How wrong you can be. And there was I earlier in the week speculating that Julia Gillard was showing some Thatcher like strength that might, just might, enable her to produce an amazing political revival.

So what does she produce at the National Press Club? Not a “this lady is not for turning” toughness but a semi-sobbing “poor, shy little state school girl” doing the best she can in the hard, hard world of politics followed by a dash of scatology.

It was not a convincing combination in my book. Vulnerability and coarseness became the media subjects of the day rather than the intended further advocacy of the need for global warming action.

Tough talking Tony. Meanwhile, over in the opposing camp, Tony Abbott was talking tough about his commitment, if and when he becomes Prime Minister, to repeal any carbon tax legislation. Should Labor join with Greens in the Senate to defeat such a repeal then there would be no hesitation about calling a double dissolution of both houses of parliament as soon as possible.

Barely a pass mark. Quite a let down for the final political appearance on The 7pm Project. The solitary Green MHR Adam Bandt was not in the same class as Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott and lacked the knockabout eccentricity of Bob Katter. Just a five from me.

Attack the best form of defence. Out lot aren’t the only naughty ones appears to be the line of defence chosen by the local News Corporation lot. It showed up with a pointer on page one of The Oz on Thursday and this story inside:

This morning the hypocrites were not the holier-than-thou London Guardian but Australia’s very own Melbourne Age that was under attack for allegedly engaging in some kind of “unauthorised” access to a Labor Party data base. It doesn’t seem like much of a comparison to the revelations about illegal phone tapping in the UK by The Oz‘s stablemates but concern for consistency has clearly been caste aside of late.

Proof of that are the continuing stories expressing righteous indignation at the ABC actually putting in good words for itself in meetings with government ministers. It just makes you wonder what News Corporation people talk with ministers when they wine and dine them throughout the world if pushing your own barrow is meant to be impermissible.

The lazy way. Street walks, shopping centre visits and appearances on talk-back radio were things I learned to have my boss avoid whenever and wherever possible back in the days when I had something to do with election campaigning. Experience taught me that they were always the occasions when things spun out of control and you ended up with coverage on the radio and television that hurt rather than helped. It’s just impossible to stop some voter or other departing from the script.

That campaigning politicians still engage in the dangerous trio is a reflection of just how difficult it becomes after a few weeks on the trail to come up with new photo opportunities for the leader. I mean, surely Tony Abbott has now done fish markets to death? And how long before those photos of Julia Gillard with a hard hat and one of those safety jackets stop being newsworthy?