Just as the ALP has too many ex-union officials, the Liberal Party has too many lawyers. Incestuous. Not sufficient breadth to run the country.

I'm surprised at how stupid Julie Bishop is.She was just the token female to counter the role of Julia Gillard.The Libs have to do better.

What a petty and nasty piece this is, I do feel sorry for the students who have to learn from this unobjective intolerant person.

So Julie Bishop had the temerity to actually respond when you said she had the "stench of political death about her, and she should step down" amazing! How could anyone in the face of such intelect and argument continue to draw breath. "But she didn't stop there", horrors, (gasp!) - she actually responded to other criticism .. and after you had publicy condemned her - I can see why you had to write again to reinforce your poisoned point.

We wonder why the quality of journalism is decaying, why the government of today seems to suffer no cross examination at all, why the coalition is always under furious attack (you do know they're not in power don't you?) if this is the quality of teaching.

I guess it's safe to attack them isn't it, much better than the government, they might bite back. Were you bitten (or ignored) by a coalition minister in your past, Julie was it?

I'm sure you're not biased though, you just happen to agree with the ALP because they're right. During all those years the ALP were in opposition, I assume you cosied up to them and hated Howard together, giving comfort when you could. Too difficult to change your ways, and do that questioning stuff of the actual government is it?

So this is the best we can expect from what, an assistant professor, or associate - whatever. Clearly a consolation prize - try harder, lose the personal animosity.

I think all should back off a bit .
My view is that Julie may have found her appointment to be a health issue .
Happens to many . Comes a time when a personel question begs ' Is my anguish worthwhile ?

Congratulations on a fine example of the noble Aussie art of kicking someone when they're down.

Who is this "academic" anyway, preening and posturing from the comfort of his university hidey-hole? If ever there was an example of the dangers of spending a sheltered, sinecured life, spitting spite at people who are brave enough to put themselves on the line, this is it.

No charity. No insight. No compassion. No understanding.

I hold no brief for Ms. Bishop. In fact, I consider Australian politicians in general to be a sad and corrupt rabble of self-interested moneygrubbers.

But there is no excuse for the ill-mannered, self-congratulatory sewage in this article.

Poor Peter van O... not much support here for his views.

But he is, of course, quite right. Julie Bishop is a political-intellectual lightweight, like most Liberal-National politicians, although that is not to imply the ALP and others have too much intellectual firepower to spare.

In a world of 'performance' though, Julie Bishop simply doesn't make it. She learns lines, and repeats them but has yet to learn how to do that without looking as if that is what she does.

Julia Gillard 'sticks to the script' too, as does Penny Wong, who rarely utters anything worth listening to in an interview.

But they both have a presence about them that assists in carrying out their smokescreening that Julie simply doesn't have....and they are both 'in Government', which Julie isn't.

Julie is inept, politically, and always has been. But this was always covered over because she was a Minister, and had an entire machine around her to protect her and distract any adverse commentary about her....having a lightweight press gallery helps in this, with little or no analysis of politics in Australia's meeja.

It's not as if she's alone, and it's not that she's a woman either... she's just not very good at being in Opposition, like Costello, like Nelson, like Brandis, like Beazley for that matter.

She should go, and do something more useful for her own benefit. We all need a solid Opposition to counter the Government, whoever is in at the time, and Julie's contribution has been slim, and it's going to get even slimmer as Hockey takes over and usurps her 'deputy' role.

He is a blusterer par excellence, which covers his intellectual blackhole, but he's only up against Swan, an uninspiring machine man whom Julie should have been able to topple... but couldn't even dent.

Time to go Julie... enjoyed your book on Howard too Peter.

I suppose that it is good to see that the author has at least one friend whom he can call upon to support him when nasty horrid people choose to hold up a mirror. It would be horrid to think that he might be a soul so lonely and embittered that he ... oh. Hmm.

Nice attempt to dig him out of a hole, TBC. I suspect you might yourself be a poltician of some stripe or other, given your easy approach to i) excusing the inexcusable and ii) answering a different question than that which was asked.

>>But he is, of course, quite right. Julie Bishop is a political-intellectual lightweight<<

The phrase upon which he built the piece was in fact that she had "the stench of political death about her". There is no mention anywhere in the article of her political-intellectual weighting. Whatever that piece of inventive flummery might mean.

The article, even on a second or third reading, can only be read as personal bitchiness, without a single redeeming fact or observation.

She "completely lost the plot in parliament when Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard targeted her for criticism, responding with cat-clawing gestures"

She was "humiliated and sapped of confidence"

"...the rot has set in on her political career"

"The level of self-denial over her failings has been staggering."

