2010 Federal Election

[Julia]

Abbott is lurching from one disaster to another. His pledge not to change Fair Work Australia rolleyes is crazy. He is deserting his constituency and kowtowing to the unions. If the unions are going to roll him in the election, he could at least go down with his principles intact and not appear so spineless.

Exactly so. Hasn't he considered all the small business owners who are his natural voters and who he is alienating with this stuff?

I'm afraid his days are numbered. Liberal candidates are not putting his face on their election material.

Agree. In fact, impossible though it might seem, I reckon the Libs would be better off dumping him now and replacing him with either Hockey or Turnbull.

The debate with Gillard on Sunday will further expose him as a ditherer. She will play with him like a cat with a mouse, while smiling sweetly.

He's at a further disadvantage because he is known to actually like her.
Plus his very conservative nature will find it difficult to overcome his reluctance to be tough on her because she's a female.

But even apart from that, the Libs appear to be without an overall strategy other than cutting spending which will, of course, lose jobs. Everything they are saying does indeed seem like 'going back to the past'. Mr Abbott seems to think he can re-create the Howard era. So depressing.

 

[Knobby22]

I agree.

Voting Abbot is going back to the past.
The Libs have got to renew themselves before they will get my vote again.

I dislike a few of the opposition ministers at present, Julie Bishop for one.

They need new blood, a new vision and new ideas.

 

[wayneL]

ACT is headed by Roger Douglas, known for "Rogernomics", isn't it Wayne?
As I recall it's very, very ultra Right. They have moderated their approach in recent years. Do they have seats in Parliament?

Rodney Hyde is boss cocky now. ACT is in coalition with the Nationals (as is The Maori Party) so are in fact part of the gu'mint.

Ultra right? Hmmmmmm is depends what you mean by "right". Classical Liberalism is regarded as "left" because of the social progressiveness of CLs, yet their Austrian School economics are usually associated with the right.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_liberalism

Though I note that Inaccurapedia have them listed as both "classical liberal" and "right wing"

 

[gordon2007]

Agree. In fact, impossible though it might seem, I reckon the Libs would be better off dumping him now and replacing him with either Hockey or Turnbull.

Couldn't agree more. I quite like Abbott myself but I'm sure I'm in the minority there. I think they missed the boat by not choosing Hockey. He would of really given Julia or Krudd a good run for their money.

 

[Macquack]

Costello sends up Gillard
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/07/19/2958289.htm

Peter Costello showing his true colours and school boy humor attempts to take the piss out of Julia Gillard's voice by reciting "moving foward".

I was waiting for Julia Gillard to "move forward" and knock Costello out. Pity she was not there as I reckon she could hold her own against that soft ****.

 

[Knobby22]

Couldn't agree more. I quite like Abbott myself but I'm sure I'm in the minority there. I think they missed the boat by not choosing Hockey. He would of really given Julia or Krudd a good run for their money.

I like Abbott too. He is like a Boy's Own man.
He would be a great bloke to be friends with.
Running the country though?

 

[wayneL]

Costello sends up Gillard
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/07/19/2958289.htm

Peter Costello showing his true colours and school boy humor attempts to take the piss out of Julia Gillard's voice by reciting "moving foward".

I was waiting for Julia Gillard to "move forward" and knock Costello out. Pity she was not there as I reckon she could hold her own against that soft ****.

Ohhhh the irony.

Hypocrisy anyone?

 

[noco]

I like Abbott too. He is like a Boy's Own man.
He would be a great bloke to be friends with.
Running the country though?

Strange is it not, Abbott tries to express his honesty and gets ostracized for it.
Just goes to show how spin and BS beats the hell out of honesty. Voters just love it.

 

[IFocus]

That's right. Mr Abbott's big problem is that he seems to quite genuinely attempt to answer journalists' questions truthfully, and this gets him into trouble. They are adept at putting words into his mouth.
He needs to take a lesson from the government. They simply decide on a set phrase and repeat it ad nauseam in the face of any question at all.
Instead of getting sidetracked, as he did today, about e.g. "would he never, ever change the workplace relations laws?" where obviously no sane person would say this, he tried to explain his definition of maintaining Labor's legislation, and it all went wrong from there.

