If you needed reminding young Libs were out of touch

Chewy says:

03:45pm | 16/04/10

Leo, This story is BS if the kid was a young Labor it would not be deemed newsworthy. Ill bet you a fiver fairfax started this, no?
Its an established fact only the lonely, the looney or the ambitious join young political parties. This chap probably is in the looney category and I am sure the young Labor would have their share.
It would be a different story all together if it was an MP of any party ofcourse.

Brian says:

03:50pm | 16/04/10

Bad article…...how about focusing on the waste of this Federal Government?

BTW if you want stupid remarks, look at “KRudd” tweeting…....I mean act a little Prime Ministerial….....talks like a 12 y.o.

Also what about an article about Kerry O’Brien’s fawning soft balls to Obama. similar to what he gives Rudd…...red Kerry just reinforced his bias.

Joe says:

03:53pm | 16/04/10

I think Young Labor are all too busy taking turns at working for Rudd for a few months before they burn out to use twitter and facebook.

Luke says:

03:43pm | 16/04/10

“Given the problems Liberals are having in attracting talent, members and, most importantly, voters, the party might do well to have a look at their best and brightest as a window on to what’s gone wrong. “
Now your going a bit far aren’t you?

Gordon Akman says:

03:44pm | 16/04/10

Very weak article. As the other comments point out your attempt to smear an entire organisation over the comments of one young foolish member is either intellectually lazy or a blatant smear.

What I would rather comment on is the actual issue. It is quite simple. The term ‘monkey’ is a well known racial slur. This political light weight published a comment that could be interpreted as a racial slur. His political career is now over before it began. I would also note he did not apologise. He made one of those defiant fake insincere pretend apologies. This will earn him further contempt and ridicule.

Bob H says:

03:56pm | 16/04/10

I am saddened that such an idiot had political ambition and was on the ladder.  Out of 23 million people, the political talent pool of both sides seems to be so bad, that if it they were not so socially advantaged, they would have trouble remembering to say “do you want fries with that”.  There is something terribly wrong with democracy that there is no mechanism for getting the truly talented into government, just party journeymen (and women) given seats for party loyalty, comformity and consensual thinking does not make a leader.

Melburnian says:

04:01pm | 16/04/10

I’m sick of people using the word ‘literally’ to try to emphasise a point. And enough boat shoe bashing Leo. Proud wearers of this venerable shoe design do not wish to be tarnished by the behaviour of this chap.

greta says:

04:18pm | 16/04/10

Having observed student politics and ask any academic or recent graduate what really occurs on the university campus , they would have more disturbing stories to tell from both sides of student politics, it’s extreme and nasty as Tim Wilson said on Freshly Doug on joy fm this week.

There is no excuse, even if it is within the context of finding yourself,the university experience etc for this type of immaturity but a great chaser team episode!

What it highlights is the conservative,selfish and greedy middle-class parent that is dysfunctional and the school culture that creates these individuals.

The mummies-daddies boys syndrome is not cool any-more but a sad sociological joke of our times…

I also abhor the advisors and experts in the political class that adopt the, do whatever it takes to get elected theory…

There were actually students jailed form the Melbourn University fiasco if i recall and that is quite sad and extreme.

Ricky Gervais based his popular show on the experiences he had when studying at an Oxbridge univeristy and he was quoted by saying they were some of the weirdest people he saw on campus and they have all gone into politics from his alumni!!

Dr John says:

04:12pm | 16/04/10

Why did Sowden get the boot if he’s done nothing wrong?
Is this further flip-flop by the Coalition?

BTS says:

04:14pm | 16/04/10

People, People, People…

Calm down!

It’s Friday, Leo set a Liberal Bomb, triggered the timer and scarpered off to the pub, chuckling to himself. 

He’s long gone.

Leo has left the building!

Freeman says:

04:27pm | 16/04/10

Yeah, This is an ordinary article Leo.
“The behaviour is symptomatic of the overindulged and WASPY boat shoe culture that literally runs riot in the Young Liberals.”  an unfair statement to say the least .this is a isolated incident. Young political groups attract some idealistic, impressionable and almost millitant youth. (remember the Students from the student union who considered it their duty to break the illegal immigrants free from wommera?) but you can’t rush in and tar all of their members with the same brush, even if you personally have a dislike of their organisation.

