In a forum called inside politics I expected a bit more understanding of the subject.
Hold me accountable for this post, see how wrong I am.
6 months after the election Howard will not be in Parliament.
He may well not hold his seat.
He will not win the election and could go within weeks.
IF Costello takes his place he will not lead the Liberals into an election.
He has quality's that could help him in that job ,but is better known for his sneer than anything.
Non conservatives will never warm to him.
Just as it was for Labor post Latham , the conservatives task has to be to win back lost supporters.
And once they except the defeat and except the reasons for it, they will gather new strength for government some time in the future, 8 to 12 years at least.
Labor to have 8 to 10 seat majority and Howard's defeat outranks Lathams.
Costello tainted by his support of workchoices and that sneer, would only delay the return to reality of conservatives.

It's now becoming obvious that the Liberal Party has a succession crisis which is unmanageable using the current thinking.

Costello is unelectable. Turnbull will probably not be there. Abbott is too loose-lipped with personal agenda. Downer is a clown with a pingpong ball down his throat. Nelson has too many skeletons in his cupboard.

What about a fresh team - Greg Hunt with Julie Bishop in reserve? They could hardly do worse.

I actually like Julie Bishop... But, as John Hewson told Andrew Denton
regarding John Howard, "They'll have to carry him out in a box."
In other words, he won't go willingly (and I suspect Janet won't let him).

Janet would not even let old John plant a tree on his own, I loved that video.
However I confidently stand by my post voters are carrying that box John has no choice.
For conservatives consider this the great man Kim Beasley was everything Labor wanted and the best prime minister we never had.
He however was unable to bring voters over from Howard in numbers big enough to win.
Put Costello in the same spot and watch history repeat its self.
In the hard light of the day after this election pick some one for the future not from the past.

Todays polling says it is most unlikely John Howard will hold his own seat so? for a time on Sunday next weekend Costello will lead the coalition.

Costello would be worse for the Liberals than Howard.

The Libs have got to go for some really fresh blood - someone not yet in the Cabinet, and someone with some really 'liberal' views on social issues. The time for economic rationalist has gone; union bashing doesn't win votes; and the electorate has grown immune to scare-mongering.

If they do not undertake radical change they will be out of office for the next decade.