Posted by KiwiElf
(here)
Posted by LadyM
(here)
Kiwi, Obama
tweeted this photo on Feb. 14. Is that New Zealand?
It could be LadyM but I don't think so. (If it is, he's snuck in under the radar!! - Parts of Northern England & Scotland look quite similar). Here's the latest "News" about Obama's planned trip to NZ; as per the article below confirmation of the visit is expected by the end of the [this] week: (dated 21st Feb, so "end of the week" is now - ie it's Sat the 24th here now. Here are the latest local articles I could find):
Barack Obama announcement due soon
21 Feb, 2018 11:33am
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=11998887
Claire Trevett
By: Claire Trevett
Deputy political editor, NZ Herald
claire.trevett@nzherald.co.nz @CTrevettNZH
An announcement on the visit by former US President Barack Obama is expected soon.
It is understood the final details have been agreed and the contracts could be signed and the visit announced soon, possibly by the end of the week.
Air New Zealand, which is involved in bringing the former President to New Zealand, is believed to be one of three companies that would underwrite the cost of Obama's fees.
The fees would be partly recouped by ticket sales to speaking events.
When the Herald revealed news of Obama's visit early this month, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters questioned whether Air NZ could afford Obama's full fee on its own.
Peters is a shareholding minister of Air NZ. The inclusion of other companies in underwriting the visit could be a response to that concern. It is understood one of the other companies could announce the visit, rather than Air NZ.
The Air NZ board was meeting today.
Obama is expected to visit towards the end of next month and his itinerary is set to include a re-match of golf with Sir John Key. Key is a director on the Air NZ board.
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The bias and BS is fairly obvious in this one:
Obama's NZ visit could rile Trump supporters
5:35 am on 23 February 2018
(images at link)
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/natio...ump-supporters
Patrick O'Meara
Patrick O'Meara, Economics Correspondent
@Omearanz
patrick.omeara@radionz.co.nz
Negotiations to get former US president Barack Obama to visit New Zealand next month are understood to be close to completion.
Former US President Barack Obama stands before his portrait by artist Kehinde Wiley after its unveiling at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.
Former US President Barack Obama stands before his portrait by artist Kehinde Wiley after its unveiling at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. Photo: AFP
Air New Zealand and two other unnamed organisations are funding Mr Obama's trip to come and speak here, and an announcement is expected next week.
A senior lecturer at the marketing department at Auckland University, Mike Lee, said he expected there to be a lot of interest, both here and overseas.
US President Barack Obama and PM John Key give media briefing in the Oval Office.
US President Barack Obama and PM John Key in a news conference in the Oval Office in 2014. Photo: RNZ / Chris Bramwell
"Obama is almost universally popular outside of America. And at least half of Americans find him still a very approachable, trustworthy, (with a) cool sort of persona."
Air New Zealand has been heavily involved in Mr Obama's visit.
Former Prime Minister Sir John Key, who is on the national carrier's board, is likely to have been influential in convincing Mr Obama to come here because of their friendship when the two were leaders.
But he will not come cheap, his speaking fees in the US are reportedly about $400,000 a time.
Brand consultant and former Saatchi New Zealand executive Kate Smith said Mr Obama was worth it for the firms' involved.
"If you look at Twitter for example, Barack Obama has almost twice as many twitter followers as Trump does, even though he tweets a lot less than Trump."
"If Obama comes here and [tweets] about New Zealand, he's reaching 100 million people."
Ms Smith said it would be even more interesting if his wife Michelle Obama came along, as she was influential in her own right.
US President Barack Obama (R) and wife Michelle Obama (L) greet New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Bill English to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit dinner on November 12, 2011 in Waikiki, Hawaii.
Michelle Obama, Bill English and Barack Obama at the APEC summit dinner on 2011. Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty/AFP
"The total value of a single public appearance of her wearing, say, a J Crew cardigan ... was estimated at $14 million dollars."
"The value of a Michelle (Obama) coming here wearing a New Zealand designer would be absolutely enormous," she said.
The focus on New Zealand could also spark further interest in the country as a tourist destination.
But Dr Lee warned Air New Zealand risks offending Trump supporters.
"If they invite him over and do all these things with Obama, they're in a way utterly positioning themselves as anti-Trump. So they might annoy people in America that are pro-Trump."
US president Barack Obama and former Prime Minister New Zealand Prime Minister John Key. Photo: AFP
On the other hand, Dr Lee said these people might never travel here anyway, preferring to stay home.
ACT Party leader David Seymour said he hoped to take advantage of Mr Obama's visit to save charter schools from being closed by the government.
He's written to the former president to visit one while here, saying he could help change Labour's mind.
"He's somebody who is from the political left, who's a Democrat. But he was able to look pragmatically at what worked and became somebody who called charter schools "incubators of innovations". Somebody who had a presidential week of celebrations of charter (schools)."
Mr Seymour has not heard back about his invitation.
But one date Mr Obama is likely to keep is a golf match with Sir John.
Both are keen players, and now have a little more time to improve their handicaps.
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David Seymour invites Barack Obama to visit a New Zealand charter school
Thu, Feb 22
Source: NZN
ACT leader David Seymour has written a letter to former US President Barack Obama asking him to save New Zealand's charter schools.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-...charter-school
Full article at link -
NOTE: The ACT Party is one of the smallest opposition political parties in NZ holding only one seat in Parliament - they are considered "right wing".
I should add that the majority of NZ Media (Print & TV) are anti-Trump
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