cacofonix,
I enjoy Ramsey every Saturday. He's prepared to say what many aren't.

Here's a nice summary too - less bitter and more eloquent.

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2101088.htm

Rudd won because he struck a chord with policies relevant to rural Queensland and was rewarded with the biggest swings to the ALP. The Greens preferences across Australia sealed his victory.

Rudd can build up on the 'honeymoon' goodwill in regional Australia if he seriously tackles climate change, health and education policy by streamlining government to eliminate wasteful federal - state duplication and red tape.

In this way, expensive but necessary investment in infrastructure can be off-set by productivity gains in the way government does business in Australia. Call it economic conservatism if you must - bold leadership is more apt.

Skillful strategic policy making can ensure his team is returned in 2010 with an increased majority.

The opposition has a vital role to play. A re-invigorated opposition with a progressive innovative mindset under a leader like Turnbull can help build credibility of the coalition. This may manifest in Turnbull lending bi-partisan support to the tough but necessary reforms ahead and establishing the Liberal Party Leader as a master of cohesion politics as opposed to the nasty wedges associated with Howard's regime.

Lots of interesting posts and opinions. I think there was such a Ruddslide because under Howard the Liberal party became increasingly less like a Liberal party and is now very right on the spectrum of politics. I think it will take them a long time to shake off the seriously right wing faction and followers.

Australians, though probably generally more conservative, are not right wing, but at the centre of politics.

Labor moved into the centre. Especially under the leadership of Rudd who does not owe anything to any one faction withing the Labor party.

Howard's liberal party deserved to lose if only because of the increasing breathtaking arrogance of his ministers. Ministerial responsibility did not exist. Why no ministers were held to account for such extremely serious issues as the AWB corruption scandal or the immigration fiasco's is beyond belief.

The influence of the last government on the economy is overly hyped up. Economies in the socialist European countries are also booming. The Dutch retirees for instance hardly know how to spend all the money they get, real estate wealth has not been as high as the 1700's, the Dutch Golden Century. So sorry, Costello and Howard were lucky that the economies of India and China are booming and they need our raw minerals.

Why the Ruddslide? In a word, Workchoices.

Leon disingenuously suggests that Workchoices was an "issue that could have gone away if the unions hadn’t mounted a sustained television advertising campaign that reminded people of the laws.", conveniently ignoring the 100 million plus of our money the Feds squandered on their own "sustained television campaign". Workchoices was a dog, and the watering down via the "fairness test" simply underlined peaople's fears.

Runner says "Australians have made their choice and we on the conservative side have to accept it". Sadly runner, those on the progressive side also have to "accept it". Did anyone see Rudd's acceptance speech? It was the most dismal load of cliches I've heard for a long time. Almost made me pine for Howard.

I can only hope Rudd's policy-making is better than his speech-making.

Rudd and his minions have failed to understand this fact also and it will see their undoing in the next three years. Today it was evidenced with his 'ordering' of 'his' MPs to visit 2 schools in their electorates and come ready to discuss his proposed ' Education Revolution'. That excludes the views of EVERY parent who lives in a Liberal, National or independant electorate and you can bet your bottom dollar even though he's requested they visit an independant school, they'll all visit public and private schools where they encounter most empathy. ie those with Labor leaning P & C's, Headmasters and staff.

Me and my mates will forgive that error as an oversight but if this type of one dimensional thinking and behaviour continues we'll see him off... more quickly than Howard ... providing there's an alternative listening to us.

Sadly many of my mates under Rudd expect interest rates, petrol prices, and the cost of living to go down. They also expect houses to become cheaper and full time employment to remain. Kevin's raised this expectation among them. I hope Rudd's ruse doesn't get them too bloody angry... cos angry workers just don't work out.

Rudd's vote is soft and that's is why. It is fine for his supporters and the media to think it was they who ensured his election. Even though I think Rudd himself might just realise why he's won I don't think he has adaptability or intellectual ability to manage the decision making of me and my mates.

Just to give a perspective: I don't think the Liberals or Howard ever really understood the so-called 'Howard battlers'. I think Howard was just lucky he didn't bash or alienate our mates earlier.

I was a member of the Liberal Party ... once ... but suffered from rumourmongers who claimed I was more Labor than liberal. That's where the Liberals are today. I've always continued to support some liberal Members but never conservatives and I've always believed Costello was a liberal.

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Most of you simply have it wrong.

Howard lost. Rudd didn't win. His tenure will be brief.

The Liberal Party in this election forgot and ignored their natural constitutency. The Worker. They are people who employ people. They are the truely liberal independant buggars who work more than 35 hours a week, who don't expect paid holidays, penalty rates, sick days, RDO's, maternity leave, parental leave, free childcare, who don't rely on carers, who are carers without recognition, who glumly collect and pass on GST, but most of all they have empathy with the poor bastards they employ. They don't see themselves as 'priviliged'. They have greater empathy with their employees than with 'their local' investment banker, 'local' economist, tax accountant, solicitor, developer mate, Doctor, any Policeman, teacher, real estate agent, car dealer (Import or 2nd hand) news reporter or media commentator(like fat Laurie) (import or secondhand)or unemployed former diplomats.

That empathy they own and are proud of, ensures they won't allow their real mates to be hurt. Either by unscrupulus employers or deliberate and cruel ruses fostered by politicians.

That's who sacked John Howard. ie The vast majority of the 2 million small business owners who saw the people that they have greatest empathy with being left open to abuse through work choices.

Every comment I have seen since ignores or fails to comprehend this simple Australianism.

The Unions are claiming it was their campaign that won for Rudd...it was much simplier than that and very little to do with them.