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

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.

Eh, it just looks like it's been caught mid-merge with Rudd's baby smooth features (who, let's be honest, look a bit like a younger Howard anyway).

http://www.crikey.com.au/Media/images/071120-PMcossie1-4ad6d886-df96-423b-985e-a4dd99ef3d2a.jpg

Does he have falsies?

Er, possible unfortunate xpost.

What is The Rodent thanking us for? Voting him out? No worries, Johnny!

My mum was all "oh wasnt Howard's speech so dignified and statesmanlike! Rudd was all cliches"

OK she was right about Rudd, he was a bit soundbitey, but yeesh.

Howard would've had more dignity if he'd gone out 'on top' 18 months ago. Instead, his insatiable lust for power means that history will see him only as the greedy little megalomaniac that he is.

I went to the pub with a bunch of non-believers on Saturday night. I didn't write myself off too badly but I definitely have some memories of slurring 'YOU BACKED A LOSER hahahahahaha' at people. I'm sure they found it very endearing.

One of the editorials today talked about Howard destroying the Liberal party with his own inflated vanity. I thought it sounded very plausible. I think I found it on Crikey's list of editorials, can't remember which rag it was though.

RIP Matt Price. So sad to read of his passing.

Actually it was Glenn Milne in the Oz as extracted by Haitch above, probably trying to cover up his embarrasing total misprediction about Costello's new leadership on Sunday

embarrasSing

It's ironic that Howard wanted to be the next Menzies, yet he only served to destroy the party that Menzies established.

Abbott's pushing hard to be the next leader. "I have reasonably good people skills."

Here it is again:

"I have reasonably good people skills."

And again:

"I have reasonably good people skills."

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200409/r30860_76850.jpg

"I have reasonably good people skills."

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200409/r30860_76850.jpg

GUESS WHO DIED THIS MORNING.

...

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200409/r30860_76850.jpg

"I have reasonably good people skills."

Heh.

jesus. Of all the complete fuckwits in the Liberal party I would have said his 'people skills' were among the shabbiest. Talk about delusional.

I'd almost like to see Abbott get it just so he can run that party completely into the ground.

To be honest, I did think Howard's concession speech was surprisingly dignified, considering the bullshit he'd been flinging around for years beforehand. Thrilled to see that bastard lose his seat. Go Maxine!

Turnbull's probably the best bet for Liberal leadership. I used to like him when he headed the Republican movement, then stopped liking him when he sold out and went to work for Howard, the man he described as having broken the nation's heart. When I worked at the ABC in a fairly lowly role (Supertext captioner) I had access to the scripts for all of the obituaries, and that line by Turnball was set to head the Howard obit if he suddenly dropped dead in office.

rip bernie, no one should ever have to die such a horrible death for doing their fucking job.

RIP Bernie indeed :(

Hey JM, when and where were you at the ABC? Melb or Syd? I have several friends who work there is all.