Richard Farmer’s chunky bits

Persisting with what isn’t working. The Crikey Political Index as published yesterday tells the story of how the current campaigning by the Prime Minister is not working.

The accompanying commentary is worth repeating:

“In recent weeks Abbott pulled neck-and-neck with Prime Minister Julia Gillard for the first time, and this week he has streaked ahead, nearly doubling her for coverage, despite the government handing down a budget and the PM’s headline-making tears in Parliament as she delivered the National Disability Insurance Scheme (now DisabilityCare). And that’s the point. It seems likely that the NDIS is playing just as well for Abbott as Gillard, that the ALP may be a lame-duck government and that any policy it makes from now on, unless strongly opposed by Abbott, will be seen just as much his as hers …”

This is a real danger signal for Labor and suggests to me that a major change is needed in its campaign strategy that continues to centre around those daily visits to schools. Education as an issue is just not working. The television news might still be showing Julia Gillard mixing with smiling children but it is just not registering as some kind of overwhelmingly important issue.

A final straw? The end of manufacturing by Ford is surely the end of the slim chance Labor had of being re-elected.

A quote for the day.

Real news up north. The battle for the title of providing the world’s best crocodile coverage is heating up. This morning:

News and views noted along the way.

• Scientists identify molecular trigger for Alzheimer’s disease — “They believe the breakthrough is a vital step closer to increased capabilities for earlier diagnosis of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and opens up possibilities for a new generation of targeted drugs …”
• Italy to outline youth jobs plan as government struggles — “Italy’s new government, already sinking in opinion polls and riven by internal disputes, on Wednesday lays out its plans to address one of the main causes of public anger — soaring unemployment among young people.”
• Millions falling into poverty in recession-racked Italy
• Greek youth unemployment close to 75% in some areas
• Why is Europe so messed up?
• Unlikely heir: Obama returns to Kissinger’s realpolitik
• The banking crisis as a giant carry trade gone wrong — “A pernicious aspect of the Eurozone crisis is the ‘doom loop’ linking European banks and governments.”
• What’s a name worth? — “The Board … recently heard a case requesting that the board classify the word ‘Redskin’ as a derogatory slur. If the board deems the term offensive, the team would no longer be subject to trademark protection essentially meaning that anyone could sell merchandise in the team’s colors and with the words ‘Washington Redskins’.”
• In raw milk case, activists see food freedom on trial