Murdoch tells Tony its time to go

by RogueTrooper Thu Jun 29th, 2006 at 07:28:15 AM EST

Harry's Place: Murdoch tells Tony its time to go

Rupert Murdoch has given Tony Blair his marching orders. Rupert wants David Cameron and Gordon Brown to poll dance for him for 18 months so he can make up his mind on who he is going to back.
Murdoch has long seen himself as king maker and Blair hasn't helped matters with his willingness to appear as a star performer in the Murdoch global media circus.
He spells out exactly what he is looking for in one of his own titles, The Australian today:
"We've been a very big supporter of Tony on big issues, he's been a very courageous world leader. We've also been critical of him on other things like Europe.
"But for no reason other than the dynamics of British politics we would like to see at least a year to 18 months' standoff between Gordon Brown and David Cameron so we can decide which of those most coincides with our views.
"Those two are going to decide the next election and I think the British public would be cheated if they only got a month or two's warning."

And from the Austrailian article referenced by HP...

Link to article

He also gave his thoughts on the possible shape of the next US presidential frontrunners, saying that if an election were held today, "it would be (Democratic Party senator) Hillary Clinton versus (Republican senator) John McCain".
"In that context I don't think (Senator Clinton) would be the favourite, but she could certainly win - she and her husband are extremely able and tough politicians," he said.
Mr Blair, Senator Clinton and Senator McCain are all likely to be guests at News Corp's executive conference in Pebble Beach, California, next month.

Murdoch tells Tony its time to go | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Murdoch tells Tony its time to go (4.00 / 3)

Who choosed the Prime Minister, Murdoch or the British People?

Wait, Murdoch publishes The Sun and The Times. I suppose there's no difference then.

The scary part of this is that Brown and Cameron will dance for Murdoch rather than for the British Public, knowing that Murdoch can sway an election by choosing who his newspapers will endorse.

Someone should denounce this for what it is.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jun 29th, 2006 at 07:43:49 AM EST

Re: Murdoch tells Tony its time to go (none / 0)

Ugh, choosed?

I mean 'chooses'.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jun 29th, 2006 at 08:05:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Murdoch tells Tony its time to go (4.00 / 2)

I think rupert imagines he has more power than he does in reality. Just as Labour does as he asks when it suits them to do so, I'm not sure Tony isn't megalomaniac enough to blow him a raspberry when it doesn't suit him. And it really doesn't suit him to go now.

Rupert can make things awkward, but I don't think he can deliver on any significant threat. Up till now, Labour have been scared of his shadow, Mandelson specifically said that Blair's enthusaism for europe was related to europe being too big and diffuse for Rupert to control. Britain on its own was not. Now might be a good time to experiment just how much heat the Sun can bring.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Thu Jun 29th, 2006 at 09:13:01 AM EST

Re: Murdoch tells Tony its time to go (none / 0)

It will be interesting to watch Brown simultaneously on Europe and Murdoch.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Thu Jun 29th, 2006 at 09:25:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Murdoch tells Tony its time to go (none / 0)

Now might be a good time to experiment just how much heat the Sun can bring.

Great!

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jun 29th, 2006 at 09:30:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Murdoch tells Tony its time to go (none / 0)

Mandelson specifically said that Blair's enthusaism for europe was related to europe being too big and diffuse for Rupert to control. Britain on its own was not.

Might this be because <gasp> Europe doesn't speak English?

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jun 29th, 2006 at 09:31:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Murdoch tells Tony its time to go (none / 0)

Murdoch tried to enter the German media market, but after meagre success, withdrew.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Thu Jun 29th, 2006 at 09:34:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Murdoch tells Tony its time to go (none / 0)

And has never succeeded in getting into the French media either...

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Thu Jun 29th, 2006 at 10:29:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Eur-english. No we're english. (none / 1)

By and large Europe does speak english. Often better than we do.

What I don't think they do is buy into sub-Thatcherite neocon baby-talk.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Thu Jun 29th, 2006 at 11:05:54 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Murdoch tells Tony its time to go | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)