Don falls into the common trap of portraying John Howard as just another Australian politician - not much better or worse than any other. A lot of us have learned by harsh experience over the past 11 years that this just is not true - that Howard is something else altogether. He makes our flesh creep, because we have seen the way he ruthlessly uses his power, indifferent to the hurt he causes to defenceless people. He has schooled a compliant administrative, federal police and military operational culture that dutifully expresses his values and prejudices.

He isn't just any old politician. He is special, one-off, and a lot of us will be very relieved to see him gone at last. Don, we don't need to hate our political leaders - with Rudd as PM vs whoever the coalition elect as their new Opposition leader, I hope federal politics will begin to return to a civility and normality that in recent years we have lost. Howard has been a polarising figure. With him gone, a lot of things will get better in Australia.

Tony Kevin, Csnberra

I agree with Kevin and persons such as Robert Manne who put a very persuasive argument re how John Howard has degraded the quality of the body politic since he has been in office---including the way that the affairs of Parliament are conducted---even the theatricaladolescent petty point scoring HOONERY that is now a constant feature of Parliamentary sittings.

Meanwhile it would be fair to say that most of the people who write for the Australian (which constantly mis-informs us) are very much against Keven Rudd.

Funny how no one calls them Rudd haters.

Don, your article is mildly amusing, and it seems a pity to write a serious reply. But it is based on a false premise, and one that is widely adopted and being pushed by the far right wing shriekers who dominate radio, newpaper and television commentary. That is, that there is nothing wrong with Coalition policies, so strong objections to them must be motivated by hate of Howard.

The view is being propogated as part of a deliberate attempt to shut people's ears to critics of the policies. I'm not sure whether it is a lie, or whether the shriekers listen only to each other and have come to believe it.

In any case, it is false. It is corrosive of political debate. And unfortunately your article supports this piece of malicious ideology.

Dear Bob I think history will view Howard and his GOVT as the most corrupt,dishonest destroyers of our countries values that we have seen thus far,the sooner he is gone and his Govt with him the better.
Hopefully then we can start to pick up the bits and try to repair the damage

Can Tonykevin1 be our very own Tony who used to write first hand rubbish, but has now been reduced to the humble role of a pleb with an opinion like the rest of us?

He lives in “Csnberra” – presumably Canberra – where all the funny, embittered old lefties seem to congregate unable, as they are, to fit in anywhere else in the country; so it probably is him.

If it is THE Tony Kevin, it’s good to have him back. Laughs have been few and far between since the demise of his Howard-bashing, anything not to his lefty liking-bashing articles.

He is still ‘special’. John Howard singled him out and made his “flesh creep”. How bitter can you be, Tony? I hated Hawke and Keating as much as you hate John Howard (I don’t like Howard all that much, either), but never, ever have I felt that any Australian politician has been as bad as you do. Even most of the resident lefties on OLO don’t claim to have been as badly served by JH as you claim to have been.

When Howard goes, I don’t think anything “will get better in Canberra” for you, Tony, you poor old thing.

While some might find this amusing, I find it a waste of space. Useful comment about media behaviour and politics (aimed at any candidate) is worthwhile, but I would hope that the site moderator would be more selective rather than allow this kind of pointless (and not at all funny) irrelevance.

The author has a point.

I think it would behoove the Howard-loathing brigade out there to remember that he represents not just himself, but a sizeable (until recently, a majority) portion of the Australian community, with whom his views and politics resonate. He did not arise out of a vacuum, he represents a very mainstream Australian viewpoint.

As has been said many times, we get the leaders we deserve...

Beneath the rather lame humour the author has a point, but it’s not confined to left-wing Howard-haters. One of the depressing features of political debate at present is the tendency of true believers in every camp to view their political opponents with a visceral, disproportionate, all-encompassing and self-righteous loathing. This is true both of Howard-haters than those who detested (and still detest) Keating; left-wing Bush-bashers and the right-wing wolf pack that went after Clinton; Blair’s detractors and those who hated Thatcher.

We should beware any ideology, left or right, that seems to give us permission to hate.

Rhian, very well said. All to often we appear blind to the failings of the "side" we support assuming them to be so much more ethical, honest and decent than those we oppose. Plenty who bag the lying rodent who seemed to have little problem with the lies and deceptions of other political leaders (and visa versa).

R0bert

Consider this, after the landslide removes Howard it will people people like this threads author who write far different tales about him.
I look forward to the Medea's demolition of a post election Howard.
But remind readers the Australian and most newspapers are little more than comic books.

