Excuse me for being cross-threaded (blame Severin), but this seems more apposite here:

Pynchme: <Can anyone recall a male EVER being accused of "sleeping his way to the top"? I can't think of anyone.>

=Giacomo Casanova.
He was immortalised for the feat rather than vulgarly accused, mind you. I have the two volumes of his memoirs, beautifully bound in green cloth. A wonderful read and enduring testimony to the foolishness of both sexes.

Gillard's exploits (including an affair with a married man with kids, no less, along with merely living in sin) should of course have no bearing on her suitability for office (everyone has affairs, in reality or in their minds. 'Tis the price of civility, and makes for much better sex!). Yet it does, and these are the issues that seem to be dragging her down in the polls, in the context of a vacuous campaign on both sides. There was a fascinating analysis on "Insiders" this morning.
Now I'm willing to bet that it's the ladies, by and large, who are here dragging morality into politics, regardless of religious persuasion?
After all, their husbands might be next!

Oops! Severin is pure as the driven snow; 'twas pynchme!

Squeers

>> Now I'm willing to bet that it's the ladies, by and large, who are here dragging morality into politics.. <<

Only if Runner has had a sex-change.

;)

Thank you Severin for your good grace:-)
Just to clarify; I suspect the dramatic shift in the polls signifies the "ladies" are now sidling up to Abbott (the faithful family man; apart from a bit of harmless spooning with his cycling chums on long hauls). The men, apart from the runners of the world, would see Gillard's "earthiness" as a virtue!

Squeers m'dear

The majority of female posters here at OLO don't seem to have a problem with Julia's love life - even the more religious ones. And that is my experience in the real world too.

It is only the judgemental of either gender who seem to get their knickers in a twist over a bit of free-range rumpy-pumpy.

Now, who do I have to sleep with to get a drink around here?

Severin and Squeers,

Thanks so much for that entertaining exchange (If our pollies had your talent for dialogue, it would be much more enjoyable campaign)

I, for one, couldn't give a toss about the morality or not of Julia's assignations - being a fan of passionate literature and what not.