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

Do you dress up to vote?

I'm going in my smelly gym gear.

Don't want to go out twice ffs.

Do you think he will concede today? This will be the first time in my adult life there's been a prime minister who wasn't John Howard.

I predict a landslide to Labor. A complete walkover.

are you normally a good predictor? oh please say yes.

even if you aren't one.

HI DERE I HAVE SACKED THE PRIME MINISTER.

Trayce, our local church is not doing voting this year. I went to cnr Inkerman St and Nelson St.

Pictures of Rudd all over the place, but none of Howard anywhere. Just a tiny, tiny one on the Liberals' how-to-vote leaflet. Labor's leaflet has Rudd large and proud in the banner. Eeeeeeeeeenteresting.

Possum:

The day has finally arrived. After months of campaigning that felt like years, after the 100 odd pieces of polling analysed, the rumours, the research, the tips and the leaks - in 12 hours time Australia will have a new Prime Minister.

The question will be the size of the majority, and we’ll get a good idea of that soon enough. The marginals will count, but the big nasty surprise in store will be what Crosby Textor calls “LNP 5-10%” - Coalition seats held on a 5-10% margin.

(...)

The late swing apparently is to the ALP, particularly in NSW, and particularly in the seats that are on the fringe of the marginal classification. This is why the two leaders didn’t waste their time in the last week of the campaign in those marginal seats - their fate was effectively decided weeks and months ago.

It’s why Rudd was out fox hunting in seats with up to double digit margins, and why Howard was following. Rudd was campaigning not just for this election, but for the next.

This person seems pretty bloody sure Rudd's got it.

Oh Trayce I meant cnr Inkerman and RAGLAN Sts, sorry.

Just voted. Also bought two bottles of champagne. Grayndler is 86% Labor, there was no Liberal presence at the polling booth that I noticed.

OK, so I am here again... have voted. Almanac is right - lots of pics of Rudd, NO pics of Howard. Someone was sky-writing 'KEV 4 PM' over Adelaide as we went in to vote.

And we have a nice Rockford's Black Shiraz to drink either in celebration or as part of a wake-style commiseration (shortly before emigrating).

I don't remember anyone writing LATHAM 4 PM in the sky in 2004. I'm telling y'all it's different this year.

think i saw 'LATHAM 4 PWN' about 3 o'clock-ish that day

I just voted. LOL at Ted Baillieu loitering outside polling place in a 'Vote for Petro' t-shirt (Petro Georgiou being the local Liberal candidate) but major props for the FREE church sausage sizzle at polling place exit!

o man they were charging at the sausage sizzle where i voted...

Someone was sky-writing 'KEV 4 PM' over Adelaide as we went in to vote.

Melbourne has one too! I can't see it from here however.

It's fun watching my incredibly dim brother-in-law go all Liberal fanboy on Facebook. If Howard wins I'm removing him, fuck it.

His political views are "Liberal". This is how switched-on he is.

I bought a carton of cheap mexican beer. I plan on consuming most of it by myself this evening in front of the TV.

Kate, you're not 100% on top of the world at the moment, are you?

Cheap Mexican beer? Tecate, hopefully. (A reasonable standby, I've found.)

The Prime Minister John Howard has cast his ballot at a polling booth in Sydney.

He arrived at Ermington West public school in his seat of Bennelong, a short time ago, and was handed a how-to-vote card by his daughter Melanie, who was holding his baby grandson, Angus.

But he lives in the city! Cunt is even rorting the electoral system now.

Just really anxious about the election, stressed about work. That's all :)

Like, when I say by myself, it's only because my husband doesn't drink. I won't be all home by myself drinking alone, he will be smoking a great number of cones no doubt and he seems even more fanatical about Labor winning than I am.

Also Ned, I kind of lied. The beer is from El Salvador, but when you live so far away, "Mexico" makes a great catch all term for most of South America :)

Ned, I kind of lied

WELL JEEZ. Don't worry, I'll just tell everyone you live in the great Australian city of Auckland.

Rudd for Cook Islands PM

"Someone was sky-writing 'KEV 4 PM' over Adelaide as we went in to vote.

Melbourne has one too! I can't see it from here however."

Ah, all is revealed! I was cruising past Knox City an hour ago, looking up and wondering who the hell this 'KEN ARM' bloke was and why he was spraypainting the sky.

"WELL JEEZ. Don't worry, I'll just tell everyone you live in the great Australian city of Auckland."

As if I care! I'm the least nationalistic person I know :)

Kate, citizen of Erewhon.

EREWHON I'VE BEEN THERE.

You remember that dispute weeks ago with Caroline Overington (Australian journalist and Howard cock-licker) trying to bribe an independent into preferencing Malcolm Turnbull?

Today she turned up at Wentworth and slapped George Newhouse in the face.

Holy. Fuck.

One witness at the Bellevue Hill Public school polling booth said Ms Overington yelled abuse and appeared furious.

"At first we thought who was this woman yelling at Newhouse, then she slapped him and we realised it was Caroline Overington,'' the witness said.

Fucking psychos at The Australian srsly.

Rock on. Bring the drama!

Yes, I'm already drunk :)

As I walked into the school (snags $2 for two in a roll, beef or pork, with or without salad, three chef's hats, loses one for 'assuming' I wanted sauce), I was gaurd-of-honored by shoulder to shoulder glossys of the local Liberal member/candidate (and some other bloke who looked a bit like Simon the Likeable from Get Smart) all the way along the fence. but I had to be through the gate before I found the name of the local ALP candidate, and there was nary a glimpse of a Howard likeness anywhere to be found.

The 'local member with local profile' emphasis-shift might work in some electorates. but not mine, where the local member hasn't a profile to bless himself with.

My local labor candidate admittedly looks a little uhh....light on in the brains department, but I voted him in anyway. Don't have a lot of choice, I do live in Bogan-ville.

And don't the people in front of him look thrilled to be there:

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200711/r205786_783363.jpg

See the old guy? The man on the right? With sensibls slacks and dribble down his chin? HE RUNS OUR COUNTRY.

But he's all smiles!

Caroline Overington must be seriously hormonal, or she's played too much hockey without a helmet.

I'm amazed at this story. I remember CO 10 or so years ago as one of Australia's better sports writers, memorably reaming out that past-it cantankerous little 'look-at-me-I'm-a-hero-I'm-so-unPC' turd Arthur Tunstall over the Cathy Freeman flag-waving imbroglio.

That's reassuring warmth from the colostomy bag.

xpost

AEDT

3.20pm: Shower
4.10pm: Go out, buy present for friend's daughter
6.00pm: ABC
6.04pm: Shit pants

Revised plan:

3.55pm Shit pants

I'm about to watch Michael Kroger on Lateline. Wish me luck?

! even

Maybe shower after you shit your pants?

Top plan

God Kroger's a pathetic wanker.