Tony Kevin says, "Don, we don't need to hate our political leaders - with Rudd as PM vs whoever the coalition elect as their new Opposition leader."
There is no meaningful opposition. Howard is in power precisely through the treachery of the Labor party! The Laborites handed the reins on a platter to the Liberals - just as they always have going back to the 1930's. The Liberals carry on the attacks after the Laborites get voted out. The merry-go-round goes around again bringing in a new labor leader, hand picked, promising new riches to the Murdocks,Packers, Fairfax, banks, bosses and oil monopolies.
Most people do not realise they are voting mainly for the banks and oil companies. Not only just for election day, but the enormous control and sway they have over day to day living.

Whenever someone says Howard is evil/nasty/a dirty rotten scoundrel etc, they imply that those who voted/will vote for him are as venal as he, or else total idiots. Sometimes they say it straight. This then leads to two possibilities if Rudd wins...

A) The venal immoral Howard supporters see that Rudd is an even better vehicle to further their ambitions than JH. This COULD be possible since Kev has shown that he knows how to bed a multi-millionairess while Johnny hasn't, or
B) The idiots are now idiotically voting for Labor....as in days gone by.

Which is it guys?

Mr Rudd has already done much to re-shape Australia’s political destiny, as has Ms Gilard, Mr Swan and this Federal ALP team.

If I was to label this election campaign I would call it the "Wake UP Australia" campaign... and for this I am thankful.

On the need for a FRESH APPROACH - I say Yes... perhaps we have it "just in the nick of time"... either way we must keep it up.

We are learning much from this election, (the one - we have with no date yet declared?) and I do hope this awaking continues... less the prevarication.

Also I think it highly disturbing if it is as Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott says that he "will not negotiate a new Commonwealth-state health funding agreement so close to the federal election".

Please explain "so close"?

http://www.miacat.com/
.

I would like to agree with stickman that Howard “represents not just himself, but a sizeable (until recently, a majority) portion of the Australian community, with whom his views and politics resonate … he represents a very mainstream Australian viewpoint.”

But I can not agree any longer, for I don’t think the Australian mainstream knows or understands the ideology of ‘neocons’ or “neoliberalism’ insofar as it relates to a ‘New World Order”.

I was naive in thinking Howard had the interests of the country and people at heart. NOT ANY MORE, particularly after reading a book published earlier this month. An extract is located here:

http://www.highanddry.com.au/extract.cfm

Maybe we get the leaders we don’t deserve.

I dislike Howard as much as anyone but will Rudd usher in another era of feminist stupidity.

After yet another debacle, the latest being in relation to Dr Haneef, it is quite apparent we need a completely new Government. The Coalition government is stale, secretive and arrogant; it doesn't govern for all Australians. However, if the ALP is elected its more a case of personalities being altered; rather than, a huge change in policy. Hopefully what we will get though is some honesty for a time.

Let's face it Mr. Rudd's ALP is more like the Liberal Party that had been led by Mr.Menzies. The ttle of the current Liberal Party is rather ironic, as "liberal" now translates to ultra "conservative". There has been a trend to only choose candidates with a right wing bent for elections within the Liberal Party; and so, now generally only narrow interests are represented.

We are told that we have never been so prosperous; that may or may not be the case; however, as far as our humanity as a nation is concerned Mr. Howard has impoverished us all.

The infamous Margaret Thatcher was always overated as she was always protected and promoted by the Conservative Media. The same goes for John Howard Trade Unions and a good Labor Party will always find it difficult in a Capitalist Society. We can honestly say that Australia is truly democratic unlike Britail which has the House of Lords and the Monarchy. during the late eighties Margaret Thatcher and Richard Murdoch were both extremely hated by the electorate because of the misery that they gave the British people young people forced to sleep in cardboard boxes under bridges in winter because homes were not affordable. Today in australia history is repeating itself.

JOHN HOWARD ? The infamous Margaret Thatcher was always overated as she was always protected and promoted by the Conservative Media. The same goes for John Howard Trade Unions and a good Labor Party will always find it difficult in a Capitalist Society. We can honestly say that Australia is truly democratic unlike Britail which has the House of Lords and the Monarchy. during the late eighties Margaret Thatcher and Richard Murdoch were both extremely hated by the electorate because of the misery that they gave the British people young people forced to sleep in cardboard boxes under bridges in winter because homes were not affordable. Today in australia history is repeating itself.