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Last updated on July 16th, 2017 at 09:55 am
Phillip Adams continues losing it:
In the US, fewer and fewer people vote at all.
Wrong. According to an MIT study, “17 million more people voted in 2004 than in 2000, a 14 percent increase.”
Hence the unpalatable fact that more Americans voted in TV’s American Idol than in the presidential elections.
Wrong again – massively so. The US census reports that some 126 million Americans voted in the 2004 Presidential election. Only half that number of votes were cast during American Idol in 2006:
The host, Ryan Seacrest, said 63.4 million votes were cast this season …
That includes, obviously, multiple votes sent by individual viewers. Phil’s error is widely shared.
(By Alan R.M. Jones)
Still, I personally find the idea of compulsory voting unpalatable.
Plus, there are some people I prefer not exercising their franchise. Or reproducing, for that matter.
Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 2007 10 01 at 01:07 PM • permalink
Wrong again – massively so. The US census reports that some 126 million Americans voted in the 2004 Presidential election. Only half that number of votes were cast during American Idol in 2006:
Adams must be one of the kooks who believe the nearly 60 million votes Bush received in 2004 were phony.
Posted by Spiny Norman on 2007 10 01 at 01:55 PM • permalink
Well, a lot of those votes in ‘04 were cast by plastic turkeys.
Posted by Mr. Bingley on 2007 10 01 at 02:20 PM • permalink
The host, Ryan Seacrest, said 63.4 million votes were cast this season …
Tim Blair –
That includes, obviously, multiple votes sent by individual viewers.
True, but to be fair our Diebold voting machines tripled counted the Bush votes. So it’s probably a close analogy.
Posted by wronwright on 2007 10 01 at 03:37 PM • permalink
I think we should do our own media watch thing for columnists who blatantly fabricate information. Do up a template showing what they said, and what the truth really is, then supply their email address so everyone can email them corrections.
Not that it matters. I think that at heart Mr Adams would love to see us stripped of the right to vote while he and others of his ilk decided what was right ‘for the good of the country’.
I often don’t vote because the choice is:
Idiot vs. Imbecile
Jerk vs. Snoid
Fool vs. Moron
Ignoramus vs. LiarOr worse.
Posted by Harry Bergeron on 2007 10 01 at 04:06 PM • permalink
you’re loaded with liberties that, a few centuries back, were limited to the aristocracy or the princes of the church
Yes, and many people have fewer responsibilities and obligations than ever before.
Phil does however seem to be supporting out continued involvement in Iraq:
Countless people have fought and died to sharpen it. Others are still dying today. It has taken courage and millions of lives to tie the pencil to the length of string. We must not allow our cynicism to shorten it. The only winners will be the sort of people who didn’t want the pencil in the first place.
Posted by mr creosote on 2007 10 01 at 04:32 PM • permalink
#17: I see where Adams is going with the pencil thing, and I agree with his basic sentiment on the subject, but, as Lyle points out, there’s an absolute party lock on many congressional districts (and even some states)in the U.S., so many people get disheartened. If I’m a Republican living in Massachussetts, for example, I’m pretty damned sure my vote for President isn’t going to count. This is one reason why I’ve made a point of living in center-right states.
Adams must be one of the kooks who believe the nearly 60 million votes Bush received in 2004 were phony.
Does he believe they were voting for Idol and got a crossed line.
I’m just thinking, hmmm. Sixty-four million votes @ 55c each.
We’d be rich! RICH! I say! Someone who’s worked in the industry would know what a welter and licence to print money these phone ‘competitions’ are.
Phatty Phil explains himself in todays Australian:
“I then made a passing mention of another spurious writer, Helen Demidenko. And had that senior moment that seized Media Watch’s attention.”
“The author of The Hand That Signed the Paper is a teller of untruths who has assumed for herself a falsely ethnic identity and a psychological bond with war criminals. This is the young woman I described as chilling in a program on the motivation and psychology of the literary hoaxer, briefly mentioning an interview I’d had with her in 1995.”
“Whereupon Demidenko-Darville-Dale and her supporters (like Khouri, she still has some) protested that I’d never interviewed her. And on checking the program logs and my memory, it seemed she was probably right. I’d confused my encounter with Demidenko. It had happened while we were both waiting to be interviewed on someone else’s program. Was it TripleJ? Metro? Classic FM? After more than a decade I don’t know. But the impression that Demidenko made on me remains fresh and urgent.”
