I am unable to vote for Mr Rudd since I do not live in his electorate.
However, if I did, I would have to give serious thought about casting my vote for a person who, courtesy of Simon Crean, was offered the opportunity to fight and fight hard for the office of Prime Minister, which I still believe he desires, displayed total and complete gutlessness.
Anyone who can't pick their battles does NOT have a place in the PM's office. Picking your battles means knowing that you have brought a knife to a gunfight - difference being the fight hasn't started yet and you can walk away.
He walked away. The post-election phoenix routine above is a much more plausible and effective approach. He never would have won this election for Labor anyway, and he's not an old man. He can bide his time.
Personally, as a right-leaning voter I think Rudd as leader of the opposition to Abbot would be the best possible outcome for the Australian people. Abbot left unchecked will wreak havoc of his own. We will need a strong, vocal opposition to ensure we aren't shafted once again. I don't much like the thought of Abbot and Hockey as the head of the government, but I think that's what it might come to.
I'm in a historically labor dominated federal seat, but I don't know who any of my seat's candidates are or the sitting member! Maybe someone else will stand up and take a shot as an independent.