Amy says:

04:27pm | 16/04/10

Oh Leo!  I generally find your articles to be insightful and just occasionally worth a bit of a giggle, so much so that I’ve always had a bit of a crush.  Then you published this article.  Leo, it’s not particularly helpful to suggest that an entire party has a problem based on the actions of one person who was (rightfully) suspended from that party for those actions.  Please go back to being level headed and adorable.  Oh, and if you could fix, “there’s rumours” (*shudder*) that’d be awesome too.

Mark says:

04:39pm | 16/04/10

Your comment:This whole thing is a media beat up of staggering proportions. Who cares what some young dweeb (liberal, labor, whatever) posts on twitter? The comment itself may or may not be racist. It’s unclear.

Let the racists speak out and hang them from their own petard, Picking on vague comments like these is simply unproductive political correctness for the sake of a dodgy headline.

Jonathan Appleyard says:

05:07pm | 16/04/10

Since when is one idiot representative of an entire organisation. Shame on the Punch.

Brad Coward says:

05:05pm | 16/04/10

Thank God that there’s no such thing as a racist leftie !  I feel much safer !

Brad Coward says:

05:26pm | 16/04/10

Leo…..start to view the world through two eyes instead of one.  It may assist in stopping you from generalising when you make political comments.  Then again, it may not !

iansand says:

05:47pm | 16/04/10

Andrew Symonds overreacted too.

Darryl Price says:

06:22pm | 16/04/10

Your generalisation draws a false inference that all young Libs (as opposed to the Young Liberals) are out of touch. No one in young Labor has made disparaging or offensive comments about anyone in the American Presidency on any forum, public or otherwise? This article by Leo is a very poorly constructed attempt to drop a brick on an opposing political view.

Vicki PS says:

06:29pm | 16/04/10

It’s not just young LNP, it’s any young, privileged overindulged product of laissez-faire middle class parents.  Name-calling, stereotyped abuse and invective of the lowest kind is what passes for humour among this group.  Vilification of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, appearance, disability ... anything is fair game with the lame rider “just joking”, the assumption being that such a fine upstanding young product of well-heeled liberal parents couldn’t possibly be a bigot.  The pervasive sense of invincible entitlement among these leaders of tomorrow frankly scares the living sh*t out of me, as does their utter lack of understanding of ordinary courtesy, let alone the mechanics of social devaluation and marginalistion.

P.S.  I do not for one second believe the innocent protestations of commentators that they didn’t think “monkey” was racist, is it?  Sure, sure.  I dare you apologists to try it out on any one of the many aboriginal friends you claim to have, and see how hard they laugh!

Kate says:

06:58pm | 16/04/10

Leo…..expelled from Young Libs b/c too nerdy?

Jimbo says:

08:07pm | 16/04/10

This is such a beat up!  I use the term “monkey” to describe useless people at work all the time.  And no, they’re not black, nor do they look like monkeys, they just act like monkeys.  This is a nice distraction for Labor at least and gives Kevin a nice little soundbite for the nightly news to tell us about how ‘out of touch’ the Libs are.  Leo, you’re a monkey.

Steve_of_Cornubia says:

09:22pm | 16/04/10

Eh?

What sampling/statistical methodology was used which says that a sample size of…..ONE…...can be used to determine the characterstics of hundreds of thousands of others?

Are you extracting the urine, Leo?

Brett L says:

09:30pm | 16/04/10

I don’t think this is stereotypical of young libs at all. And for me it has no bearing on Abbott. Having teenage kids I can just see this guy is a stupid immature twit that has probably lived a privileged special life.  And I would say his comments were meant to be derogatory to Obama. The guy right now is a loser. And he should keep his head down for the next few years and try to put it behind him and learn something from it. But stay out of the media you fool!

Lee Smith says:

10:39pm | 16/04/10

Calling someone a ‘monkey’ here is different to what it means in the US.  Most people know that it’s considered an offensive term, most thinking people anyway.  The KKK use the term to describe black americans -  no matter how you try to talk about context it’s a pretty horrible thing to say.

