Kevin Rudd for PM

sptrawler said:

Yes we've seen how a hip, modern times, sort of guy works as Prime Minister. lol
"I've got to zip and start tweeting".
Then we saw what a Green government looks like. Even Bob Brown jumped ship.

Let's get back to boring, hey.

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Haha so in your opinion, there's no point in even trying to diversify our political system beyond a two-party organisation and making the pollies actually work for our votes, and that it's best to stay rooted in the past? I'm not talking about a PM who texts "LOL", "WTF" and "OMG", I'm not talking about a PM that Tweets, uses Instagram or wears cut-offs to work. What I want is a PM and party who can understand the issues that are growing TODAY, and not just stick to problems that have been around since Australia was founded.

Letts said:

i like (Again, just my humble opinion) that someone of Turnbulls stature would make for a better public leader of Australia that the screaming red-head or bat-ears. If we look at the basics of voting, it shouldnt be that we vote for a particular person as PM, but for a party based on their policies or ideals.

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You are right in having a "humble opinion." If your opinion is that Turnbull would make a better PM because he is not a "screaming red-head" or have "bat-ears', then you have a lot to be humble about.

The only reason Turnbull rates high in the opinion polls is because he gets the approval of most Labor and Green voters. If they can't have Gillard or Rudd they want the next best thing...a left leaning liberal.

Calliope said:

You are right in having a "humble opinion." If your opinion is that Turnbull would make a better PM because he is not a "screaming red-head" or have "bat-ears', then you have a lot to be humble about.

The only reason Turnbull rates high in the opinion polls is because he gets the approval of most Labor and Green voters. If they can't have Gillard or Rudd they want the next best thing...a left leaning liberal.

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So a Liberal candidate who could reasonably get a few Labor and Green votes is a bad thing for the Liberal Party?

Letts said:

So a Liberal candidate who could reasonably get a few Labor and Green votes is a bad thing for the Liberal Party?

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I am glad that you have qualified your posts with "not to be taken seriously". I will take your advice.

Calliope said:

I am glad that you have qualified your posts with "not to be taken seriously". I will take your advice.

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Back up, before we get personal, lets look at the facts:

1) Labor voters are becoming disenfranchised with Julia Gillard
2) A lot of people do not like the idea of Tony Abbot as PM
3) Kevin Rudds popularity is also on the decline

As YOU said before, a lot of people who would traditionally vote Labor don't mind Turnbull. As a liberal, he would also have the support of the Liberal Party. So logically, if he was to run not only would he have the backing of his own party, but in the current climate could probably secure a fair few unhappy Labor voters who would not cross over the party line for Abbot. Why is this a bad idea?

Letts said:

Back up, before we get personal, lets look at the facts:

1) Labor voters are becoming disenfranchised with Julia Gillard
2) A lot of people do not like the idea of Tony Abbot as PM
3) Kevin Rudds popularity is also on the decline

As YOU said before, a lot of people who would traditionally vote Labor don't mind Turnbull. As a liberal, he would also have the support of the Liberal Party. So logically, if he was to run not only would he have the backing of his own party, but in the current climate could probably secure a fair few unhappy Labor voters who would not cross over the party line for Abbot. Why is this a bad idea?

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The problem is, he was the leader of the opposition and the party removed him.

sptrawler said:

The problem is, he was the leader of the opposition and the party removed him.

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Yeah that's true. Well, whatever haha I don't think the Australian Government spies are reading this and taking our opinions into consideration anyway!

Calliope and sptrawler, I mean no disrespect whatsoever, it's just my opinion.

Letts said:

Yeah that's true. Well, whatever haha I don't think the Australian Government spies are reading this and taking our opinions into consideration anyway!

Calliope and sptrawler, I mean no disrespect whatsoever, it's just my opinion.

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None taken, just people having a chat.
Your beliefs and opinions are just as important as mine and makes for a more balanced discussion.

When one looks at their records as Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott has clearly been a better performer than Malcolm Turnbull.

Malcolm is clearly underutilised in the economic area and on that basis would be best suited to shadow treasurer. This though is the second highest profile role for a party both in opposition and in government. Until recently, he hasn't been enough of a team player under Tony Abbott's leadership to be rewarded with this role.

Once Malcolm has fully shifted in his own mind from the idea of being born to rule to being the leader of a team, he'll be better able to lead the party.

Purple XS2 said:

There is no way the ALP will put Rudd up. They'd have to be certifiably insane.

