AJ, the ALP got less than 44pc of the primary vote- hardly doing it on there own.

The ALP sought to maximise economic discontent and highlighted the potential for abuse of people thru WorkChoices. They have raised expectations of control of price increases of groceries, petrol and housing; and of improvements in the delivery of services by govts, including State govts. in the area of health, education etc.

They will be judged on their results.

It seems that we give a govt a few terms to prove their worth, and fair enough too.

Like Labor in the 90's, the Libs died a death of a 1000 cuts. Hardly rocket science. Nor is it hard to understand that the victors seek to influence the losers in their loss and confusion, and to write their version of the truth. Saw the same from the Libs. after 4 consecutive victories.

One can capture the votes of the electorate by POPULIST policies, but one cannot govern the nation, especially in times of war, by a POPULIST manifesto.

http://kotzabasis3.wordpress.com

David Ritter?The smart alek who thinks the real world operates like the socialist world of family life.Mum and Dad provide everything,so why shouldn't the state do likewise?

Time to grow up little boy and detatch yourself from the nipple of public service intravenous drip.The socialist's Labor luddites will be the downfall of all of us.

This is an inexplicable and unprecedented loss from a government managing a healthy vibrant economy. The coalition should find no comfort in the argument, that, familiarity breeds contempt.

Not since the 60s has any government tried to be so right, so parental, so black and white. Not since the 60s has any government rolled back civil rights. Who could have imagined we would see the justification of out and out torture? Who could have imagined the deportations, the rendition, the attack on human rights? The flimsy justification for war?

Only, 12 months ago our daily newspapers were still debating the legitimacy of torture. It may have taken us a long time to question these excesses. Perhaps, we needed to feel the economy was in safe hands before we were prepared to cleanse our conscience and express any outrage.

Many of us know the self indulgent idiocy which will inevitably follow the advent of the Rudd government. But the excesses of the Howard government are something all together different.

Who knows, we may never rediscover our equilibrium. Howard, Ruddock, Vanstone and Costello should be charged, punished and incarcerated. Only, we are too tame to understand the necessity for revenge. We do not have the necessary courage, the principles. I believe, we are in collective shock at the medieval mindset released by the Howard government.

But make no mistake, when the revisions are done and dusted, it is the Howard government , that, will find itself as the foremost pariah. This government consistently expressed unflinching confidence in its rightness only to be proven as out and out dishonest, prevaricating and dissembling time and time again. This government's greatest enemy was truth.

To all the true believers out there,
I have never seen such an outpouring of HUBRIS.

Everyone from the pollsters to the party hacks believes they have the sure-fire-reason why Howard’s lost.

The truth is likely to be a lot stranger.People vote for a party for a whole host of reasons, and many appear to ‘endorse’ polices which if put to them on an individual basis they’d reject.

The electorate hasn’t swallowed labor lock stock & barrel –don’t kid yourselves.

In my own electorate (dare I say it) BENNELONG, this election was either a referendum on:
-Nuclear power
-Climate change, or
-AWA’s
Depending what poster you came upon –take your pick …

Inevitably as night follows day, disillusionment and downfall follows HUBRIS.

Congratulations, David Ritter.

Yet another excellent article!

And if more of the electorate had been told the truth about the Howard Government, the vote against them would have been higher.