He really has a huge problem in expressing himself and that's just not acceptable in a Prime Minister.

Abbotts problem is that his heart and soul wants a reincarnation of work choices but Australia has rejected this.

So what is it that Abbott really stands for?

Cognitive Dissonance

That's his problem!

I watched the 7.30 Report this evening, feeling just as you describe, Sails.
At the beginning of the interview, Kerry O'Brien seemed determined to not respond to her girlish sweet smile and gushing manner, but eventually he succumbed. The questions were asked in an oh so gentle manner, a completely different approach to that which he employs with male politicians.
Shame on him for the preferential treatment in the face of a bit of calculated charm.

Disagree Abbott just about always takes a combative stance hence a combative interview but in fact Kerry let Abbott of the hook so bad last time I nearly threw up.

Gillard to the contrary takes a moderate stance...........

 

[IFocus]

Classic Abbott problem boat people

Spruks it up with a boat person



http://www.smh.com.au/federal-elect...ruit-shop-goes-pearshaped-20100720-10iux.html

 

[namrog]

The thing is, that phony tony has an imaje problem ..

In parliment under Howard, he played the role as one of Howards attack dogs, a role he revelled in and seemed to enjoy, where his agression and nastiness was allowed and even encouraged ..
He was seen as grubby and slimy in a sort of way, one of the jobs he was given was to snoop around like a private eye and dig up dirt on Pauline Hanson, this is the type of job he was seen to be good for...!!

And now, despite everyone being able to see right through him, he is trying to reinvent himself and portray himself as a rational, honest, fair dinkum, middle of the road sort of fellow, when everyone knows that he is in political terms, little johnnys love child, and will revert to those same johnnie pollicies at the drop of a hat..

The people are not stupid, and simply don't trust or believe him....

 

[drsmith]

Classic Abbott problem boat people

Spruks it up with a boat person



http://www.smh.com.au/federal-elect...ruit-shop-goes-pearshaped-20100720-10iux.html

Shouldn't be a problem.

He came by boat and has since made a productive life in Australia. From his (and his family's perspective), that's very much good on him. From a broader perspective however, it does not justify people smuggling.

Is that really too difficult for the Australian public at large to understand ?

 

[SmellyTerror]

I want to vote for the party that doesn't want to obscenely punish refugees - pretty much the most helpless people on earth - for LEGALLY asking for help, and who isn't bat**** insane.

So obviously I'm voting... uh.... Donkey, I guess.

I suppose I could remove the objection to insanity and vote Green. They might be cross-eyed dingbats, but at least they have some balls.

I like balls.

But honestly, voting for either of the big-two would make me feel like some kind of sucker. I'd need to take a bath afterwards. I mean, look at this whole campaign: they've both got such similar policies that they're reduced to arguing over WHO'LL ACTUALLY DO IT. It's a bloody farce. It's brand-name politics, principle and vision be damned.

And **** me! They've even forgotten what their brands ARE. You've got the Libs who want to continue Howard's effort to shift the entire taxation burden over to business, and the Labs who are displaying such lefty-pinko policies as (idiotic) censorship, (idiotic) reffo-bashing, (idiotic) business tax cuts, and industrial relations / environment policy that consists entirely of fire and noise. If you plonked down the two party's policies in front of a foreigner, party names removed, they'd probably guess the labs were right-wing and the libs were centre. But people go right on voting for the brand name.

Who was the wise man who said this? "The problem with democracy is that people are ****ing morons".

Oh, that's right. It was me.

 

[drsmith]

Both sides want to be small targets. The ALP are at a disadvantage here due to the quantity of major policy failures while in government, all other things being equal.

The problem for the Coalition is that other things are far from equal. The ALP is currently far more adept at playing the small target at both the leadership and support levels. Tony Abbott is campaigning to the beat of the ALP's drum.

 

[GumbyLearner]

I want to vote for the party that doesn't want to obscenely punish refugees - pretty much the most helpless people on earth - for LEGALLY asking for help, and who isn't bat**** insane.

