Given Kevin's renowned capacity to hold a grudge, and initial refusal to have anything to do with Julia's campaign, it was not expected that he would have much focus in the campaign.

However, with Labor in trouble and much of it in Queensland, the rumours were circulating that it would only be a matter of time before the Labor apparatchik read him the riot act. The rumours are that he was told that if he wanted any role in the party at all he would have to extol the virtues of Labor under JG, and grin and bear it.

We now see KR dragged out and paraded around like an obedient puppy. His humiliation is now complete.

They may have offered him cash.

Or maybe they knew he went for a private show Scores, and mentioned they might have a quiet word to Therese.

It reminds me of when The Rodent and Captain Smirk appeared next to each other on the couch last election.

I think it is difficult to hold an informed opinion on this from the outside. Think back to Rudds performance and conduct along with the various mutterings made public about his style and you'd have to think someone along the way must have tried to pin him down and get him to change. Along came that fateful day and we are told he did not see it coming. Julia becomes PM after being dragooned by others for a challenge. Anyone who has any experience working with others will tell you that no-one ever got anywhere by ignoring dissent or other opinion. Rudd had to go. The problem has now developed whereby people think they voted for him (we dont caucus does) and their intests have been ignored. Perhaps being voted out of office would have made those people happy. The best thing that Rudd can do is support Gillard gracefully like other deposed leaders have done and focus on policy and the future. I think too the media have done a poor job in focusing on ego's and personalities to the exclusion of policy. We all have been sorely used by this latest in 'modern politics'. But I'd take Labor over Libs anyday if I had to vote for them.

I find it amusing that anyone who was upset by the ousting of Kevin Rudd would now be thinking of voting for Tony Abbott. What is it revenge on the Labor party? Hardly a rational way of choosing who to vote for.

I am impressed Kevin is staying on and he will make a great foreign minister. It is good to see a demoted politician who doesn't spit the dummy and storm off the political stage. At least a career as a politician seems to mean something to K Rudd. Unlike say one P Costello who lazed around for a year or two sucking on the taxpayer teat before finally having to be pushed into the oblivion he so richly deserved.

Who knows maybe Ruddy can some day even make a comeback. Julia is not god and she could get sick or hit by a bus, or up the duff and who else is there? Shorten, Crean, Albanese, Garret, Mckew? They dont even come close.
I could see the Australian public, in their perversity, turning round and telling pollsters how much they really liked ruddy and that he should come back.
It would be a laugh if Julia just scrapes in in the election only to have Rudd back a few months later for whatever reason.
Stranger things have happened.

sleepy lizard "whereby people think they voted for him"

Technically only the people in his electorate voted for him but I still see the occasional Keven07 sticker around.

Clearly the Labor party went to a great deal of effort to get people thinking that they were voting for Kevin just as this time round they are trying to get people to think they are voting for Julia.

It might be understandable if the Lib's would prefer people to think that they were voting for the party rather than Tony but I don't think that's because of a strong ethical stance.

R0bert

Kevin will get what he has lusted most for.ie a UN bureaucratic posting and his mirror of self importance.

I am in awe at Kevin Rudd's recovery powers and stamina though. He is 'on song' quickly too and looks very effective. Full marks to him, he certainly isn't a quitter - not like that sop Peter Costello who took his bat and ball and did zero until he retired.

This is Kevin Rudd back in action and it is easy to see why the LNP is so worried:

http://player.video.news.com.au/couriermail/#1559607168

Little Julie would be better advised to get Rudd back under the blanket he's been hiding under since his dismissal.

The arrogant peanut hasn't learnt a thing. He's going to stop Tony getting into the lodge. Hell, if he had done half a job as PM, there would be no chance of Tony getting into the lodge, in the first place.

He's going to save Julia's campaign, is he? Well on TV tonight he still sounded like the arrogant BS artist we were silly enough to elect back before the punters woke up to him. Still just as slimy, & insincere as always. What a drop kick.

'In six weeks, Labor has dumped Kevin 07 as leader because he was unpopular, installed Gillard because she was popular, changed strategy and Gillard's image to the "real Julia" because the false, campaigning Julia was unpopular and now turned to Kevin 10 because the real Julia was unpopular.'

They're a shambles. Regardless of the alternative, I just cant vote for them.

Houlle ..... " Kevin 10 because the real Julia was unpopular"

nah

forget the "1"

and forget the "Kevin"

what is left fits with Julia prefectly

"Julia, the Big Zero"


now thats what I call a bumper sticker!