Victor H Pigott says:

10:52pm | 16/04/10

As a gay man this young guy amazes me.  He must know that homosexuals have been historically victimized and discriminated.  He is aware that German homosexuals in the 1930’s were herded off to Nazi concentration camps many of whom were shot or died from forced labor?  Is he aware that the Vatican is now claiming that the problem of pedophile priests is a homosexual problem rather than a problem of forced celebracy and that both sides of Australian politics refuse to grant homosexuals the right to marry?  Yet, he has a gay man has the termidity to criticize the first colored man to be elected to the Presidency of the United States.  A member of a race that has also been historically violated and discriminated throughout many parts of the planet. While it is his democratic right not to agree with Barack Obama’s policies, by making blatant racist remarks he has shown the Australian public that he is not, at this point of his life, a. suitable candidature for a political career.  I agree with those readers who believe that such remarks are personal to Nick Snowden and should not be viewed as in any way ascribing a general attitude to the Liberal Party.  On the contrary, such dirty tactics are more typical of the socialist left.

Ryan says:

12:26am | 17/04/10

Lets see now,
First Aboriginal appointed and elected to Parliament - Senator Neville Bonner, Liberal Party
First woman elected to Parliament - Dame Enid Lyons, Liberal Party

This is hardly a party that would find this sort of behavior acceptable now is it.

agblaster says:

05:18am | 17/04/10

Take it we’ve seen the last of “justsayin” posts onThe Punch, then. Awwww.

acotrel says:

08:00am | 17/04/10

What goes around comes around ! There is no way calling Obama ‘a monkey’ is OK ! The Libs should apologise profusely, and keep their heads down!

T.Chong says:

08:12am | 17/04/10

So to summarise , fellow Punchies, if the story is dissing the unacceptable actions of some one who is Liberal (or conservative),then you cannot judge every other partisan that way?
All well and good. It will be interesting to see if this attitude is displayed when some one of Labor does wrong.
I dont think the reaction will be the same.
Im wrong, so many Right Punchers are funny people. Whether this is intentional humor though, is another issue.

joshgtv says:

10:58am | 17/04/10

The greatest tragedy is that anyone under the age of thirty could be a conservative. The Young Libs deserve everyone’s sympathy, not hatred. Those poor, mixed-up kids!

Peter says:

12:08pm | 17/04/10

Malcom Turnbull did join the wrong party. The Libs these days just want to appeal to racists, bogans, the clueless and the new money people who think voting for the Libs is what posh people do. Malcom wasn’t in politics for long but i do mourn they day he will be gone..

Anjulip says:

12:02pm | 17/04/10

That just confirms it the brain isn’t fully formed till we are 25 ,that is what we hear when the young are binge drinking and doing burn outs

B.Andersons says:

12:26pm | 17/04/10

Evolution theory says we came from monkeys so what’s the big deal. How about “Conga line of suckholes” to meet George Bush mouthed by Latham when he was coming to Australia. Will the Labor party say the same thing again when Obama comes downunder to meet our “humble Prime Minister”. Let’s get over outrage about every slur after all it’s a free country.

Pauline says:

12:47pm | 17/04/10

Go Nick,go!
Nick for PM!
You make Australia and your parents proud.
How many more fruitcakes there are in Liberal and National Party?

kevin11 says:

01:12pm | 17/04/10

What about the Young Libs profile some of their most talented monkeys so we can see some of the talent coming through? Do any of them wear speedoes and are they Catholic stooges like Abbott?

Victor H Pigott says:

