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.