I was overjoyed at the dumping of Rudd, yet feared the alternative would be as big a dud in the PM job as she was in the education portfolio.

The total meltdown of Julia brings a form of joy, a 'told you so' win.

BUT... sadly, and more importantly that the double joy of seeing Rudd down and Gillard exposed for being an empty shell, there is the real danger of Abbott leading the Coalition to government again.

If our politics were not so 'personal', with leaders setting the complete tone of the groups they lead, it might be possible to think that there would be Liberals (no point in even mentioning the Nats) who could moderate the extremes, but the Howard years showed us, even Abbott if he is to be believed, that total power is a danger to us all.

Although I huddle in a safe Liberal seat, and loathe the ALP leadership and parliamentary offerings, I simply cannot send my vote anywhere near the Coalition... it will have to go, ultimately, to the Ginger Ninja's local goon.

It seems the NSW Right has managed to destroy whatever slim dignity the national ALP held, first by thrusting Rudd forward without any real factional support, then by destroying him, and now by making a complete dogsbreakfast of Gillard's shameful efforts.

The ALP needs a major rejig within its ranks to rebuild itself into a credible political force, and remove itself from being merely a NSW rump.

In the meantime, voting Green is a pretty safe option in most seats given the reality of optional voting, and pretty well essential in the Senate, just to ensure neither of the major parties gains a grip on those red seats.

There is no fear that the Greens will 'form government', but there is a hope they will blunt the edges of the very worst of the major party policies, none of which seem to be designed with any thought to our collective national future, only the future hopes of whichever party goon is pretending to be operating 'in the national interest'.

How do you know Mr. Rudd harbours a grudge? It is possible we can take him at his word. If he wants to protect his legacy, he will work over the next three years in his most favourite endeavour. I would like to see him take on the Indigenous Affairs. He has the experience and skills to bring about great changes. It is not the highest ministry available but one of the most important. There are more important jobs than being the Prime Minister.

SM

And you know this how?
Lets face it Shadow this highly speculative thread is predicated on getting the Libs up. You neither know or care what really happened as you are a bought and paid for Lib.

You and other zealots should realize by now that such posts achieve nothing more that yelling at a wall.

What they don't do is change minds. Especially when your slant is so right winged as to render Menzies as a tree hugging lefty by comparison. Perhaps you should read up on the intention and hence name of the party you unequivocally support. It is a LIBERAL party not "ENGLISH CONSERVATIVE". In fact he deliberately tried to avoid creating an Australian latter.

Smile it'll all be over soon and sanity can sort of return. :-)

Examinator.

Perhaps you could point out in this thread where I have showed right wing tendencies?

As far as my politics go I am economically conservative, but differ from both the Labor and liberals as far as freedom of choice etc, as you should be able to pick up from my previous posts. However, I abhor the fuzzy good intentioned incompetence of the Labor party, and my avid support of the Liberals has more do with them not being labor and not burning though my, and other taxpayer's money.

TBC “The total meltdown of Julia brings a form of joy, a 'told you so' win.”

Ah the dead carcass of the labor 2010 campaign, and the nominee leader of the labor party (for how much longer?) is already
“high on the nose”?

Maybe Julia should sprinkle some “Channel 666” on, to cover the stench of her imminent political putrification

The labor party, this weekend resuscitates (like lazarus) Kevin Krudd, the bloke they knifed in the back a few weeks back, dragging him out of his peaceful mediocrity to “strut his stuff” with his previously appointed assassin (visions of “Rocky Horror Show” now invading my imagination)


It’s like watching Julius Caesar and Brutus singing a duet together….


However, I suspect, like most labor arias –


The audience will tire at not understanding any of Kevin’s countertenor dialogue.

Julia will stretch and fail to reach the heights achieved by the sopranos in the Magic Flute –

hitting a sour note with the assembled electorate

and they are finally, booed off to their rendition of L’Internationale
even before Julia gets to do her solo

- it ain’t supposed to be over ‘til the fat lady sings… (we are watching those hips Julia)



“BUT... sadly, and more importantly that the double joy of seeing Rudd down and Gillard exposed for being an empty shell, there is the real danger of Abbott leading the Coalition to government again.”

"sadly" - only for those who are too dumb to acknowledge their own inadequacies and why they need an immoral control over the energy and creative / productive efforts of more able citizens.


SM “As far as my politics go I am economically conservative, but differ from both the Labor and liberals as far as freedom of choice etc,”


Yes, I have similar reserves too….

Imho the best sort of government will always be the small, non-intrusive sort – but that is like asking a politician to curb his access to the public trough….