01:29pm | 17/04/10

Lenny, while I agree that our society has gone too far in finding fault in what used to be considered a harmless joke, there comes a point when some comments are just over the top and unacceptable.  I have no doubt that Wayne Swan and Joe Hockey as Parliamentary colleagues have a friendly go at each other and that no harm is done.  Similarly, remarks by Julia Gillard about Christopher Pyne are said with tongue in cheek without any nasty connotation being meant or taken. However, Snowden calling Barrack Obama a “monkey” is a comment of the worst possible taste.  Snowden shows a complete lack of understanding of the historical discrimination that Negroe’s have suffered in the United States and still suffer to this day in some parts of the deep South.  I suggest Snowden inform himself of the history of the Civil Rights Movement, particularly the deaths of two young white boys who died at the hands of white racist bigots in the 1950’s in Mississippi and of the resulting trials in which not one person was found guilty of their murder.  This travesty was only recently corrected by the conviction of one of the (now elderly) leaders of the group.  Snowden should then proceed to learn of the 1955 murder of Emmett Louis Till, a 14 year old Negro boy who had the termidity to wolf whistle a white women; the 1931 prosecution of the Scottsboro boys for alleged rape of a white women on a Goods Train (based we now know on a false allegation) and the assassination of Martin Luther King.  While there is much in Obama’s policies that I do not agree, I admire and acclaim him for the courage that it must have taken him to achieve his present position.  His Presidency is one of the greatest steps taken by any American to fulfill the Dream that the Reverend Dr King spoke of to crowds of Americans shortly before he was assassinated. To me Snowden’s remark is part of an ongoing historical attitude in which one race believes it is superior to another.  This attitude resulted in the deaths of six million Jews at the hands of Nazi Germany and tens of thousands of innocent persons in the various ethnocides of the later half of the twentieth century, particularly in the Congo, Yugoslavia and Rwanda .  It is time for Snowden to accept that no race is superior to any other race, just as he would know that heterosexuality is not superior to homosexuality. We are all made in the image of God and our differences should be respected and honored.

Wilt Waltman says:

03:36pm | 17/04/10

‘He made one of those defiant fake insincere pretend apologies.’ Now where on earth would a young liberal learn that sort of behaviour? I lived in Queensland for ten years and handed out ‘how-to-votes’ at the 1998 & 2001 federal elections. I saw swarms of young people almost knocking themselves over, in the rush to grab One Nation handouts. I imagine that’s who most of them voted for: I didn’t see many (any?) of them take any material from the representatives of any other party. But I didn’t see any ‘racism’: just lots of wholesome, clean-living, relaxed and comfortable, middle-of-the-road, regular, mainstream average sorts of people. People like that can’t be ‘racist’, can they? Surely they’re too, measured and sensible and well mannered and polite to be ‘racist’. Aren’t they?
And BTW for those of you that don’t know: any incidence to Bush being portrayed as a ‘chimp’ is probably referencing the WWII Soviet ‘Gorilla Adolf’ propaganda… so ‘calling’ Bush a chimp is accurate, rather than offensive, in that sense.

acotrel says:

06:53am | 18/04/10

But everyones up in arms for calling Obama a “Monkey”

Calling a black person ‘a monkey’ is a very low form of racial slur, and you know it!  Why don’t you just admit that the Libs have overstepped the mark?

Bruce says:

08:20pm | 18/04/10

What a dull grey world we live in !!

Dr Gaye Barr says:

01:20pm | 19/04/10

I’m not so sure it’s the Liberal Party who should be concerned about him. It’s his future patients if he enters the medical profession.

Helen says:

01:55pm | 19/04/10

To those claiming that a Young Lib espousing outrageous and bigoted views is something new -
http://www.themonthly.com.au/monthly-essays-chloe-hooper-young-libs-chocolate-factory-tomorrow039s-liberal-leaders-have-issues-ga

TK says:

07:20pm | 19/04/10

Ah I hate how people try to make Australians accept an American’s view of what being racist is. 

As I understand it, black Americans were called porch monkeys as a derogatory term.  In Australia calling a person a monkey usually just mean’s they belong in a zoo, e.t.c.  If he was familiar with the racist term then obviously he should have never said it, if he wasn’t well it would be fair to call Obama a monkey if you felt Obama wasn’t doing a good job (I personally think Obama is the man).
It’s not Australians responsibilities to recognise racist terms the world over and adjust their behaviour accordingly i.e. black faces skit on red faces.
People are so worried about that dastardly racist bogeyman that political correctness has lost it.  The most racist people I’ve come across are those calling everyone else on it. Those with ‘good’ intentions included.

Interestingly, if he was a stooge, the perfect picture to sell himself would be a QLD rugby league supporter who loves to have a drink so that anybody else could paint the rest of the picture themselves… OH WAIT!