The dying days of the Fourth Reich: it's the 2007 AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL ELECTION

it's amazing to be happy about an election result after so many years and so much skulduggery both here and in the us

So tired! So happy! So tired! In pathetic desire for more coverage we went out looking for a copy of today's 'Age' (could not bear the thought of paying for Adelaide's own 'Sunday Mail'), which had lots of good stuff about Howard being humiliated (their choice of word), although sadly most of it was put together pre the speeches last night, so not much actual new news.

Still, so happy!

What a surprise. Costello doesn't want the leadership now.

goddamn, what a sour motherfucker. going into business, huh?

went to school reunion and got hiiiiii with dudes i haven't seen in years, and now this! WHATTA WEEKEND

Almy, what's your analysis of the implications of the Senate balance of power situation?

Dunno, I haven't seen the seats yet :)

Matt Price died today too.

Today was nuts. We went to a garden party full of people effusive about Rudd's win, and a handful of oldies in the corner whining about the economy and oh noes we are all going to die. FUCK THEM.

TONY EASTLEY: Well, while it was a sombre and dignified exit for the Prime Minister, one supporter who had watched the night disintegrate and saw her hero walk out of the building was certainly having trouble coming to terms with how her fellow Australians had voted.

WOMAN: I don't want to be an Australian after today. I hate Australia, for Christ's sake. I hate us. I think we're despicable. We're despicable. How could we bloody do…

TONY EASTLEY: Mr Howard is about to make his way out, do you think…

WOMAN: …haven't even (inaudible). I love this man. This man has given us more than anything and I just hate to think what we've done to him. I hate Australia. I'm not Australian.

Good, get the fuck out of our country. Don't bump your swastika on the door on your way out.

Hey dudes, thanks for getting rid of that cunt.

Lots of love,

np bruv

Your cunt is next. I know he's going regardless, but a swift kick up the arse would teach his fundy mates to never fucking do it again.

xpost

Matt's a Brit Adam - do you mean Brown, or Bush?

Brown is fucked over this lost records fiasco!

Oh! I assumed the DC part was Washington DC in the US. Sorry Matt!

Brown's refusal to call an election has already killed him, but the alternatives are a bit gloomy. Is there any hope of the Lib Dems actually being in power? The Tories still spook me a bit tbh.

At least Guardian readership is good. Far too Daily Mail readers when I was there recently.

Our cunt will only be replaced by a bigger cunt, bit like Russian dolls, but with vaginas.

Essentially I am a bit jealous, because any similar sense of euphoria is at least six years away for us, probably 10-15.

But no, no chance of the Lib Dems ever getting in.

Sigh.

At least we (and the US) have a centre-left presence to replace the warmongers. Your warmongers ARE centre-left.

I'm interested to see now, how Rudd will handle Bush.

Er, that wasn't meant to be a series of artful euphemisms.

It would never have even occurred to us to read it that way, Trayce.

You know when a guy goes to a bar, sees some woman he likes and chats up her friend in order to get to her? That's what Rudd is doing to Bush.

!LOL! Abbott wants to lead the Liberals.

Abbott wants a smack. Honestly. We only just got rid of the prick who destroyed the party and Australia's social conscience, we don't need an equally fuck-headed nutbar doing it all over again.

glenn milne in the oz:

Howard is no doubt well pleased with his work. As the Liberal Party tastes the bitter dregs of defeat and digests the effective departure of Costello we now realise why the outgoing prime minister constantly lectured his party room against hubris. Because all along it was the dark whisper that fluttered at the core of his own being.

And on Saturday night he finally succumbed to that spirit by playing out the last act in a succession of acts of wilful pride that eventually took his party down with him. Having ignored the repeated urgings of his colleagues to go both in his own interests and those of his party, Howard's hubris saw him finally dare the voters to dispatch him. They obliged, ultimately convinced it was the only way to get rid of him.

That wilful pride also defined the disastrous nature of the Coalition campaign itself. Insider accounts are starting to emerge. The formal structures fell away early under the pressure of the Rudd challenge. Howard's chief of staff, Tony Nutt, was sidelined. Howard relied increasingly heavily on his former chief of staff, Grahame Morris. Howard would conduct phone calls with Morris without anyone else being allowed to be present.

