Double edged sword

July 18, 2007 10:35 PM

Australian Prime Minister John Howard dipped his toe in the waters of new media this week by releasing his climate change policy via youtube, however which is the real clip? Unfortunately Labor was ready with their own message. Rumours abound (via crikey- login req’d) that the PM’s staffers are censoring comments, or are they?
posted by mattoxic (23 comments total)

Pretty sure this was posted in the last 2 days.
posted by peacay at 10:39 PM on July 18, 2007

Perhaps I'm wrong. Sorry - maybe I saw it somewhere else.
That youtube link is a keeper.
posted by peacay at 10:46 PM on July 18, 2007

A search for John Howard or Climate Change would reveal that it wasn't, or at least isn't included in the search results.
posted by mattoxic at 10:46 PM on July 18, 2007

Well, I guess this proves that YouTube is indeed a zoo. Replace "ParisParamus" with "John Howard" in the final frame of fandango_matt's MetaFilter safety comic for the artist's impression.

It's quite amusing that Howard & Rudd are fighting it out to see who can provide the best broadband for the country at the cheapest price, and yet their party machines seem to have completely failed to comprehend how to publicise them effectively through Intarnets 2.0.

What are the attempts so far? Howard delivering a standard TV address-to-the-nation, but on YouTube? Rudd having one of his staffers set up a MySpace account for him, thereby setting himself up for allegations of being a kiddyfiddler?

Viral electioneering at its best! Guaranteed to win over even cynical members of Gen X & Y!
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:47 PM on July 18, 2007

I think this was part of a [more inside] in Effo's rather convoluted post last night.
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:53 PM on July 18, 2007

It is a cynical ploy on behalf of the little man.

Broadcast a message on climate change only to GenX and Y, knowing that a message to the rusted on baby-boomers on climate change would not be received well. Unfortunately for him, his ham-fisted attempt has become the story. I love the subtle placement of the John and Dubya photo next to the bed.
posted by mattoxic at 11:08 PM on July 18, 2007

Oi, is this something I'd need a devastatingly bad accent to understand, mate?
posted by stavrogin at 11:51 PM on July 18, 2007

It is a cynical ploy on behalf of the little man.

Anyone discussing John Howard's motivation / policies who includes a reference to The Little Man's height: Loses.

Let's call it the Goodwin's Law of Oz politics.

Broadcast a message on climate change only to GenX and Y, knowing that a message to the rusted on baby-boomers on climate change would not be received well. Unfortunately for him, his ham-fisted attempt has become the story.

Where? His appearance on Youtube has become a story. The negative attention it has attracted has become a story. But his "ham fisted attempt" being THE story? Not in any of the dozens of reports I've seen or read.

I think you're imagining that, mattoxic. "Slightly boring" is about as bad as I've heard it described.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 2:25 AM on July 19, 2007

When referring to Howard as the little man, I was not referring to his height.

You can call the Goodwin's Law of Oz politics if you want hengeman, leave me out of the "Lets"

Ham-fisted yep, my words. I would have thought that a slick party machine would have done some investigation on how to "do" youtube. To inject such a sterile performance into a forum such as youtube, with the constituency of the medium, really is... ham-fisted.
posted by mattoxic at 3:26 AM on July 19, 2007

Yea, well, we all know that politicians have a great grasp on how to use the internet....see Barack Obama and myspace. Honestly, I don't think that Howard could do anything interesting that would be received well online - he's too old. No matter what he did, it would be 'haha, look at the old out of touch guy trying to get in with teh noo meedia!' 'Slightly boring' is a pretty good standard to aim at. Kevin Rudd seems a whole generation younger (the hair, mostly) and actually has a chance of doing it right. Howard can't unless he reinvents himself.
posted by jacalata at 4:11 AM on July 19, 2007

I think it's interesting in that Howard has done it, knowing that he cannot control the medium, they they must have know he'd be lampooned, and that the message would be lost amongst a chorus of cynics. Also, to start the broadcast with "Since 1990 my government..." when he wasn't elected until 1996, and was quite dismissive of climate change really until it started to bite in the electorate in 2006. Almost an own goal.
posted by mattoxic at 4:24 AM on July 19, 2007

Almost an own goal, yes. But if Howard's terrifying cricket bowling technique is anything to go by, his own goal would probably involve him slipping on the ball - Charlie Brown style - falling on his ass, and having the ball somehow bounce off his head & just manage to dribble over the line, whilst his goalie was doubled over in fits of laughter.

