as that will make seem the "mad monk", the media and the "ALP" like to paint "him" as.

there, fixed ..

If the ALP get away with this incredibly negative campaign and all the personal attacks on Abbot, we'll get what we deserve. Once again, devoid of policy but big on pork barreling, the ALP sails on with their state proven method of getting elected, then everyone regrets it (like in NSW and Qld).. till the next time they do exactly the same thing.

Why are we such lemmings?

rpg,

One could turn that around to define the liberal campaign too.
More negative campaigning than costed, plans.

"If the ALP get away with this incredibly negative campaign and all the personal attacks on Abbot, we'll get what we deserve"

If the Liberal Party get away with this incredibly negative campaign and all the personal attacks on Gillard, we'll get what we deserve.

Eh?

What personal attacks on Gillard? eh?

Have the Libs gone back 30 years to off the cuff quotes, have they attacked her popularity with the opposite sex? eh?

Why is workchoices still around - it's dead, but good for a negative fear campaign .. eh?

any mention of what Julia wears during non business hours, budgie smugglers? eh?

the obvious attack on a left wing atheist spinster, has not been used .. has it .. eh?

fear and being negative .. the Libs are deliberately avoiding it, though the ALP is certainly trying to provoke it.

eh?

eh?

Hi Sonofglorin,

I think your comment might tend to lend credence to Kellie's statement.

People rarely can verbalise their 'intuitive hypotheses'. It's a bit like inately held beliefs that are racist. People may know or not know them, won't or cannot verbalise them, but they still have them. The wise amomng us usually confront our own and change them but that is usually accompanied with a great deal of community discussion, dissent and compromise.

I think the prejudice against unmarried politicians is still very much part of our system ... and in my opinion a fairly held prejudice if against both sexes, equally.

What the media beat up was utterly pointless and irrelevant as it didn't discuss the issue Kellie addresses, 'our intuitive hypotheses' and my view on bacholarhood and spinsterhood in politics.

It was a pointless exercise as nobody gives a stuff about whether Gillard has an affair or not. And the media gave it favourable treatment and didn't ask the hard questions of Gillard... which is their way of reporting opinion as fact these days.

You know the media are losing more than anyone in this election. That town hall meeting in Sydney is a real turning point. It did something the media don't do. It asked hard questions of Gillard and easy questions of Abbott. That was because the media have only asked the easy questions of Gillard and the hard questions of Abbott. ie they provided their own balance where the media failed them.

I think in future we will see more and more of such Town Hall meetings with genuinely swinging voters questioning not only leaders but also candidates. It will be a vast improvement on what we currently have. ie a bunch of internally focused opinionated political junkies setting their own agenda's, having them published and thereby trying to ram their opinions down our throats.
Such meetings will by necessity produce much much improved party candidate selection procedures and candidates.

""I think the prejudice against unmarried politicians is still very much part of our system ""

Crikey, it must be very subtle as I have never noticed it. The marital status of a politician barely approaches my mind, except perhaps to wonder at the tolerance for malignancy that a partner must have.

Down at the Pub, I have never heard it intrude into conversation.

Until this election, I don't think the question has arisen.

Perhaps the assertion quoted above could be backed up with some evidence. Just a bit might do.