I thought it may be interesting to bring this
up for a discussion now that enough time has
gone by. We should be able to have a
calm and well reasoned debate on the topic.
What prompted his party to choose to elect
another party leader?

And why is his replacement so popular - as the
polls would have us believe?

Your thoughts please?

Hi Foxy, yes I think this is a good topic to explore now.
Most forum regulars already know how I felt about Tony Abbott's form of politics, and it was mostly negative!

I would suggest that he was mostly unpopular with female voters, or at least with all the ones I spoke to, except my Mother. She would have voted for the Liberals if Jack The Ripper was at the helm though :).

Abbott just made too many public gaffes to ever remain popular with female voters. Who can forget his comments re women and ironing, his wish for his daughters 'giving' their virginity to their husband, talking about young female political colleagues as having ' a bit of sex appeal', and how the carbon tax repeal would mainly affect women.
His signature policy that he took to the election was paid parental leave, but he didn't honor that.
He had one woman on his front bench, but no one was surprised.

He alienated male voters (as well as even more females) almost as much though, with his dreadful comment "S##t happens", after the death of Jared MacKinney in Afghanistan, his insensitive comments re asbestos disease sufferer Bernie Banton, his suggesting that Australia was 'unsettled' before European arrival, and believing Aboriginals living in remote areas 'made a lifestyle choice'.

However, I think the straw that broke the Camel's back was definitely knighting Prince Phillip without so much as a 'what do ya reckon' to his party colleagues.
I still laugh about that little gem even today. Unbelievable.

Dear Suse,

I'm glad that you agree that the puzzle of
Mr Abbott's consistent unpopularity does
cry out for an explanation. As the article
in "The Conversation" points out - "We can
rule out the way he walked and that he ate
a raw onion." (joke).

Part of the problem I feel was that he spread
fear, division, and negativity.
Most people have a desire
for optimism and a positive outlook. In the end
people voted to an end to the nastiness.
Perhaps the current positive attitude of Mr Turnbull
explains his popularity.

Very few voters like division.

http://theconversation.com/why-was-tony-abbott-so-unpopular-52438

Dear Foxy and Suseonline,

I think what you are both getting at is that Tony Abbott as a prime minister was a complete idiot. In other words, you think the man is probably brain dead. You probably even think that the reason that he is brain dead is because he is an alcoholic. You probably even think that the reason for his early morning exercise regimes on bikes, jogging, etc was done in order to sweat out the alcohol from his blood stream. You probably even think that his brain was so continually numb from the alcohol that he couldn't tell the difference in taste between fine chocolate and raw unpeeled onions. I'm absolutely shocked that anyone could think these things of this great man.

Bwaaaah, the Grrls are locked into their Abbottophobia rut. Can't climb out? Need a high reach forklift under the (ahem) rear end?

As if you two haven't devoted heaps of threads and scores of posts to trashing Tony Abbott and to buffing up MT, only to trash Tony Abbott again of course.

All to avoid the elephant in the room, which is the unelectable Willie 'Whatever She Says' Shorten. Y'know, the fellow who should be taking the advice of sly 'Richo', previous ALP numbers man, who says that Shorten cannot get away with not taking firm action against those corrupt union bosses that Labor is in bed with.

Aren't the 'Handbag Hit Squad', the Grrls of Emily's List (of approved favourites), up to mounting a challenge against Shorten? Do they need another boy up front after the Galah'd experiment and failure?

Shorten is a stunned mullet and the election clock is ticking.

Dear onthebeach,

And they probably think Tony Abbott will drink to that as well (as anything else he can have a drink to).