"...by not admitting to her poor performance or her plagiarism of ideas, has consigned herself to the dustbin of political history."

"...she is damaged goods... a deputy leader without credibility"

TBC's offering is in comparison a goldmine of observations and opinions, unfortunately totally wasted in an effort to redeem the original article's author from the charge of self-indulgent rudeness.

Periscopes.... take a trip to AustralianPolitics, do not pass Go, do not pick up $200:
http://australianpolitics.com/2008/11/11/is-julie-bishop-a-political-clown.html

Full marks for consistency, TBC.

Ignore the point, change the topic, provide irrelevant supporting material.

You've clearly partaken of the politician's Koolaid. You either are one, or are channelling one.

Impressive.

Pericles,

You have to admit Julie Bishop was performing dismally and showing no signs of getting better. It's all very well to bemoan others kicking her when she was down. But the Liberals are probably right to dump her now rather than be blindly loyal and take her to the next election. (Remember Mark Latham?)

The comparison with Julia Gillard will continue to favour the ALP by a huge margin. Cut your losses and run I'd say. How about a left-field replacement like Greg Hunt. A least he's articulate and knows how to run a decent argument.

Spikey, I'm not sure that my views on Ms Bishop's competence constitute an excuse for the author's arrogance and spite.

>>You have to admit Julie Bishop was performing dismally and showing no signs of getting better.<<

In fact, it wasn't only the pummelling...

>>It's all very well to bemoan others kicking her when she was down<<

...after all, as a politician she would be well used to it.

It was the complete absence of evidence. His mate The Blue Cross eventually felt obliged to provide some, possibly out of embarrassment, in his apology for "Peter van O's" behaviour. Together with, of course, a plug for his book.

I think it was the sheer self-important smugness of it all that got my goat.

Pericles,

"I think it was the sheer self-important smugness of it all that got my goat."

That may be so, but it's Julie Bishop's competence, not the author's attitude that's at stake.

The Liberals have to act now, or they'll be a three-term Opposition.

Poor auld Pericles.... resorting to kicking sand.

That you don't like the PVO tone is fine, but if you feel that Jules has ever had anything to offer the LIberal Party, and our nation, any useful 'outcomes' do feel free to list them here.

I've forgotten what else she sat in on as a Minister but her time in Edumacation was a total disaster, following on of course from another complete underachiever, Brendan Nelson.

Now Pericles, do outline to all of us here magnificent and lasting achievements during her time in this portfolio.

Her time as oppo treasurer is there for all to see. A hard job to do whoever you are, but given that Wayne Swan and not Lindsay Tanner is the incumbent, hardly a steep task to expose whatever failings the Libs feel ware there to be seen within the ALP 'strategy'.

She didn't, and couldn't, and now she has been pushed from that job.

So, now we're left with her as the deputy leader.... ho hum... again, a hard job to do because the role is not there to outshine the leader is it?

It's a back up role, like Gillard does, but Jules has missed out on whatever skills Gillard has as ALP deputy.

And, frankly, she is not alone. Jenny Macklin was a Claytons deputy too, and probably someone who should have packed her bag and gone a long time ago.

So it's up-to-youse Pericles, to show us all where Jules jewels shine best.

In fact, I look forward to your 1000 word column on this, in response to PVO.

Sadly, TBC, I am limited by the medium itself in getting my point across to you.

I would use the coloured crayons that you are more accustomed to if I could, but I can't seem to get the sheets of paper down the telephone line.

<push. crumple>

No, won't go.

>>So it's up-to-youse Pericles, to show us all where Jules jewels shine best.<<

I'll just have to try again. If I use any big words that you don't understand, just let me know.

Here is a direct quote from my first post.

"I hold no brief for Ms. Bishop"

It was shorthand for "I don't have a view on the lady's competence or her incompetence. She could be a reincarnation of Joan of Arc or of Lucrezia Borgia for all I care, it makes no difference to my opinion of the article in question."

>>Now Pericles, do outline to all of us here magnificent and lasting achievements during her time in this portfolio.<<

Oh dear. Where are those crayons when you need them.

"I hold no brief for Ms. Bishop"

Yes, on reflection, it may have been too subtle. A little more green in the grass, perhaps, or blue for the sky. The front door is the right shade of red, though.

>>In fact, I look forward to your 1000 word column on this, in response to PVO.<<

That is a perfectly reasonable request.

However, it would be extremely unlikely to mention Ms Bishop at all. It would be a dissertation on poor taste, bad manners, gratuitous unsubstantiated ad feminam insults and the dangers of ivory-tower living.

>>That you don't like the PVO tone is fine<<

But hey, look!

You did understand, after all.

Hallelujah!