Come to think of it, that's not such a bad metaphor for his whole venture into YouTube.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:07 AM on July 19, 2007

Guaranteed to win over even cynical members of Gen X & Y!

Groovy. /finger quotes
posted by psmealey at 5:21 AM on July 19, 2007

I'd like to see some leadership in the US like this, tubes or not. It's taken the worst drought in Australian history to wake people up. Maybe a few more years of the ongoing American drought will wake people up.
posted by stbalbach at 6:17 AM on July 19, 2007

An Ode to J W Howard
By the quidnunc kid, esq.

Oh, Johnathan Winston Howard!
My love for you has flowered
Throughout the years that you have powered
Australia (over which you have towered).

And if the whole land was scoured
For your equal, I would never have vowered
That one could be found. You should be showered
With praise, and if anyone ever glowered

At you or your policies, which have never soured,
They should be completely devoured
By a giant hedgehog, or run over by a coal-powered
Train, for ever saying that thou erred,

Sweet and puissant Johnathan Winston Howard!

-- From Kiss Me Blue - Liberal Love Poetry Volume VIII
posted by the quidnunc kid at 6:25 AM on July 19, 2007

not bad, but could i offer a suggested improvement?

...You should be showered
With gold
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:32 AM on July 19, 2007

No.
posted by the quidnunc kid at 6:34 AM on July 19, 2007 [1 favorite]

Hengeman, I've mostly heard comments about how poor a showing it was - wooden and lifeless. Even starting with "good morning".

Clarke and Dawe skewered it on the 7:30 report last night.
posted by wilful at 6:57 PM on July 19, 2007

When referring to Howard as the little man, I was not referring to his height.

If I had a dollar for every person who expected me to believe that bunkum when challenged I'd have, like, eight or nine dollars.

"Little Johnny is a hateful, deceitful little man who happens to be little and I just called him The Little Man, but I wasn't referring to his height. Honest I wasn't."

From now on I am going to call his opposition deputy "Barren" Julia Gillard. Not because she hasn't had kids – which caused that recent furore when she was called barren. This will be because she is barren of ideas, so don't even bother calling me on it. That is what I will be referring to. Honest.

To inject such a sterile performance into a forum such as youtube, with the constituency of the medium, really is... ham-fisted.

mattoxic, wilful. I'm not saying it wasn't ham-fisted, wooden, or lifeless. I'm saying his ham-fistedness hasn't become THE story. Mattoxic claimed it has. In fact the whole episode has already fallen off the radar.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 9:05 PM on July 19, 2007

I'm going to take the middle road (like the good little moderate I am): when there are so many easy and legitimate policy-based shots you can take, why make an irrelevant reference to a physical attribute?
posted by Lucie at 11:23 PM on July 19, 2007

A pathetic and painfully transparent attempt to seem relevant to an audience that is increasingly viewing Howard as a dried up husk of a man, empty of both innovation and effective leadership skills.
posted by oxford blue at 1:00 AM on July 20, 2007

The aforementioned Clarke and Dawe segement:

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200707/r161543_592405.asx

Hilarious!

"I'm a dude's dude!"
posted by oxford blue at 1:20 AM on July 20, 2007

heh. howard loses the intarnets game.

this was the top link that showed up for me on a yt search for "john howard climate change". brilliant!
posted by UbuRoivas at 1:27 AM on July 20, 2007