http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/comment/matthew-norman/?service=Rss http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/comment/matthew-norman/matthew-normans-media-diary-856835.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/comment/matthew-norman/matthew-normans-media-diary-856835.html <p>The most influential armchair soldier in the Western world is back in his metaphorical fatigues. Yes, it's Field Marshal David Aaronovitch, who championed the invasion of Iraq with more vigour than any fellow officer in Her Majesty's First Light Pundits. There have been times in recent years when David seemed to be taking the weeniest backward baby-steps towards admitting that, on Iraq, he may perhaps have dropped the tiniest of bollocks. However, these faint flickerings of the reverse lights on the tank have been quickly extinguished by defiant challenges to opponents, on the exquisitely subtle lines of: "Do you want Saddam back, is that what you want?" And now, far from succumbing to self-doubt, the Field Marshal wishes to invade Zimbabwe and oust Mugabe, which he believes would be another military piece of cake. "How many South African or British soldiers would it take to unseat the junta and disperse the Zanu-PF veterans?" </p> Matthew Norman Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/comment/matthew-norman/matthew-normans-media-diary-852620.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/comment/matthew-norman/matthew-normans-media-diary-852620.html <p> Much like coppers and villains, there has never been that much to choose between hacks and politicians. They speak the same language, drink in the same bars, get up to the same mischief (or would if the old expenses culture persisted in newspapers), so it's no surprise that they sometimes switch between trades. Yet where disgraced ministers like David Blunkett take fortunes from their chums to write bad columns (we'll come to Rebekah Wade below), and while journalists are frequently tempted by politics (we'll come to Kelvin MacKenzie below), the embryonic career move embarked on last week by Andy Burnham is a novelty. </p> Matthew Norman Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:56 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/comment/matthew-norman/matthew-normans-media-diary-847674.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/comment/matthew-norman/matthew-normans-media-diary-847674.html <p>Assuming the leathery old bird does stand against David Davis in the by-election, you have to say that it's marvellous. No really, it's just completely spiffing. If there's one thing a country facing all manner of gloom needs to cheer it up, that thing is Kelvin MacKenzie rallying the good people of Yorkshire to the the Bang-Up-The-Mussies-For-Ever-For-Having-Funny-Foreign-Names banner. Having said all that, there will be concerns in the psychiatric community. There'll be some excitement too, of course, especially perhaps for Oliver Sachs, because as Dr Niles Crane once observed, it's always a thrill to be in at the birth of a new obsessive-compulsive disorder. So far as I know no one has yet documented a case of a man seeking to offset the ravages of middle age by repeatedly making a princely arse of himself with facetious electoral campaigns. It is only a few weeks since Kelvin stood for his Surrey ward on the How-Dare-They-Raise-The-Cost-Of-Parking-At-My-Local-Railway-Station-When-I'm-Barely-Worth &pound;10m ticket, without huge success. Apparently the idea for this latest campaign &ndash; and one hopes this becomes a tri-monthly distraction &ndash; came directly from Rupert Murdoch, who may well want to balance his newfound love for Barack Obama by creating an anti-immigration Sun Party, to rival the BNP, over here. If so, it behoves to overlook the faint hint of a mixed message in order to enjoy the sport. </p> Matthew Norman Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:01 +0100 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/comment/matthew-norman/matthew-normans-media-diary-842668.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/comment/matthew-norman/matthew-normans-media-diary-842668.html <p>There is nothing for it, once again, but to bow down in fealty before Rupert Murdoch's preternatural fluidity. Seldom has any political candidate been better designed than Barack Obama &ndash; whose views on Iraq, gay marriage, reversing tax cuts to billionaires (like himself), talking directly to nasty foreign tyrants (not like himself; Rupert is very keen to chat with him, and is a naturalised US citizen anyway) and much else &ndash; are anathema to the old goat who brought us Fox News. Yet here he is swinging the empire behind America's most liberal senator. </p> Matthew Norman Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:01 +0100