For all his faux blokeishness and Western Sydney credentials, Latham had no more ability to relate to the electorate than any insider Labor hack.

Preparing for war

Sunday, 24 March 2013   State of the parties, Tactics   42 comments 

You think it’s about Rudd v Gillard? You ain’t seen nothing yet.

Crean was trying to find a compromise between a party power structure that has lost its relevance and a challenger whose popularity rests on not being part of it. It failed because things have gone past the point where a compromise is possible.

It will be the breakdown of the factional system that will be the necessary precondition for the return of Rudd, but not sufficient.

Last dance

Monday, 14 January 2013   State of the parties   14 comments 

The old will have to give way in 2013.

Howard’s Golden Age

Monday, 20 August 2012   State of the parties   16 comments 

The over-turning of the orthodoxies of the Howard period during 2008-2009 has been forgotten as much as the reason for the popularity for the man who brought them about.

After July

Monday, 25 June 2012   State of the parties   6 comments 

It has been forgotten now, but the opposition to the ETS was not an electoral ploy but a desperate attempt to save the Coalition’s brand.

Class war dreaming

Thursday, 24 May 2012   State of the parties   33 comments 

The delusion of both sides of the political spectrum suggests we are building up to a full-blown political crisis yet to come.

What Hawker proposes is more like ‘X-factor democracy’.

In effect, the government strapped explosives around its waist and threatened to blow itself up if Rudd came back.

Earlier posts →

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