Mark Textor, the Liberal's pollster and joint architect of previous Coalition victories, was also not being listened to. Word leaked out to Labor that it was Janette Howard who was in fact running the campaign. Whether true or not, behind the scenes the ALP made merry hell with the "intelligence". The consultation with Costello, who was meant to be running on a joint leadership ticket, was perfunctory.

Howard was unable to stay on message about the economy. His discipline gone, he fell headlong into the trap laid by Rudd; making the election a referendum on the two leaders and thus anticipating a verdict on Rudd as the symbol of the future and Howard as a signpost to the past.

Inexplicably the prime minister invited the public to decide whether "they loved him or loathed him". The vote is now in. In the fag-end days of the campaign, as the Liberals struggled to recover from the racist blunders of Jackie Kelly's husband in Lindsay, the desperate imperative was to keep driving home the economic risks posed by Rudd.

Instead, Howard talked about his political instincts, that he had a sense he was "coming back". This became the story in the final hours leading to the poll. In the end it was all about him. As Costello knew all along.

Wow.

Thanks for posting that.

Looks like Maxine's a winner :D

So awesome =)

Best ever.

Howard's a little fuckpot.

So has Rudd sold out the Greens already?

Patience, dear lad.

I note Vaile sez he's resigning as Nationals leader. Wonder why.

Hi Ned.

What's a Nationals?

I predicted the Nationals seceding from the Liberals and, especially after this revelation, I reckon it just might happen

it already seems as if australians will be able, once again after the long regime, to discuss social issues without being instantly dismissed as either 'elitist' (locked in ivory towers, all theory, no clues) or 'naive' (for not understanding economic consequences/power dynamics) or 'unaustralian' (for questioning the horrible status quo)–i am hearing a dramatic shift in public discourse in australia in just two days. it started on saturday night, phrases floating from the tv set that brought nostalgic tears to my eyes. i believe this is a wonderful time for this country. i think these results are huge.

ps someone yesterday described my hair as 'dark brown', i may have been a bit hyperbolic the other day, forgive me, i was nervous:D

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200711/r198869_758887.jpg

This photo just looks like all kinds of wrong to me.

lunch at the y anyone? my shout

lol

Wow estela, that's a great summation. Hopefully it's true, and we launch back into the days of Australia as a nation of openness and genuine freedom. I cannot imagine Rudd knocking back any ideological standpoint on the basis that he doesn't like/understand it.

Of course, the key to this lies in the quality of the opposition. We already know it will be diminished, but there will be one, and it will play an important role in shaping the new Australia. In contention so far we have:

Malcolm Turnbull. A devout Republican, a supporter of relaxing abortion and stem cell research legislation, an advocate of action to curb climate change and a wealthy business(wo)man (as is his wife). Preferenced Fred Nile and Family First in 2007, but this doesn't necessarily mean he's like either of them. Charismatic, excellent with words and ideas, and as dynamic as he claims to be.

Brendan Nelson. An ex-ALP minister, his support within the Liberal party seems to be mixed. Having toed Howard's line to the letter in recent years, it's honestly difficult to understand what his true values are. I do, however, suspect there's a social conscience in there somewhere. He's the one who said Howard went into Iraq for oil, and was soundly locked in a basement until election day. No charisma of which to speak. Once had an earring.

Tony Abbott. You have GOT to be kidding. John Howard cranked up to 11, with the added bonus of being incredibly devious, remarkably insensitive and very short-fused. Pushed his religious views into policy at every available opportunity. If he leads the Liberals there won't be an opposition of which to speak. Fortunately he's almost no chance of becoming leader.

it is going to be very interesting to see how that all shapes up. cannot see abbott having any chance at all either. ugh he is ghastly.

Dolly Downer said he's not interested. I reckon he'll just leave.

In fact now that the top three people in the Coalition are officially stepping down, an exodus will follow. The party needs a broom anyway.

Keating says Bishop should lead.

who cares?

Keating wrote a fantastic piece in the smh today, about Howard being a toxic force in Australia and dividing the country socially and racially. Very well worded piece. I wish I could find it now.

I mean I was never a fan of Keating, but this particular article is bang on.

Here's that article:

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/21/1195321864420.html?page=fullpage

http://www.liberal.org.au/images/JH_ThankYou2.jpg

Christ! -this image from liberal.org.au. Photoshopped much? He looks even creepier than usual!!

Brilliant, thanks moley.

Jesus that's a scary picture. The website designer's probably glad to see the back of him too.

lol, that photo. Johnny has such smooth skin. He looks a little bit like a gremlin, too.