Former Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner, on a spruiking tour for his new book (no ulterior motives here), goes green with “thoughtful” envy over the popularity of Barnaby Joyce:
”Look at Barnaby Joyce, a one-man sideshow, totally incoherent but virtually a household name,” he says. ”The message is to be flamboyant, be ridiculous, wave your arms around a lot and go red in the face and at least people will know who you are. But be considered, serious and thoughtful and you’ll have a very productive relationship with a tiny number of people and the rest of the nation won’t even know who you are.”
No Lindsay. We know who you are, all right.
The message is that Things Have Changed. For the better.
We do not trust the “considered”, “serious”, “thoughtful” politicians like you anymore. We know that you are lying to us.
We watch you pause to “consider” your answers, and we know you’re “constructing” a clever lie. We see your “serious” furrowed brow, and your “concerned” head-tilt, and we know that you are just faking sincerity.
Now that we are evolving into a Gaian “super-organism” (thanks Climate Commissioner), we have a great big “collective” memory. So we remember your past lies and coverups, too.
Oh yes, politics is a sideshow all right, Lindsay. It’s show business for ugly people. In the midst of all that ugliness, it takes a truly remarkable character to be the circus “freak”.
The “freak” is the one who always responds to direct questions, with direct answers. Spontaneously. Off-the-cuff. Who fumbles and stumbles and trips flat on his face over his own words occasionally. Because, he is not taking time to pause, evade the real question, and smoothly enunciate yet another bullsh!t story.
Bring in the clowns.
UPDATE:
Peter van Onselen says Tanner is missing the plot.
UPDATE 2:
Tanner pleads guilty to being “angry” (petulant?), admits that politicians are robotic spin-merchants… and in typical Labor fashion, blames everyone else –
“I happily plead guilty to starting with a sense of anger, and particularly an anger at the way politicians were being constantly attacked for spin and being robotic,” Mr Tanner told The Australian this week.
“And what I wanted to do was say ‘why do you think this is happening?’. (I believed) politicians were responding to the way they were being treated in the media.”
Victim complex, much?
Poor petal. We used to care but…
Barnaby Is Right 
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