I largely agree with the author. For most other politicians the interview would have been a disaster. For Tony Abbott however, it was very much business as usual.
Prime-minister-in-waiting? Ye gods!

It's called "confirmation bias". We all do it. Even me sometimes :).

Since I'm a non-Twitterer, whatever reactions, either 'over' or 'under' of Twitterers, is unknown. Dominic Kelly appears to take them as representing the majority of people. Kelly's statement that "some of Abbott's more outrageous statements were challenged by Sales" hits precisely on the head the reason why I found the interview so satisfying. I've watched for years now as reporters, commentators, bloggers, people from all media satirise, show disdain, make a mockery of Abbott, his statements, confusions and untruths, leaving the matters which should be their focus untouched. At last he was taken on by an incisive mind which challenged his waffling and left him naked before us. It was analogous to a QC/SC stripping away falsity and baring the essence. Thanks, Leigh Sales.

Where are the comments from Tony Abbotts OLO followers, the silence is deafing !

I totally agree that Leigh Sales did a great job and it's a shame such good quality interviewing is so rare.

But as Dominic said, many of Abott's side of politics 'probably saw a completely different performance.'

Question is 'why would this be so?' Is it because they will agree with any tactic that might give them what they want, which is for climate change, taxes etc to go away. These things are an inconvenience and a nuisance - they detract from maximizing our own income and prestige - so we just want politicians that will repeal them?

What Mr Abbott says and what Tony Abbott does can be two entirely different things.
As we know Mr Abbott is likely to say anything at any time, even telling the Chinese how to run their affairs. The man is a one man band, he wants to handle all portfolios.
Mr Abbott and Mr Howard are bosom buddies. I think that could be left alone.
The golden years, work choices, It's all been kicked around, straight off the hip.
It's policy on the run, made by one person.
Is this good for AU.

579,
Well, it can't be any worse than past 5 years now can it ? I rather favour an unproven realist that a confirmed dreamer.

Dominic Kelly touched on the reason at the heart of the Twitter excitement. It was the rarity of any interviewer challenging Tony Abbott's misrepresentations. Leigh Sales struck a blow for democracy when she made a genuine attempt to stop her viewers from being misinformed. The hope of many, I'm sure, is that more of Ms Sales peers will also strive to help voters learn what's behind the slogans that too many members of the media have been happy to accept in lieu of policy debate for two years.

I saw that interview, and in my view, Leigh Sales pursued a very hostile line of questioning that we don't see when she is interviewing politicians on the other side.

She would be well advised to take a leaf out of Chris Uhlmann's book. Chris comes across as tough by fair in all his interviews. He is far the most professional of the ABC team.

Sales got hostile when it came obvious Mr Abbott was giving answers that did not gel with the company's statement. Mr Abbott had a barrow to push and that was his objective. By doing so made a fool of himself as being ill-informed, and uncooperative.

I haven't seen that interview but from what I have seen of Ms Sales thus far I can confidently say she's not a good interviewer. She is definitely biased in favour of the left. That is purely as a result of academic overdosing whilst neglecting/shunning reality.

Indi Sales is far to good for Mr Abbott, as he came out of there looking like a practicing fool.
He did not read the statement, yet in parliament he said he did read the statement. Mr Abbott is now going to have to clarify his answers to parliament again.
Maybe he had the Golden Years on his mind, work choices, put a couple of % points on the dole. Every-body has a hero.

All we hear from the noalition is Mr Abbott. Doesn't the noalition consist of anyone else. They just leave the blundering to Mr Abbott.
No policy output, and an election in the coming months.
Are we going to be left with, she'l be right work it out as we go.
There is a lull in proceedings from the opposition camp, nothing has come to fruit, it's a failed crop. What to do next, whatever it is we can-not be heard talking politics, and never mention the economy.
Is Mr Abbott dreaming of the golden years, with his hero whispering in his ear.
What we need is some excitement.

579,
The sad side of all this is that once Abbott is in the seat he'll prove you lot wrong but you lot will never muster the integrity & decency to admit that. Rather than let the decent people of Australia have an opportunity to pick up again & get some reward for their efforts, you lot try to ruin his chances of election at all cost in favour of continuing the depressing show Labor is putting on.

I also watched the interview and I thought Sales quite mad.

She kept on asking the same question 'Are you being loose with the truth?' each time expecting Abbott to respond in the affirmative.

It was a performance in stupidity ... by Sales.

I laughed during this article when I read

'We don't engage with those that we disagree with, but rather dismiss them as immoral and illegitimate. We stay cosily within our ideological comfort zones, associating only with those who reinforce our worldview. But when we begin to see things only in the way we would like them to be, and ignore the fact that others will see things differently, we have taken a further step towards political dysfunction.'

I wondered whether the author ever thought to apply this analysis to Sales and her leftie mates in the ABC.