by getting community representatives to endorse him. The problem is none of them can actually manage to say anything concretely positive that he has done for them or their community. They just talk about how passionate he is about their particular issue.

    Incredible. I can’t believe that this sort of stuff works.

    There’s no pictures of Bob either. It seems his “larger than life” character is not such a plus for him anymore.

  11. Dunno if much was made of this on the earlier thread, but after watching the 7.30 Report profile on Wentworth tonight, I’m less inclined to think Labor will win the seat. George Newhouse came over as less than dynamic. His ex-girlfriend, running as an anti-pulp-mill independent, seemed to have much more personality. Newhouse looked pathetic trying to defend Labor’s support for the pulp mill.

    Turnbull even talked about his mother who abandoned him, and showed the flat he’d been brought up in. I nearly got the violin out, but it did show that Turnbull was at least partly a self-made man, and had a strong connection with the electorate.

    With the Green likely to poll well, and a smorgasbord of independents, it could be a long night of counting there. Having lived in Sydney for nine years, it’s haard to conceive of suburbs like Vaucluse and Double Bay electing a Labor member.

    BTW I also had trouble with this site in the past hour, but seems to be fine now.

  12. The whole election is just plain weird. It should be Labor who is running on the state based issues like schools, hospitals, police etc and the Coalition on the economy that is where their strengths lie. However in this election Labor is running on the economy and Liberals are running adds about state issues.

  13. Big Blind Dave 15

    Spoke to my insider in Labor this afternoon, and she said that Hasluck, Cowan, Swan are going to Labor.

    Stirling and Brand are close, but Labor is ahead.

    Kalgoorlie is definitely in play, and to my total suprise, Forrest & Moore are in play, with Moore being neglected by Mal Washer on the campaign.. He can’t be stuffed campaigning therefore Burgess is making some ground.

    She didnt know much about what was happening in Canning but believes it is in play too.

    My insider said Internal Polling was running at an 8% swing to Labor in WA

  14. On the Mark Vaile presentation – it is a standard ABC presentation that gets rotated around the political parties according to their overall vote last time. Absolutely standard – nothing at all sinister.

    but in Canberra it is abit irrelevant aprt from some voters up in Yass and surrounding areas. National pary is otherwise a species politically speaking more endangered thatn the yowie in this broadcast area.

  15. there was just a national party ad on abc adelaide just then. be jeezus i thought andrew robb was boring but mark vaile is not far behind. dont any of these dickheads realise climate change poses a direct threat to the economy, jobs, farming etc?

  16. Turnbull was never going to lose wentworth. King’s splitting the tory vote at the last election made it look a whole lot more marginal than it really is – to the tune of 10%. Bennalong a real chance though.

  17. Dan, those “ads” on the ABC are there every election. I saw Kevin Rudd doing a long spiel earlier in the evening.

    The ABC by law is required to give the parties a certain amount of TV and radio free air-time during the election period. It’s the law. So does SBS. The ABC and SBS do not have control over the content of the segments – they run what the parties submit.

    It’s nothing to do with the ABC board (otherwise, how did Rudd get free time?).

  18. 11
    Adam Says:
    November 8th, 2007 at 9:55 pm

    This whole “local” campaign is just so pathetic. Why don’t they run for the council if they want to fix the local roads? What are they going to do about it in Canberra? It should be obvious to everyone that they can’t run on the record of the Howard government, indeed they are running FROM the record of the Howard government. It’s a desperate strategy and not likely to work IMHO.
    ….
    These ads could play on the well-worn anti-Canberra sentiments of every loyal sandgroper, but they are clearly an attempt to

  19. I actually disagree with Adam and think the local politics angle is a smart one. I don’t think most people know about the demarcation of government responsibility and it sounds good to have a member talking about issues that matter to local people.

    However, it really is gutter politics. To talk about matters you have absolutely no control over is really disingenuous. It just points out how much this government needs to go.

    Speaking of local ads, I heard one for Tinley for Stirling the other day spoken by Alan Carpenter. I would’ve thought they would be trying to dissociate themselves from the state government?

  20. That’s Pat Farmer’s approach too. If anyone asks him anything about anything in the federal sphere (or even anything vaguely related to politics and not about raising money or running) he sticks his fingers in his ears and yells “I’m not listening!”

  21. [Speaking of local ads, I heard one for Tinley for Stirling the other day spoken by Alan Carpenter. I would’ve thought they would be trying to dissociate themselves from the state government?]

    They may get away with it at one campaign, but when the next one comes around, and they haven’t done anything about the problem, then they will cop it.

  22. We’re getting the same crap in SA. Southcott tried to take credit for new roads until the RAA came out and said he wasn’t involved and who was he anyway?

  23. AnthonyL @26

    Ditto that. The Baldwin ads were heavy early in the week. 3 in one ad break at one stage.
    No mention of Howard and even the Liberal party angle is down played.

  24. alpal – that would make sense, if they come out tomorrow (tonight) it would mean only one day of polling after an interest rate rise – not really worth it.

  25. Which clause in the constitution gives the Federal Government power to make laws in respect of hoons? Maybe we’ll need a special preamble, recognising not just aborigines, but hoons too, so we can make laws to deal with them.

    The only bit of the constitution I know is section 92, which permits intercourse between the states. Very useful if you’re on the bridge between Albury and Wodonga, or in the main street of Tweed Heads on New Years Eve.

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