This article is typical of the born to rule types who attach themselves to the upper echelons of the Liberal party. We see their hysteria in the Australian (or the Government Gazette) every day as an election draws closer.

Janet Albrechtsen might fancy herself as the Ann Coulter of Australia but apart from superficiality, she is misguided. To have a healthy democracy should mean regular changes in government. No one party should have a monopoly on power, despite the misguided ravings of L. F. Crisp who writing from a Labor perspective would never bring himself to mention the conservative parties by name - they were always the parties of capital, the town or country. 23 years of unbroken Liberal rule meant that a novice Labor government in 1972 was unfamiliar with the levers of power. At least Bob Hawke and Paul Keating gave the ALP familiarity with handling the economy. It is high time that the glassy eyed ideologues of the feral right either realize that we live in a democracy and that Kevin Rudd is unlikely to change matters very much, or alternatively, perhaps they could arrange a military coup. Grow up Mr Ariel!

I have to agree with an earlier post that Rudd's popularity is due more to the increasing unpopularity of the Coalition rather than any desire for change merely for change's sake. This is insulting to the electorate as is the implication that those who have suffered directly under WorkChoices have just imagined the real decline in their standard of living. Especially when those who have benefitted under AWAs are professionals who always had bargaining power even under the old system or miners who are experiencing real benefits due to the resources boom. It has done little for those at the lower end of the income spectrum, namely those in retail, lower clerical or hospitality roles.

We had the opportunity for change last election and with good reason, but still the electorate was not open to change due to the perception that the opposition lacked cohesiveness, a viable leader and did not produce the goods on real policy alternatives. Now that the ALP looks like winning by a landslide, suddenly the media is touting the public's 'need for a change scenario'.

Look no further than the policies of this government, the arrogance of introducing draconian workplace 'reform' during a period of little industrial action, the spurious reasons for going into Iraq, the cover up over the AWB scandal...etc etc.

Certainly John Howard's personality has changed over the years.

His growing persistence in using 'I' rather than 'we' proves how he has been in power too long, shown even more just lately as when fighting for his political future he expresses himself more like a dictator than a democratic leader.

He even has Costello scared to express his true feelings - causing democracy to be even more with the Libs, on the way out the window.

It is also so interesting to find Howard still treating Bush as a superior - a personality most of us would not even give the time of day - unipolar presidentio or not.

Maybe it is why so many of us have grown tired of a Johnny grown well past a come lately?

This post exhibits all the qualities of a spent political force:

* Turning on fellow travellers for not being ideologically pure enough.
* Insisting that the public have 'got it wrong' about one's brilliant policies. I think the phrase Mr Ariel used was "the public's asinine judgement". Charming.
* Blaming the meeja for one's misfortunes.
* Reaching back into the distant past for a parable.

And Mr Ariel, Tanya Plibersek has been 'missing in action' with her own lengthy opinion piece every Wednesday (or is it Tuesady?) in the Herald for the last year or so. The laryngitic Mr Garrett spoke without coughing for an hour at last week's National Press Club address and on Insiders the Sunday before that.

And the APEC protesters didn't run riot because they were never going to. That was a shibboleth of your own fevered imagination. As for Julia Irwin, she's always been invisible, so no change there. Unionists have been on the telly quite a bit lately - John Robertson in particular gets an almost nightly run, and his tongue is working fine.

Your post is Exhibit A in the case of "Who Murdered The Liberal Party?" It demonstrates all the wilful blindness, misjudgements and lack of self-awareness that has cost your beloved party the goodwill of the Australian people.

Some time on the reserve benches is needed to help you to ponder where you went wrong.

We will know soon enough.

Cant wait to these silly elections are done with, then we can get back to the pantomime.

Does k.rudd actually have a plan for our ambitious race to the bottom.

If we wanted to look at the real truth of the matter, the trouble lies in the spirit world where the dark forces of satan are stirring up bad attitudes towards John Howard and his government. The "your say" columns are full of irrational hate towards John and his government, yet the authors cant explain their hate... certainly not sensibly. They just hate for the sake of hating. That tells, me as a committed christian, that invisible powers are at work. If you want a simple look at the great spirit battle between God and satan here on earth read Ephesians 6:12-18. Invisible powers manipulating men is on the increase...small example: demons feed men the lust for porn and the sex crime goes through the roof. There wouldnt be a on-fire for Jesus christian on the face of the earth that didnt know these were the last days (Luke chapter 21/Matthew chapter 24) prior to the endtimes (the Book of Revelation).