“I feel for Attard. Constantly under attack by conservatives and the ultra-Right for political bias she needs, from time to time, to find a blood sacrifice from the Left.”
noblesse oblige comrade
The blunted fangs of a fading vampire
Posted by eeniemeenie on 2007 10 01 at 05:30 PM • permalink
If I’m a Republican living in Massachussetts, for example, I’m pretty damned sure my vote for President isn’t going to count.
Ain’t that the truth. There are times I don’t know why I bother voting, but then I remember – it’s a privilege I’m proud to exercise (even though it’s usually also an exercise in futility), and it’s fun to piss off the lefties with whatever RWDB bumper sticker I have on my vehicle at that time.
Posted by Blue State Sil on 2007 10 01 at 06:06 PM • permalink
- I have often wondered which side would gain most from abolishing compulsory voting in Australia.
I used to support the present system, but after scrutineering the counting at a state election, I became convinced that there is definitely a class of people who are not capable of voting.
The evidence was in what they had written on their ballot papers. Their comments always rendered their votes as Informal, so they had no influence on the outcome. In my electorate, Informal outvoted the Greens Party and that gave me some satisfaction.
- Kevni tipped Port, the missus is from Adelaide so he had to tip them, but said “It’ll be close.” Sure I was thinkin’ “Oh, goodie! A sign… he’ll lose… YAY!”
Then they showed our esteemed PM, JWH. Asked him who he tipped, AFL Geelong… golly it’s a sign, he’s got it in the bag! NRL Manly by 15… maybe not.*sigh*
#16 Harry, please define ‘snoid’. I don’t want to vote for one.
OZ VALUES SEGMENT
Ah, the courage of Leading Personality Women [with the emphasis on ‘personality’].
Kerry-Anne Connolly was spruiked on ABC today as the strategy saviour for Channel 9 because of her courage to lead.She had the courage to admit she’d had a face lift says the [male] admirer!
Imagine any male being touted for his outstanding corporate leadership because he admitted he wears a toupe…
- #29
Well, of course. That’s a sterling measure of someone’s expertise at anything. How they look, and admitting that they’ve had work done is soooo courageous.And about the toupee, some are so bad that everyone can’t fail to notice so embarrassingly don’t say anything. Then you’ve got the Trump/Newton/Laws thing with the hair.For heaven’s sake, go bald. It’s not going to kill you, and many women love bald men (or don’t really care much about how much hair a man has).
If it’s good it’s fine (but speculation is rife and quite interesting… so many people seem to change their features, although I’d be interested in finding out about how our features change naturally – I’m sure some people’s noses change as they get older, from child, pre-teen to adult and then into old age), if it’s bad it speaks for itself, so they don’t need to mention it!
“It had happened while we were both waiting to be interviewed on someone else’s program. Was it TripleJ? Metro? Classic FM? After more than a decade I don’t know. But the impression that Demidenko made on me remains fresh and urgent.”
I once ran into Philly at an event somewhere once upon a time, he probably doesnt remember because he was the participant in a tijuana donkey show. but I remember his body odour vividly.
A blend of festering cottage cheese and old spice aftershave, mingled with a hint of monkeyspunk.
There, my Phil story should be as verifyable and accurate as his was.
Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2007 10 01 at 07:41 PM • permalink
- #24
Keep digging that hole, Pillock …Shitting on messenger colleague Attard, that’ll win you friends amd influence people within Auntie, not.
Phatty must surely be sufferring from a God complex.
He said on-air recently that Auntie had renewed his contract for 3 years – hopefully, there are moves afoot to oust the ole fool.
Dammit. I loved using that American Idol line. Stupid facts.
Laptop in shop. Access to net spotty. Will drop in as possible and jones in meantime.
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2007 10 01 at 08:29 PM • permalink
- A funny piss take on an add.
here.Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2007 10 01 at 08:43 PM • permalink
So, given this piece, may we presume that Phatty is very unhappy with Nobel Prize winner Rigoberto Menchu? Talk about liars.
Posted by JorgXMcKie on 2007 10 01 at 09:13 PM • permalink
- We were discussing the longish history of local literary frauds and hoaxes, in particular the case of Norma Khouri’s bestseller Forbidden Love
False!