So obviously I'm voting... uh.... Donkey, I guess.

I suppose I could remove the objection to insanity and vote Green. They might be cross-eyed dingbats, but at least they have some balls.

I like balls.

But honestly, voting for either of the big-two would make me feel like some kind of sucker. I'd need to take a bath afterwards. I mean, look at this whole campaign: they've both got such similar policies that they're reduced to arguing over WHO'LL ACTUALLY DO IT. It's a bloody farce. It's brand-name politics, principle and vision be damned.

And **** me! They've even forgotten what their brands ARE. You've got the Libs who want to continue Howard's effort to shift the entire taxation burden over to business, and the Labs who are displaying such lefty-pinko policies as (idiotic) censorship, (idiotic) reffo-bashing, (idiotic) business tax cuts, and industrial relations / environment policy that consists entirely of fire and noise. If you plonked down the two party's policies in front of a foreigner, party names removed, they'd probably guess the labs were right-wing and the libs were centre. But people go right on voting for the brand name.

Who was the wise man who said this? "The problem with democracy is that people are ****ing morons".

Oh, that's right. It was me.

That's one of the top political posts I have read on ASF. Great post ST.
It all comes down to who is the worst.
I intend to vote for the least worst. Oxymoron

Do you trust the Rann & Rudd governments for allowing Chinese nationals to work for $1.90 per hour dismantling a Mitsubishi factory in Adelaide? (I'm sure Weary Dunlop & the fellas were paid less in Burma/Myanmar)

Or do you trust Abbott and his wholehearted support for Michael Johnson MP Member for Ryan using his position to profit in Parliament to try and wrangle a $12 million dollar (for himself) coal mine deal with the Chinese?

Or do you trust the Greens? Who think everyone should go back and live like the Flintstones?

It's so hard to choose!

 

[Calliope]

That's one of the top political posts I have read on ASF. Great post ST.

Are you serious?

 

[drsmith]

Or do you trust the Greens? Who think everyone should go back and live like the Flintstones?

That alone eliminates the Greens.

 

[GumbyLearner]

Are you serious?

Unless you can convince me that your posts are completely objective? Er..Um Yes!

 

[Julia]

I like Abbott too. He is like a Boy's Own man.
He would be a great bloke to be friends with.
Running the country though?

Agree. I'd like to meet him.
However, I'm still confused about what he stands for. Sometimes he appears authentic and honest, too honest for the game playing that's required perhaps, and at other times we see the ducking and weaving that he so displayed as a member of the Howard government.
Overall, the one word that always comes to mind is 'erratic', and that's not a quality one wants in a prime minister.

Abbotts problem is that his heart and soul wants a reincarnation of work choices but Australia has rejected this.

You're right. And this is why he's having such difficulty with discussing the subject. He's now also going too far with rejecting Work Choices or any variation thereof, and significantly risking getting his major constituency off side.

And you've hit on what is quite possibly his major problem in the whole campaign, i.e. that he's basically forthright and honest (well, for a politician)
and he's trying to reconcile this natural trait with the need to pander to what the polls are saying. Hence his lack of capacity to be convincing.

Disagree Abbott just about always takes a combative stance hence a combative interview but in fact Kerry let Abbott of the hook so bad last time I nearly threw up.

Isn't it interesting how our natural inclinations colour what we want to see.
We probably both saw the same interviews and viewed them quite differently.

Gillard to the contrary takes a moderate stance...........

Yep, she's all girlish, sweet reason, carefully treading the middle ground so as to garner the most votes. She 'understands' the people who are alarmed about the boat people, just as well as she 'understands' those who are upset about children being kept in detention centres. They are all absolutely right and absolutely justified in their opinions.

Trouble is, with this approach, we have no real idea what she is really about and therefore what she will come up with when she is re-elected.

Abbott, at least, will during the campaign give us a more clear picture of the sort of government he would lead.

 

[GumbyLearner]

That alone eliminates the Greens.

Well in my mind yes I agree. Use Value/Exchange Value? The Greens think they are one and the same. So I won't vote for them and anyone who has looked into that closely shouldn't vote Green IMO.