If the recent polls are correct, labor is now seen as the better economic managers.

100 seats here we come. No Prime Minister has ever gone to an election without being the preferred PM in the polls, even Keating in 1996 was in front.

Bye Bye Mr Howard I hope you enjoy your retirement.

Labor is a lot of PR and very little policy. They are hoping to win on advertising rather than substance. We are seeing a lot of Rudd and very little of the team. It is all aimed at making sure that apart from a few appearances by the trusted few (like Swan) or the ones he needs (like Gillard) the rest of the team remains quiet. There are two reasons for this, the first is that he does not want the inexperienced ones making bloopers and reminding people that the team lacks experience, the second is that he does not to remind people of how many members of what is likely to be his front bench are former unionists...and the influence the unions are likely to have.
It is not quite a one man band. Rudd's own minders are too savvy for that. They orchestrated the 'leaking' of the night-club visit knowing full well that the positive effect was going to be greater than the negative. It portrayed Rudd as the 'honest, contrite, Aussie larrikin' designed to appeal to voters.
This is what is so disturbing, that the electorate is apparently being taken in by a mirage.

I'm all for recycling, but AaHE Is it possible for you to post something different?

Howard is a consummate politician no doubt, but that is the problem.

Unfortunately, he lacks genuine compassion.

This is the fundamental difference between a neoconservative government (a.k.a. Howard) and a convergent or centrist government (a.k.a. Rudd).

In other words, it's the vision of the leaders that will direct the future of Australia.

For me, Howard has passed his use-by date and is beginning to smell, really bad.

Communicat while your bitterness is apparent you should understand the ALP has much help in unseating Howard.
His new conservatives, those who have only ever voted for him, and so very many former Liberal voters are driving the polls.
Bitterness about this will not change the fact conservatives slept while Labor took wrong leaders and wrong policy's to elections.
The wounds are self inflicted and the victims of Howard's unconcern many.
Election night at Belly's! a party to behold!

Q&A continues the myth that the left are compassionate and bad while the right are mean and bad. This is a ridiculous notion. Mr Howard travels the world and it is a waste of tax payers money. Mr Rudd travels to the US and visits strip joints on tax payers money and he is only be human. Surely you can come up with better than that.