The Streisand Effect has been discussed a couple of times on this blog. It refers to the effect that trying to cover something up or suppressing it, has the opposite effect of drawing attention to it.
The last time it was covered was when Margie Abbott was given blanket coverage in News Limited‘s fish-wrappers to try and convince women voters that her husband, the lying, hypocritical, cowardly Tony Abbott isn’t a misogynistic relic from the distant past (See Margie Abbott And The Streisand Effect).
The women (and men) of Australia were not fooled by the shallow attempt to raise his appeal amongst women voters however, and so all that pathetic effort did was draw attention to his obvious shortcomings.
Albert Einstein said that (words to the effect), “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting it to turn out differently”.
Obviously Abbott’s Chief Of Staff, Peta Credlin, is not aware of Mr Einstein’s quote. Once again Murdoch’s tabloids (the propaganda arm of the LNP) have across the board coverage of an “interview” with Credlin. I put the word interview in inverted commas as it is bloody obvious to even News Limited readers that this puff-piece was written by Credlin herself.
The “article” begins:
As his female chief of staff, she occasionally gets pulled aside at functions, and her inquisitors all want to know the same thing.
“What’s he like to work for as a woman? Isn’t he tough on women’s issues?”
“Isn’t he anti-abortion?”
“Isn’t he weird on contraception? What would he really do if he was the prime minister?”
But she knows all the questions already, since, not so long ago, Credlin asked them herself.
And then last year, she ended up learning more than she ever expected to about what Tony Abbott really thinks about all of these difficult, complex issues when she endured the personal heartbreak of multiple rounds of IVF treatment and no baby.
That’s when Abbott surprised even her – by offering to keep her secrets and help store her fertility drugs in his office bar fridge.
Credlin, 41, a Catholic, is also pro-choice on abortion. She’s married to Liberal Party director Brian Loughnane, who will run Abbott’s campaign for The Lodge – a true power couple in Canberra.
Intensely private, she has never given an on-the-record interview – until recently.
So we are led to believe that an “intensively private individual” has suddenly decided to spill her guts and tell us all about something intensively private.
It continues (after a lot of waffle):
“I think it is important that people, especially women, hear the truth about Tony Abbott, and not just the myths,” she says.
As the next federal election looms, Team Abbott has wheeled out a succession of women to endorse his female-friendly credentials to assure the voting public he’s not the anti-woman ogre they were led to believe.
The most powerful intervention was naturally his wife Margie Abbott and his daughters. Then there’s his sister Christine Foster, who has spoken of her brother’s supportive embrace when she came out as a lesbian.
It neglects to mention that all of these attempts have been abject failures.
Credlin’s decision to speak out publicly as his chief of staff is highly unusual.
Bit of an understatement there.
Credlin agreed to a brief question-and-answer session with the glossy Marie Claire magazine late last year. But her candid response, when asked about her toughest day at work, shocked even the press secretary from Abbott’s office sent along to chaperone the interaction.
The magazine will publish the piece on Wednesday.
There’s a warning to the women of Australia – avoid the next issue of Marie Claire like the plague.
The press release, er sorry, article, goes on to tug at our heart strings by telling us about Credlin’s attempts at having a child by the IVF method:
As she talks about the experience of doing IVF over and over again and not getting close to even the possibility of a pregnancy, the word “failure” crops up and Credlin begins to cry.
As Abbott’s Chief Of Staff, Credlin is probably more responsible for the bloody-minded viciousness of the LNP’s attacks on the Prime Minister and Labor in general. Now we’re expected to believe that she’s really a softy. Pass the tissues someone as my eyes are misting up. While you’re at it, pass a sick bag as I think I’m going to barf my breakfast all over my computer monitor.
At one point she says Abbott even cried with her one day as she “wallowed” in a pretty awful IVF experience, which would be almost impossible to believe apart from the fact that it’s hard not to feel moved by how honest Credlin is about it all.
Take note of the words used in the last part of the last paragraph. Credlin, or whoever actually authored this piece of spin, acknowledges that readers are finding this whole story “impossible to believe”, but then goes on to remove our doubts by letting us know how honest she is.
Now, I know that female readers of this blog may feel that I’m being a bit cruel towards Credlin. I have no doubt trying, and not succeeding to become pregnant by IVF can be a fairly traumatising experience, however I refer you to the closing paragraphs of the article, which make me believe the whole piece smells of aquatic lifeforms.
Credlin would still dearly love to be a mother, but doesn’t think she will try IVF again in an election year.
“It’s more the fact we are in the fight of our lives and you have to be committed. And it takes over your life,” she says.
“And that’s just the nature of it an election year.
“It consumes your life and your partner understands that, and your family understands that. I don’t want to have my attention divided. So I probably wouldn’t.
“I’ve got one job this year and that’s to change the government.
So obviously she has higher priorities than raising a family. Changing government seems to be far more important to her. If that does happen however, she’s going to be busier than ever as she will then be the C.O.S. to Prime Minister Abbott (the three most frightening words Australian’s will ever read). She’s not going to get a chance to try again to raise a family for another dozen years or so, if you believe the LNP claims that Labor will be electorally wiped out for a generation later this year, which I don’t.
So Australian voters, do your part and help Peta fulfill her ambition of becoming a mother by making sure her boss gets utterly wiped out at this year’s election.
She’ll thank you all for it. 
This article was copied form The Daily Derp on 12 November, 2014 at 01:56. You can read the original article here: Peta Credlin And The Streisand Effect
