Learning how to say sorry
Well, he finally said he was sorry but not that he was wrong, about rising interest rates. At the last election John Howard did not say that interest rates would stay at record low levels or that they would not rise. He choose his words carefully, cleverly. He presented a conundrum. Rates would go up more if there was a Labor government. Not just hypothetical but also hypocritical.
The PM knew that this claim could not be tested. But more importantly for his current political fortunes he allowed the rest of the coalition politicians and advertising to present the extreme view that rates wouldn't rise.
Howard is the master dissembler. He selects his words very craftily, very cunningly. He leaves a general impression, but the subtle equivocation allows him to say later that he did not actually say what people thought he meant. He doesn't always tell lies, just half-truths. Children overboard?
Howard's technique has become tired. He wonders why his government is no longer popular. It is because voters have seen through his deceptions.
Mind you, he might have said he was sorry, but he didn't really mean it. He just regrets getting caught out.
(Thanks to John Cumber for the badge graphics.)
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Friday, August 10, 2007
Regrets: he has a few
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2 comments:
Astute observation Kevin, but let's not forget that the turd has an army of spinner speech writers who would vet every nuance for any possible come backs to bite him on the bum. Of course they write as they are instructed.
It is scary to see what a radical (in conservative terms) Howard is. Jeff Kennett has a lot to answer for. Keep up the good work. Meg C
Couldn't have put it better myself...
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