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Insane if they do, insane if they don’t.
No government wants to be booted out of office. If the ALP faces up to the fact that Rudd is their only possible hope of holding on to power, then chances are they’ll reinstate him as leader.

Sdajii said:

I'm sick of issues like gay marriage

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Me too. Frankly I don’t know what all the fuss is about regarding same sex marriage....the missus and I have been having the same sex in our marriage for more than 30 years and it’s worked OK for us!

bunyip said:

the missus and I have been having the same sex in our marriage for more than 30 years and it’s worked OK for us!

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Too much information.

bunyip said:

Me too. Frankly I don’t know what all the fuss is about regarding same sex marriage....the missus and I have been having the same sex in our marriage for more than 30 years and it’s worked OK for us!

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Missionary?

Letts said:

Calliope and sptrawler, I mean no disrespect whatsoever, it's just my opinion.

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I have extended my respect to you by acceding to your request not to take you seriously.

My inside rumour from Canberra is that AFP officers have been assigned to Rudd, which wouldn't happen unless a challenge/takeover was taking place.

Comes from a good (new) source, so we will see if it is true...

prawn_86 said:

My inside rumour from Canberra is that AFP officers have been assigned to Rudd, which wouldn't happen unless a challenge/takeover was taking place.

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Where we are at the moment feels like the calm before the storm.

Gary Gray's thoughts on Kevin Rudd's weasel words this morning,

Mr Gray said Mr Rudd's statement this morning, that he did not “believe” there would be a leadership change, was far from categorical.

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http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...ut-up-or-shut-up/story-fn59niix-1226667533062

Good chance Rudd will defeat Gillard for leadership tonight.

Not a certainty due firstly to extreme factional and policy agendas by some powerful players to hold power and get as much legislation through as they can with the support of the independents and secondly to an element of blinding self-righteousness believing they have to win because the alternatives are bad and 'evil'

Abbott hit the bulls eye labelling Windsor and Oakshot as more staunch Labor than many Labor members for failing to support a no confidence motion against the Gillard government, but may against a Rudd government. They saw the writing on the wall that they had no chance now of winning their seats regardless of who led labor, but particularly if Rudd rolls Gillard.

The other key issue is Gillards sooo self-righteous attitude in defiance of popular and reasonable opinion on some policy and political decisions like the Mining Tax, the level of debt and the Gonski education reform.

But I think the fundamental underlying annoyance and cause of many of their bad decisions is a feminist quota for female appointments for it own sake. Abbott has successfully put sound argument that feminist quotas for feminist sake is bad economic decision making that fails to consider the economic impacts. Most women feel patronised and demeaned by getting a job via a feminism quota rather than on their merits.

The electorate see labor has not learnt from successive state demolitions and will be annihilated under Gillard, but while the public prefers Abbotts Liberal to Gillards Labor, they don't trust an Abbot controlled house of reps and senate and to that extent will give Abbott the reps by a good margin v Gillard, but probably not the senate.

Rudd on the other hand might just be palatable enough with the electorate to win the reps with the tempering influence of the greens and other independents in the senate.

Regardless of whether or not Rudd was circulating a petition, Gillards forced ballot in an attempt to foil Rudd will be frowned upon by the electorate if Gillard is retained by the 'back room boys'... despite the Labor caucus spin.

A case of the best of a bad bunch in terms of trust to run the country atm. If only Abbot could shake off the legacy of 'workchoices' I'm sure their leadership popularity would improve further to match their party popularity. In fact I suspect if they had a leader untainted with the workchoices era they would do even better.

Whiskers said:

Good chance Rudd will defeat Gillard for leadership tonight.

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Unfortunately Kevin Rudd won. The better outcome would have been to wait till after the federal election because Kevin "media tart" Rudd is not going to save Labor Party. Stupid people, the lot pf them.

Wysiwyg said:

Unfortunately Kevin Rudd won. The better outcome would have been to wait till after the federal election because Kevin "media tart" Rudd is not going to save Labor Party. Stupid people, the lot pf them.

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Yeaah... a lot of unfortunate things about Aus politics atm... probably the most underestimated, that I didn't mention above, is the scattering of the conservative vote with the likes of the Palmer party. I think that would likely be enough to get Rudd across the line. I can's see a lot of labor or greens swinging to Palmer, but likely considerable more lib's switching across.

Kevin Rudd may have won the caucas ballot but there is no gaurantee that he has the full support of parliament and rightly so the Governor General is seeking legakl advice.


http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/...s-prime-minister/story-fnho52jo-1226670425853