MEDIAWATCH: Hooton hears a what? Where to now for The Post? Winners, Losers and Predictions

I have been mates with Hoots for decades now.

We first worked together in 2011 on the I-Predict Election Special where we ran a weekly TV Show over the Election Campaign and over those decades I have seen all versions of Hooton: Machiavellian Genius,  funniest commentator on the planet, insane meltdowns, Philosopher warrior poet, full blown alcoholic, maniac, brilliant insight, Corporate Nazgul, recreational arsehole, champion of Māori and of course Ambassador for Mongolia.

In short, I am a fan of Matthew.

He appears now weekly on The Bradbury Group political podcast, this is our 15th year of working together.

I have always tried to build friendships with people I politically disagree with because I think you have an obligation as a political commentator to try to at least understand the people you disagree with.

I think his appointment is the most interesting editorial decision we have seen in a very long time and I don’t think my woke comrades (who are currently performing ritualistic performance art denunciations of The Post on social media) understand that it will be National, ACT and NZF who are most worried about his appointment, not them.

WINNERS:

Hoots – This is a really amazing appointment for Hoots himself. I have seen him at his best and his worst and to turn his life around from the depth of destruction his alcoholism had led to being shoulder tapped for the best job in NZ Politics. Because the vast number of people don’t have a Herald subscription, they don’t understand nor appreciate how gifted a writer Hooton really is. Don’t get me wrong,  I totally disagree with his stupid conclusions and will argue with him until I’m blue in the face that he’s wrong, but you can’t deny his research, data or facts. His editorial stance will be combative, funny and infuriatingly smart, that will be worth reading.

The Post – Hooton was the biggest reason for the Herald subscription. I think punters will be cancelling their Herald subs in droves and signing up too the Post. I think The Post will replace any symbolic cancellations with a tsunami of new ones leaving The Herald and coming to The Post. Let’s be honest, The Post has been delivering scoop after scoop after scoop and have some of the best in the game working for them, BUT because they are behind a paywall it has had limited influence outside the Beltway, what Hooton’s appointment is about to do is expand that Beltway all the way to Auckland. That is one big fucking Beltway! I think his appointment makes The Post a must read daily.

Māori – One of the really important things I think people need to appreciate about Hooton is that despite being a Libertarian Nihilist, he is very pro contract law and believes as passionately in Māori rights and cultural celebration as Christopher Finlayson does. His naked contempt for Hobson’s Pledge and disgust at stamping out Māori political aspiration is actually part of his philosophical DNA. It’s a really important point to remember that in The Hollow Men, (which was the behind the scenes emails of Don Brash’s infamous Orewa Speech), it was Hooton who was arguing against the racism and bashing Māori, a point Bernard Hickey asked Nicky Hager about this week:

So what does Nicky Hager think?

I reached out to Nicky to see what he thought of Matthew’s appointment. He was surprised, but could see logic of what he described as a bold appointment.

“I think he’s one of the more interesting people in politics,” Nicky said.

“There’s a chance he could do something interesting there, or a chance it could all blow up,” he said.

Nicky made a point of saying Matthew was not a racist, when some others in his circles on the right of politics were. He also saw Matthew as different to the likes of Cam Slater, a key protagonist in Dirty Politics, and as having changed over the years.

 

Ideological range – Since becoming a Dr of Philosophy, he has a far greater appreciation of the Ideological range of debate and I predict you’ll end up seeing opinion writers from a far wider Ideological range than the staid mainstream media have perviously been capable of.

Fourth Estate Journalism – There has been a lot of righteous criticism of appointing a non journalist, former lobbyist, right wing mercenary ideological stormtrooper intro the most important Editorship in NZ Politics, and I think a lot of that is justifiable.

However.

Hoots is actually unique.

Yes he’s a Libertarian Nihilist.

Yes he’s the Union advocate at Slytherin’ House.

Yes he makes Machiavelli look like a virgin.

But he’s also brilliant and his PHD in Political Philosophy has tempered him in a. way that makes him the perfect Fourth Estate Attack Dog.

Think of him less like a spook for the corporations and more like a socialist Professor gaining tenure.

He is going to slaughter Right Wing Sacred Cows, because he is no longer under their influence and can call it like he sees it without fear of retribution.

Mongolia – He bloody loves Mongolia! It’s the funniest quirkiest weirdest thing about him. The Mongolians LOVE him and he is genuinely affectionate towards them. He has probably driven the Mongolian GDP up more than any non Mongolian in Mongolian history. Expect to see a lot more Mongolian cultural reviews and tourism packages.

LOSERS

National, ACT + NZF – If you have been lucky enough to be reading his columns behind the NZ Herald Paywall, you will know that it is National, ACT and NZF with the most to lose here. His criticism of each of them has been so eviscerating that he spooks leadership coup threats every time he writes! Yes he’s a Libertarian Nihilist, but that just means he has way more contempt for the Right than he does for the Left! If National, ACT or NZF aren’t terribly worried about Hooton gaining the editorship of the most influential political newspaper in the country, they aren’t paying attention.

Racists – There will be zero time for shitting on Māori under his Editorship.

NZ Herald – Hoots was the biggest reason why people have a subscription to the Herald. I joined because the ratbag Boomer King, Wayne brown, refuse to be interviewed by Simon Wilson and I thought that was appalling. I signed ups for the Simon Wilson and I stayed for the Matthew Hooton. Now with both of them gone, what am I staying for? Audrey Young on a good day, Fran O’Sullivan sure, poor old Joe Lose was assassinated  by The Spinoff and that leaves Thomas Coughlan to justify the subscription fee.

Is Thomas worth the sub fee?

Of course he isn’t!

I predict an enormous plunge in subs to the Herald as readers flee to The Post.

Alt-Right Canadian Billionaire Jim Grenon – Anything that robs Alt-Right Canadian Billionaire Jim Grenon of market share is important.

Right Wing Sacred Cows – Hoots is here to slaughter all sacred cows, starting with the Right.

 

PREDICTIONS

I think there will be bitching and moaning from the Woke, but any subs they fry will be made up an d then some as people leave The Herald for Hooton and that will raise visibility of The Post’s other brilliant journalists.

People will be surprised by how good an Editor he is.

He may well save the Fourth Estate.

That doesn’t mean he won’t rip the Left to shreds, oh sweet Jesus, give the boy an inch and he’ll take a mile, but he will be far harder on the Right because he loathes them more.