In reality,


we need more statesmen in politics and fewer politicians… :-)

"'sadly' - only for those who are too dumb to acknowledge their own inadequacies and why they need an immoral control over the energy and creative / productive efforts of more able citizens"... come come Stern.

There is nothing quite so controlling as the Abbott view of the world, aligned as he is with one of the most controlling of religions, and his happy association with such as the ACL and Catch The Fire....not to mention the Hillsongsters.

There is nothing quite so 'dumb', although I would not choose that word myself, as those who are unable to live without the total control of their imaginary gods.

SM,
I assumed you were more intelligent than most and therefore I search for a reason for the overall seemingly biased tone of your recent (election) posts.

They indicate that you are proselytizing for the Libs.

The utter banality (Supermarket publications standard) of "Shot gun Marriage? Kevin and Julia" and others renders it reasonable to ask what is the point other advocate the coalition's equally intellectually moribund (hypocritical) dubious spin.

To the head line topic: I've been involved with life, psychology, both sides and Democrats politics enough to know that the above Machiavellian overtones are reality to all.
In that context I hardly see why you emphasize this as though it pertains only to the current labor govt, or that it is the basis of a decision.

One could argue that evolution favours the most adaptable....if Rudd had a problem it was because he painted himself into inflexibility

TBC” There is nothing quite so controlling as the Abbott view of the world, aligned as he is with one of the most controlling of religions, and his happy association with such as the ACL and Catch The Fire....not to mention the Hillsongsters.”

You see, TBC, there you go again, forgetting the facts and having a mini-burnt out all for yourself….

You know that “Abbott view of the world, aligned with the most controlling of religions” = Roman Catholicism, Tony Abbott being a practicing Roman Catholic

And

Hillsong, the well known Pentecostal Church

Do you see where I am going…..

Well, lets get there

For a “controlling Roman Catholic” to enter a Pentecostal Church would be akin to you turning up for a Liberal Party Fund raiser.

“There is nothing quite so 'dumb', although I would not choose that word myself, as those who are unable to live without the total control of their imaginary gods.”

There is nothing quite so dumb as someone who misrepresents the right of others to follow the faith of their choosing and then confuses the issue by misrepresenting everything they can.

Actually my wife is a very devout Roman Catholic . I respect her choice and admire the way she devoutly follows many of the canons of her faith, marrying me, being a protestant being one of those canons which she chose to ignore..
The only thing we need to avoid discussion on was what happened to Guy Fawkes.

Desperation demands desperate measures

You and the labor party are both obviously desperate,

The labor party because they know they are losing the election and

You because you are swimming out of your depth and so dumb, you do not know the difference between a Roman Catholic and Pentecostal.

To put it another way

Posting here becomes a “battle of wits”

and you obviously came without either weapon or armour

oh really Stern, if that is your best shot there is nothing to fear at all is there?

I am really shocked to learn from you that there is a difference between Catholics and Protestants.

I never knew... all those years....

Of course, it's not just Guy Fawkes is it?

There's Latimer, Ridley, Cramer... all the Jews of York, London and other sundry towns, dozens, hundreds, thousands of people burned to death, hanged, humiliated... all in the good cause of 'the lurv of Jesus'.

And Abbott is very happy dealing with Protestants, since they, along with Catholics, like to serve the (roughly) same invisible god, and assault the secular world with tax rorts and dodgy business.... remember the zillions Gillard is doling out to the 'saint' celebrations ... the $200m or so that was wasted on the Pope's visit, and on and on it goes...for ever and ever, Amen.

Ooops, nearly forgot, the hundreds of millions wasted on the unqualified school chaplains: http://highcourtchallenge.com/

TBC,

So how do you feel about Labor providing another 1000 chaplains for public schools?

I think it stinks.

Thank you SM... we agree.

So far, the ATO has supplied, or has been promised to supply, something close to $440 million.

Qld has also supplemented with a further $40 million.

Then there are the P&C donations, the P&F donations, the tax deductible tithing forms that are supplied in state schools to parents, who are being coerced into funding this scam, and the use of school choirs, bands, and facilities to raise further funding.

And all this money is funnelled into private religious organisations, whose books are closed to the public auditor and the view of the tax paying citizen.

Putting aside the contested value of 'religion' in this format, this is simply very bad public policy, to be handing over public funds to subsidise religion.

To provide balance, I also object to my taxes subsidising poorly designed and badly performing Australian cars, when better ones can be bought from other countries for less, with more offered.

Clearly, Gillard is NOT an atheist at all, but a closet Baptist who suffers from not escaping her childhood experiences.