The LNL program Forbidden Lie$ and Literary Hoaxes was discussing Broinowski’s documentary, your vilification of Demidenko was the only local reference.I then made a passing mention of another spurious writer, Helen Demidenko. And had that senior moment that seized Media Watch’s attention.
Bullshit!
Context, Phil.
The recalling of a chilling interview with Demidenko was in the context of discussing Khouri’s sociopathic tendencies, remember, ol’ man?Smearing ol’ b*stard!
Moving on to meeja watch, now?
Pride, falling and swords come to mind.
- egg_
Your a braver man than me listening to the slobbering mouthers podcast for errors. I wish the old oaf would put up transcripts instead so I didnt have to listen to fact check him.Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2007 10 01 at 10:09 PM • permalink
We’re not exactly frog-marched to vote, but I get your drift. Those who dont’ want to vote, or miss the voting day can get fined so there are irritating things about the compulsory vote, definitely. I myself have been fined in the past, bu then I believe in sharing my not too large cash cache around ;).
Besides, at the venues – generally churches and schools – you can have the odd political dialogue with a perfect-hair pensioner and there are often sausage sizzles.
Mmm yes, voting can be tasty!
Posted by carpefraise on 2007 10 01 at 10:29 PM • permalink
#33, might I ask, where – ahem – exactly and in how intimate a circumstance would you have encountered the whiff of monkeyspunk?
Please be as detailed as you wish.
Names, dates and bloodtypes are fine.Posted by carpefraise on 2007 10 01 at 10:34 PM • permalink
- 46.carpefraise
Check the link at 40. I dont know why but its just funny. Saw it a couple of months ago.Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2007 10 02 at 01:22 AM • permalink
Phillip the Pillock long ago stopped basing his arguments on facts. The lazy slob just writes down whatever is in his head, goes back and deletes all the references to food and then submits it to The Australian for publication. It is only interesting for its stupidity, like Paris Hilton or Britney Spears. But Fill does have some serious fans out there. The PC tweeb who does the ABC religious program on Sunday nights thinks Adams is fasinating – just like the contents of his nasal passages.
- #43
ABC daily podcast URL format below.
Auntie is no longer advertising it, but below is the directory for the relevant mp3 file for downloading.http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/current/audioonly/lnl_20070828.mp3Relevant segment commences c. 31 min in.
Phatty’s Demidenko reference appears to have been edited out – for legal reasons?Whitlock describes Khouri as ‘chilling’ at the 37 min mark and Broinowski refers to Demidenko a few minutes later – suggest this is where Phatty’s comments may have been deleted from the audio file.
Interesting program – suggest that the twit’s reference to Demidenko was a clumsy ‘me too’ re interviewing an alleged sociopathic author, but thereby vilified Demidenko, nonetheless.
Back in the early 60s I was in the Melbourne U ALP club. We were often taken on – and took on – the Labor Club, a Communist Party front. A common ploy of the young Stalinists was to suggest that the USA was not really a democracy – and thus not better than the Soviet Union – because of low voting turnout, voting machines, etc. One wonders whether Fatuous Phil is repeating lines he learnt when a “teenage Bolshevik”.
#29 Okay, I’ll admit it. I love Kerri-Anne. She never pretends to be anything other than who or what she is – an entertainer.
She fessed up to having a facelift when so many women prefer to ignore the question or lie outright.
Plus she got Peter Costello to do the macarena. (Couldn’t find a vid of it sorry)
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2007 10 02 at 04:45 AM • permalink
That fat ineffable idiot claimed within 15 seconds of that video starting that the Big Banana was in Queensland. From Coffs Harbour to the Hunter, about 450km’s. From Coffs Harbour to Tweed Heads, about 300km’s. Definitely nowhere near Queensland.
The pillock has got food on the brain, and by the straining bulge in that shirt, it looks he just ate the bloody thing!
Also of note is the commie’s concern for the Jesus overlooking Dili Harbour. Ironically, I’m wearing a tshirt at the moment with that very same picture on the back of it. Admittedly, my version has some additions, but the thought was there…
(for those in the know, this tee is one of the last remaining ‘Dili Dash for Cash’ tees)
I thought only Lieutenant Colonels and above got in on the “Dash for Cash”.
Posted by Pedro the Ignorant on 2007 10 02 at 09:03 PM • permalink
Malcolm . . . M-a-l-c-o-l-m! . . . Come back to me, Malcolm!