It’s official — we hate them. More than ever.
The primary vote splintered on August 21 to reveal two politicians deeply disliked by the country. In terms of the proportion of the Australian electorate each major party leader convinced to vote for them, we’re at historic lows.
As former ACT pollie Michael Moore calculates for Crikey, Tony Abbott, with a primary vote of 38.4%, ranks 39 out of 50 measuring the two-leader vote from the last 25 federal polls. He writes: “The proposition that Tony Abbott has run ‘the best campaign as opposition leader never to win government’ is so ludicrous it is outrageous.”
So what does that say about Julia Gillard? Well she’s right at the bottom of the list with Labor’s 33.4%. Last out of 50.
If she’s the worst-performing leader in a federal election since the 1950s, Abbott isn’t much better.
Judging by their performance since the election, has either leader got the message? Abbott continues his campaign of relentless negativity, committing himself to demolishing and wrecking, even if it means reneging on clear commitments he himself has made. And while Gillard is emphasising a more consensual politics, the backroom boys who ‘masterminded’ Labor’s wretched election campaign are more powerful than ever, with not the slightest evidence they understand that their model of politics no longer works, if it ever did.
We might be waiting a long time for real change.
I am a new Liberal voter after a lifetime being hoodwinked by Labor and the “tax them into the dark ages” ideology.
I like Abbott, and I think you are understating his efforts in the election. He did secure a pretty large swing against a first term government, headed by Australia’s first woman prime minister. Lots of reasons for people to have voted for them there.
But ultimately the mining tax shoed them up for what they are. A cabal of people who have spent their lives spending the public’s money (Gillard/Creen/Ferguson) and believe that our money is best in their hands than in ours. (Presumably so they can deliver disasters like the Insulation bats fiasco.)
I hate Labor, Labor hates WA, and the sooner our nation is rid of them the better.
Daryl you are as unhinged as the leader you have fallen in love with. My sympathy to you. May you recover your sanity in due course. Incidently how about giving us the figures for the ” very large swing”, of did you imagine that?
Got any reasons here David? Or just slinging insults for the heck of it?
David, swings varied state by state. NSW was less of a swing after Labor pledged to spend more of Western Australia/Queenslands and the Northern Territories funds on their unsustainable lifestyles.
In general terms the coalition got a 1.5% swing to it federally (so taking in the welfare states like Vic which actually had a swing for Labor) While the first term labor government got a 4.5% swing against it.
Was enough for 15 (I think) seats to change hands. Thats not too bad…
http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2010/
Michael Moore? Jesus. Still when it comes to barrel scraping good to see crickey went to an expert.
Hey Daryl, was that an actual quote or did you just think it looked better with inverted commas?