Here's a link that's worth a read:

http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/culture/blogs/all-men-are-liars/the-vibe-20121008-27809.html

As the article tells us "there's quite a few people who
keep telling us that 'Gillard Will Lose the Next Election
and Tony Abbott Will Win.'"

The article also states that there's also the reaction from
people, "I can't think of Tony Abbott as PM."

We're told that some of these people vote Labor, but there
are also lots who have voted Liberal and now literally can't
imagine Abbott in the top job. It embarasses them and/or
scares them.

We're told that "Perception is a mighty thing and possibly
that's why Opposition leaders like Kim Beazley, Mark Latham,
Brendan Nelson all crashed and burned. Average punters stood
back and said, "Really? I don't think so!"

The article states that "Tony Abbott may well be a solid
bloke, a good father ... but when he steps into the world
of politics his desire to rule vulgarly consumes his desire
to serve." We're told that "this is not a good look
for politicians - vicious ambition must be gloved, whereas
Abbott seems to understand no other method than bare knuckle
and bared teeth."

We're told that, "Turnbull on the other hand has learned to
mask his ambition; which is what many voters ask - act nice."

The article sums up by "Since losing the Coalition
leadership, Turnbull has stuck to his values, spoken
intelligently and emerged as a true statesman with real-world
economic credentials, setting him apart from the mass of
political thugs on both the Right and the Left who treat
leadership as just a numbers game."

It's this perception that influences the swinging voter
and during elections this does matter. Many people who may
never have voted Liberal in their lives - see Mr Turnbull
as a good choice for Prime Minister. And that's a fact!

Take your boots off blokes you are going to need them.TWO PARTY PREFERRED
libs 54% Labor 46%
55% dislike Gillard
60%dislike Abbott, no indy! not 115%!
Some including me, dislike them both.
Now 55% gillard? mm most are Labor but at least some Liberal? on what basis.
60% Abbott? ok 46% are Labor.
14%? can not be Liberal you blokeS tell me?
ENJOY

Lexi and Sam de Brito, there is an old Australian saying that I love. I love it because it is always true. Stated simply, you should never believe your own b*llsh*t! And I am gratified that Lexi and the leftwing Fairfax press and all the Labor supporters who repeat the claim, “"I have never voted Liberal in my life but I could cope with Turnbull as our PM." are guilty of this silly and un-Australian mistake.

Do you Labor voters really believe that true-blue Liberal voters will see you as being altruistic and offering helpful suggestions to help us get the Liberal Party back into gov’t? Or, is it more likely that we just smile at your stupidity?

Sam has painted Tony Abbott as ‘vulgar’. How does he characterise the Labor Party and Ms Gillard? Just imagine what the likes of Sam de Brito would say if the Howard/Costello or an Abbott Gov’t did the following:

1. Increased the retirement age for women factory workers from 60 to 67!
2. Cut $50 million out of the health budget by denying chemotherapy drugs to Australians.
3. Forced single mothers back into the workforce when their youngest child reaches six years of age!

I challenge Sam de Brito and any other Labor supporter to defend that trifecta.

Imagine if Tony Abbot had been involved in a scandal as damaging as the AWU slush fund caper, and I guess that Sam de Brito could come up with an ad hominem attack that would better ‘vulgar’.

As Belly says above, “TWO PARTY PREFERRED libs 54% Labor 46%” This is one truth I like. Get used to it!

Geoffrey Kelley

Dear Geoffrey,

I don't belong to any particular political party
although I was raised in a family that voted and
supported the Liberal Party. They still do.

As for Sam - I'm not familiar with who he is or
his political inclinations. I simply came across
the Sydney Morning Herald article while surfing the
web and thought that it might add something to this
discussion. If you would have bothered to read the
entire article that I cited - you would have discovered
that the author was just as critical of the PM as he was
of Mr Abbott.
And I think that this reflects the feelings
out in the community.

All the polls indicate that Mr Abbott
is the least popular political leader of the Liberal Party.
So logically, how can the Liberal Party expect to win an
election with such an unpopular leader when there's a
popular leader waiting in the wings. Even Brendan Nelson
was a more popular leader than Mr Abbott, and the party got rid of him.

In any case, the voters will decide for themselves who they
feel is best suited to run the country. This is merely a
discussion of opinions afterall. It would be more constructive
if you could attempt a more civil discourse unless you want to
be subsequently ignored. Bare knuckles and bared teeth don't
impress.

The following link may also be of interest:

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/mission-rethink-for-abbott-20120921-26cab.html

Lexi, you ought to know who Sam is; you quoted him after all. And you cut and pasted that Abbott was vulgar.

I think you are being a little sensitive about bare knuckles..... and I notice not one of you socialists have defended your party's three appalling attacks on the 'working family' Gillard and Swan talk so much about. I suspect you are as ashamed of the party as I am.

As you have no defence I am certain you will ignore this post :-)

But Abbott and his team have a better social conscience than Gillard and her crew, and we all know it.

So, keep on asking for the Libs to change leaders, but the only stats that I am concerned with are the two-party standings in the polls.

Lexi, I wish you and your friends a Happy New Year.

Geoffrey Kelley, Metung.