What's TA offering as a counter to Rudd's lack of substance? i don't think a lack of platform or policy wins over perceived lack of substance...first the Noalition has to stand for something, i don't think winding back the clock is actually "something"
KRudd has Abbott's measure. This is the most carefully orchestrated 'campaign when you are not campaigning' I have ever seen. Despite his protestations that it was the scores of Aussie pleading with him to return that led to him throwing his hat into the ring, it is actually the culmination of months of planning with his good mates Albo and Bowen. They have taken away two of Abbott's attack dog targets, namely -
1. Union corruption
2. Faceless men
KRudd has got on a plane to Indo, getting Bambang to back his plan over Abbott's. This has led to Scott Morrison sounding like J Howard on speed by saying he will send in the SAS to deal with 'self harming boat people'? Bizarre.
KRudd has dulled the 'blue tie' rhetoric but elevating a lesbian Asian woman to leader of the senate and several women and a muslim man to Caucus.
Incredible campaign to date really. KRudd is looking Presidential, understanding the power of celebrity and the power of social media amongst younger Australians. He is doing an Obama, appealing to younger Australians, female Australians and non-WASP Australians.
Abbott just does not get it. He pulled out Howard to bolster the troops and re-instated the spectre of Tampa, forgetting that this appeals to a generation of Australians who are now +60 yrs. In other words, it has diminishing returns.
I think KRudd, @ this moment, has his measure. Incredible really. Abbott is not presidential, his 'Howard era' rhetoric does not wash with younger Aussie and he is not playing to the Liberal party strengths -
1. support for small business,
2. giving big business a competitive advantage,
3. fiscal responsibility / small government,
4. politically stable, and
5. industrial relations reform.
He needs to understand the threat of KRudd, the appeal of KRudd outside of the +55 yrs demographic. He needs to understand that Australia is increasingly looking for a President, not a Prime Minister. He needs to understand voters in the 18-35 demographic, the fact that they have not experienced a Vietnam / Cold War, a recession, that they love Obama, are very interested in social issues, that they get their news from the peers via social media, that they love geek alpha males. He needs to take an interest in foreign policy, to look to Asia and not just the Western world. He needs to realise that younger Aussie travel and do not 'fear' Asia like older Australians. Otherwise KRudd will pull this off and that is incredible really.
Personally, I believe in taking responsibility, a strong economy and small government; ALP will not get us there. Off course, I worry about Abbott seemingly being stuck in a time warp, about being the re-incarnation of Howard. But the ALP, KRudd and Gillard do not deserve to be re-elected and it will, in my mind, be a regressive step for Australia to reward KRudd for his dangerous game of destabilising Gillard in the pursuit of power.