“Troy Bramston, ...wrote that Gillard is “at her best - developing personal relationships and communicating her warm personality, intelligence and integrity.”

I think that is probably true. Julia Gillard has a good reputation among those who have dealt with her personally or whom have dealings with her office.

A strong influence in modern politics is the 24 hour news cycle and access to as-it-happens information via electronic media. This creates a culture of ‘policy on the run’ and kneejerk reactions without much time for reflection and thought. Politicians will just keep spinning the same old tired party line.

Policy inspired by polling, focus groups and populist thought. In itself populist thought might be considered the hallmark of a real democracy however public reactions are also influenced by the same news cycles and sound bites. Populist thought is not participatory democracy.

Julia Gillard’s biggest problem is a propensity to drone, pushing the party message in monotone and rehearsed style that does not leave much space for her natural warmth. Throw off the shackles and let loose.

This is true of most politicians. Although not a political supporter of Tony Abbott he is less scripted although of late I have noticed a tendency to pull in the reins, probably after an ear bashing from his colleagues.

The nature of modern politics often means we don’t get to see the real person behind the sound bite or the spin.

However, that said, I think politicians reinforce the mindset, believing the public will respond in a positive way. Clearly the last election demonstrated the public is sick of spin. It is no good blaming the voters for a hung parliament and the defection to independents, the Greens and informal voting.

Look first to the reasons, and then take remedial action. It requires some courage to remain true to a platform or an ideal and it takes courage to reform policies relating to government accountability and democratic principles. A government that hides is not a government of democratic traditions.

If government gets the policys right in the first place, the politics then flow with out political problems.
The problem this government faces under Gillard (same as Rudd) is that the policys made and played by her are not right and she does not know what to do.
She expects the punters, us the voters to just go along with what ever she wants and if we dare to disagree we are rednecks or don't understand what is the best for the country.
You bet we don't understand what she is trying to do because it is very ovbious she does not as well.
Her ET tax what ever one wants to call it is realy an attempt at social engineering or and will do nought for solving the polution problem

Gillard is at her best when pretending to endorse unpopular policies from the backbench to get the party leader of the day booted so she can steal his job, and also talking out of the sides of her mouth while backflipping entirely (no carbon tax, atheist credentials while shamelessly pandering to fundamentalist church groups).

Sadly writing a list of what Julia CAN do would only look even uglier than a list of the millions of things she is hopelessly incompetent at.

It's all totally academic.

Judging from the Knifed Kevvy's performance on Q and A on Monday I'd say the leadership wrangling within the Labor Party is on once again in earnest. Keevy was making an open tilt for it via the media.

What are others doing? Isn't this period of stupid backflips (NBN especially) really just the same as the stupid backflips during the wrangling before Kevvy was knifed. Look at all the high profile so called Labor 'leaders' showing off their wares in the media ... once again ... sigh no wonder this Labor party is so useless at governing. It doesn't matter who it's the culture of labor that stuffs their leadership.

Look out here comes Bitar and Argrub and all the others for another knifing ...

Sigh and you people take them seriously.

Can one not possess traits from both Jeff (according to Dixon and Kelly)?

Dispositions and personas, like life decisions made, are not black and white nor should ever be categorized into one, two or more baskets.

Similarly, the Briggs Meyer Personality Quizzes some Employers use and request Employee participation are full of holes.

I could list a dozen reasons supporting my above opinion about these psychological terms, including the terms Dixon and Kelly refer to in the thread you wrote Jeff; the autocrat/irrational authoritarian and the rational authoritarian.

Australians learn and grow through their work experiences, dealing with crises, for instance, that occur each year; one example being Anna Bligh thrown in the deep end taking prime carriage of QLD's Flood disaster.

Anna would not possess the same basic often displayed traits today, as she did previously during her career; prior to the QLD flood disaster, that she lived and breathed for the first couple of months while her staff and self were trying to cope with their normal every day work.

Similarly, in fairness to the PM.

People do not take in the broad picture and reality that exists for others working in crises management roles regardless of Aussies being politicians.

It is highly wrong and unfair to observe certain basic traits in a person and write them off as either being 'a rational Authoritarian' or 'irrational Authoritarian', when most people grow, learn and change within their roles and during their working lives.

Which reminds me of the fact that there is hope for people who exhibit some misandry and mysoginist traits in life. Life changing events assist in downplaying those characteristics