I got a grin out of that Foxy.
And like you think it both funny and true!
Working short days because of my traffic smash till Wednesday.
So watching politics even more.
No not possible but am watching.
I still think Turnbull is the man for the job.
Just hoping he is not going to be a spoiler.
His team may want that from him.
But as Mrs Howard's little lost Johny said you can not fatten a pig on market day.
Substance.
That is what Mal needs.
No surprise in the polls, surely conservatives knew the Doctor was dead from day one?
Anyone remember his say sorry speech?
Turnbull only has to have substance to get even better polls.
Do not however hold your breath, his party is far better at spoiling than policy's.

Malcolm Turnbull is impressive and a natural leader.

I am surprised, however, that he has stepped into the leadership of the opposition so early. He is more the type you want closer to election time, late enough that the public haven't discerned any weaknesses and early enough to build up a following.

As for the theory that Costello is simply waiting in the wings to take over - how many times in the past 15 years have we been hearing that? Costello is a spent force who manages to survive more on the energy derived from possibilities rather than actualities.

I also believe that Rudd will win the next election, while the leadership change has improved the Libs ratings, Rudd would still win an election easily if held right now.

Dear Fractelle,

I couldn't agree with you more.

A lot of people seem to be buying into the negative spin
that the opposition is deliberately spreading
about Rudd. "What he done?"

Well, my goodness. He's done a great deal.
He's only been in power for nine months and
he's apologised to the Indigenous People, started
a buy-back program on water resources, signed the
Kyoto Protocol, a carbon-trading scheme is in the
works, he's gradually providing schools with
computer services, pension upgrades are in the process
of evaluation, he's trying to cope with the global
economic disaster as it affects Australia, he's negotiating
Asia-Pacific cooperation, there's a proposal to withdraw troops
from Iraq, he's increasing taxation on luxury goods to
facillitate the growth of the national surplus.
And much much more. The list goes on.

Compare this with building your home. You have to find
the land, and buy the land, submit plans for planning
approval, obtain budget estimates, produce documentation
for building permits, obtain costs from builders, sign
contracts, build the house, and move in.

You'll be lucky to achieve this in 2 years.

How does building a house compare with running an
entire country? You get the picture...

Things don't happen instantly - unless you have a
magic wand and live in Fantasyland.

I consider what this Government has done
is not bad for only
nine months in office.

People should give them at least several years before
making judgements.

And not buy into the negative spin that the
media presents.

It took the last Government 12 years to claim that
they've achieved anything.

Criticism is easy, when you don't have to produce
the results.

As for Malcolm Turnbull - he's just stepped in
as Party Leader.

He's yet to prove himself.

"Malcolm Turnbull is impressive and a natural leader. I am surprised, however, that he has stepped into the leadership of the opposition so early."

Fractelle,

Turnbull really had no choice. Once Nelson was rolled, if Malcolm passed on the leadership, his credibility would have been dented and, like Costello, he'd be criticised for squibbing. Anyway, Malcolm wants the job.

In years past, the party would have let Nelson stay until about 6-12 months out from the election. But, the high-flux environment politics is carried out in nowadays means that the less natural leaders get found out more quickly.

Another part of the reason Malcolm stepped up so early could be because the party fancies it has some chance at the next election and is covering its bases in case Rudd goes to the polls early.

On Costello, he has apparently just taken up an international anti-corruption job with the IMF, so it looks less likely he'll be up for the Liberal leadership in future.

I agree about Rudd. He would have to really stuff up to lose the next election. If Turnbull doesn't win in 2009/2010, the PM's job will certainly be up for grabs in 2012/2013.

Such a lot of opinions about a man who very few Australians really know.
Personal insults like "arrogance" are thrown about by people who are voicing their own inadequacies.Was Winston Churchill without arrogance?
A leader has a great advantage if he looks the part.Actors like Ronald Reagan don't need to be capable, they have plenty of advisors.

I said Turnbull would be the Liberal Leader on the day of the election, simply because he looks like a Prime Minister.The latest polls show that despite nothing changing on the opposition side with regard to policy, they have had a very substantial lift in popularity.
We who take an interest in politics are the minority of voters.

The average voter could'nt be bothered to vote if it wasn't compulsory.Our opinions may be interesting to us, but we're impotent in judging how a political figure appears to the public at large.

Foxy

We appear to be simpatico on this topic.

RobP

The Libs were completely free to validate Nelson when he called the poll - for the time being. They could've waited and given the appearance of being united until a more auspicious time for Turnbull.

If Rudd is as smart as he appears, then he will definitely win the next election and Turnbull will be at risk of losing the leadership as often happens when the Opposition loses a federal election. The Liberals are still a very divided party - Turnbull was not voted in by a huge margin.

However, it is early days for all.

Diploman - your point about having an opinion on On-Line-Opinion was?