American and Australian Elections?

[Captainhams]

Just out of curiosity I want to ask one of you americans on this forum and ask you if you saw ANY of the Australian elections or anything about them in the media? Do you know who the current prime minister is?

Im just asking because I think the Aussie media had a love affair with America for some weeks or something because for those weeks you could garenty that if you switched on the news at any time of the day you would see at least one thing about the American elections

Maybe it was just because it was so controversial with the whole female or black thing?
what do you think?

[BuddhaGeo]

I ain't an American (I live in Tbilisi), but I can freely assert that no one gives a shit about Australian politics or about its Prime Minister.

[SadisticMonkey]

At 7/7/08 06:59 AM, Captainhams wrote: Maybe it was just because it was so controversial with the whole female or black thing?
what do you think?

I think it's because we're talking about the future leader of the most powerful country in the world, rather.
But anyway, in regards to your question, I'm nearly certain no significant election news was shown in the states, and in a survey i saw a HUGE fraction of Americans couldn't name our prime minister.

But you can't really blame America. I mean, as much as I love my country, I do realise it has very little impact on the world as a whole.

[Captainhams]

Thanks SadisticMonkey

At 7/7/08 07:01 AM, BuddhaGeo wrote: I ain't an American (I live in Tbilisi), but I can freely assert that no one gives a shit about Australian politics or about its Prime Minister.

why dont you go get a life?

[BuddhaGeo]

At 7/7/08 11:52 AM, Captainhams wrote: Thanks SadisticMonkey

At 7/7/08 07:01 AM, BuddhaGeo wrote: I ain't an American (I live in Tbilisi), but I can freely assert that no one gives a shit about Australian politics or about its Prime Minister.

why dont you go get a life?

It wasn't an insult to you, I merely implied that no one gives a jack shit about Australia in my country's media.

[animehater]

As an American I can confidently say that the only time I hear about Australia at all is from the damn BBC.

[FalconPunch]

The only time I remember hearing about Australia on the news was for the Sydney Olympics.

[Bolo]

I didn't see anything about the Australian elections in the media, but if I recall correctly, Australia's prime minister is some balding guy named Rudd.

The only way I know that is because there was some sort of Australian Art magazine that depicted nude kids on the cover, and the Australian PM was denouncing it.

[The-evil-bucket]

Australian politics have little effect on the US, I've never seen anything about the elections or officials in the media.

[AapoJoki]

Can't blame it on American ignorance. I don't know who is the Prime Minister of Australia, and I doubt many people in my country or anywhere else in Europe know that either. Maybe the British might know and care about Australian matters a little more than others.

[Captainhams]

okay well that just about answers my question!

[cellardoor6]

At 7/7/08 06:59 AM, Captainhams wrote: Just out of curiosity I want to ask one of you americans on this forum and ask you if you saw ANY of the Australian elections or anything about them in the media?

Yeah. It wasn't a big deal, but every major American news network at least mentioned it periodically, and they covered the election results as well. I remember hearing an overview of the election at least 3 or 4 times. Howard,the pro-American who is against Kyoto... Rudd, the new liberal who promised to pull Australian troops out of Iraq (which he did), distance Australia from US foreign policy (which he is doing) and sign on to Kyoto (which he did).

I also get some Australian news channels on satellite TV. I stumbled across a debate between a Rudd supporter vs. a Howard supporter and I laughed because how pissed off they got at eachother and the crap they were saying with their accents. But I don't really remember any other details.

Do you know who the current prime minister is? was

Kevin Rudd.

Im just asking because I think the Aussie media had a love affair with America for some weeks or something because for those weeks you could garenty that if you switched on the news at any time of the day you would see at least one thing about the American elections

That was/is true in a lot of countries.

Maybe it was just because it was so controversial with the whole female or black thing?
what do you think?

Australia isn't unique for focusing on the US and US elections. Just about the whole world zooms in on the US in their media, so when the elections take place, it's like the peak of their obsession. But I think you're right when you say that these recent elections may have been even more of a big deal because of other specific things. Obama's and Clinton's [former] candidacy; the belief that the US is some horrible racist/sexist country (a typical stereotype that Australians specifically believe about Americans) was probably one of the biggest parts of it.

But the 2004 election coverage was pretty big in international media as well, even though race and sex didn't really play a role.

[Christopherr]

At 7/7/08 07:01 AM, BuddhaGeo wrote: I ain't an American (I live in Tbilisi), but I can freely assert that no one gives a shit about Australian politics or about its Prime Minister.

Australia is one of the few countries that is still friendly with America. Sure, not many people really care about Australian politics, but some do, including more intelligent folk. It's important to know what is going on in the world around you.

Don't abuse friendship just to troll an internet forum.

[BuddhaGeo]

At 7/8/08 01:40 AM, Christopherr wrote:

At 7/7/08 07:01 AM, BuddhaGeo wrote: I ain't an American (I live in Tbilisi), but I can freely assert that no one gives a shit about Australian politics or about its Prime Minister.

Australia is one of the few countries that is still friendly with America. Sure, not many people really care about Australian politics, but some do, including more intelligent folk. It's important to know what is going on in the world around you.

Don't abuse friendship just to troll an internet forum.

Are you a fucking idiot that reads a reply and forms his assumption on it without taking a look on the other posts? I was implying my country's media not giving shit about Australia , not trolling.
Take your head out of your hairy ass and don't reply unless having read all the given replies.

[Christopherr]

At 7/8/08 02:33 AM, BuddhaGeo wrote: Are you a fucking idiot that reads a reply and forms his assumption on it without taking a look on the other posts? I was implying my country's media not giving shit about Australia , not trolling.
Take your head out of your hairy ass and don't reply unless having read all the given replies.

Meh, I noticed your second post. I just didn't care enough about to correct myself.

All but the last sentence hold true, still.