Saturday, October 30, 2010

Now THIS is how campaigns should be


Via Ace of Spades, this hilarious video from Reason about the way that the founding fathers insulted each other.

This stuff is pure gold. For better or worse, American politics is fairly mellow. I prefer adversarial governments - the more everyone in government gets along, the more (typically value-destroying) legislation they're going to pass. Personally I like question time in the Westminster system, where both sides try to mock and embarrass each other every single day. If nothing else, it makes for far more entertaining watching than the typical C-Span snoozefest. Not only that, but it forces politicians to be creative in their mockery, because there's limits on what kinds of insults you can use without being thrown out by the Speaker. Paul Keating was a master of these kind of barbs. Check out some of these pearlers:

What we have got is a dead carcass, swinging in the breeze, but nobody will cut it down to replace him.
- On John Howard

The principle saboteur, the man with the cheap fistful of dollars.

- On John Howard

He is the greatest job and investment destroyer since the bubonic plague.

- On John Howard

Like being flogged with a warm lettuce.

- On John Hewson

We’re not interested in the views of painted, perfumed gigolos.
- On Andrew Peacock

What we have as a leader of the National Party is a political carcass with a coat and tie on.

- On Ian Sinclair

..the brain-damaged Honorable Member for Bruce made his first parliamentary contribution since being elected, by calling a quorum to silence me for three minutes.”

- On Ken Aldred

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