November 22, 2003

COULDA BEEN A CONTENDER

Paul McGeough almost did it. In one article, he has mentioned “cycles of violence”, the “Iraq quagmire”, a “Top Gun president”, and “the poverty that breeds terrorists”. If only he’d included “Vietnam” and “cowboy”, we’d have a new War On Terrorism Cliche Champion.

Posted by Tim Blair at November 22, 2003 12:03 AM
Comments

He reaches for the hyperbole even more so when reporting on the radio. Paul McGeough speaking to Philip Clark on radio 2GB Sydney yesterday said "Bush doesn't believe in anything apart from what the last person he spoke to told him" . And that at the start of the Iraq war Americans "worshipped Bush on their knees" but now the daily casualties "like water dripping on a stone" have dropped the approval rate to 50%. I can't explain how "Vietnam" wasn't mentioned in the article. And he normally adds Beirut and Northern Ireland just in case anyone misses his very labored point.

Posted by: Softly at November 22, 2003 at 02:06 AM

I'm sorry, but any War On Terrorism Cliche contender is disqualified if he leaves out the oil cliches.

Posted by: Ken Summers at November 22, 2003 at 03:15 AM

So currently he is tied with an assbandit called Andrew Greeley: http://lounge.pri.ee/mt/archives/000316.html

Posted by: dr.dna at November 22, 2003 at 04:03 AM

Is this like country songs, which must mention 1) the singer's mama, 2) a railroad shack, 3) a pickup truck, and 4) a hound dog?

Posted by: F451 at November 22, 2003 at 05:07 AM

Yes, much like it, but you left out some of the other important cliches. It was illustrated by David Allen Coe in the last verse of You Never Even Call Me By My Name (AKA The Perfect Country & Western Song):

Well, I was drunk the day my Mom got outta prison.

And I went to pick her up in the rain.
But, before I could get to the station in my pickup truck
She got runned over by a damned old train.

Posted by: Ken Summers at November 22, 2003 at 05:27 AM

McGeough made this week's Friday Quagwatch.

Posted by: Jay Manifold at November 22, 2003 at 10:26 AM

While not absolutely crucial to winning the contest, 'selected not elected' should at least be awarded some extra credit -- maybe it could be a tiebreaker.

Posted by: Melissa at November 22, 2003 at 12:31 PM

However, he does mention Israel and Israelis twice, always a crowd pleaser and a sure way to garner extra points.

Beaut of a headline, though:
"The bombers dance a jig while Bush just gets shriller, writes Paul McGeough in New York."

It's true. According to the article, Bush and Blair wanted to dance a self-congratulatory tango, but were prevented from doing so by masses of bombers doing jigs all around them. What sort of men are these terrorists that they will not let free men tango.

Posted by: R.W. at November 22, 2003 at 12:58 PM

R.W.: Best Comment Ever.

Posted by: Andrea Harris at November 22, 2003 at 01:06 PM