William Bowe
http://www.pollbludger.com

Rudd is attracting small l Liberals because he is a moderate. Howard is losing them. If you can’t recognise that Rudd is the moderate and Howard is the extremist than it says more about your own mindset than anything else.

A Labor candidate in Western Australia has apologised to Kevin Rudd for referring to him as a "filthy Liberal" earlier this year.

The Labor candidate for the federal seat of O'Connor, Dominic Rose, made the comment when writing for his university newspaper, The Pelican, saying Mr Rudd had abandoned the party's left-leaning principles.

But he says he was ignorant when he wrote the article, and was just trying to be sensationalist.

Mr Rose says Mr Rudd now has his full support.

"A very misinformed position I was coming from, a lot of the things I said in the article couldn't be backed up, and I really was just trying to be controversial, that's all," he said.

"There was nothing in particular I was referring to, I've apologised for my statement."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/10/03/2049550.htm

Many of us are concerned as to what will happen to our democracy if Howard was given another 3 years [not to mention WorkChoices], we are worried about the weakening of the position of opposition and their ability to compete in the future.

I hope Rudd wins and is a great success but even as a failure his victory would serve a greater good, by breaking the hold of the LNP and their control over so many things. Hopefully it will also serve to reinvigerate the unions and their membership and, I am hoping he has a policy later to help promote this. You bet I am partisan.

http://jackman.stanford.edu/oz/Aggregate2007/bettingmarkets/avgWeeklyProb.pdf

Hello?? “Rudd is closer to being a true moderate than Howard.”

What part of I am an economic conservative exactly dont u understand?

if people want the conservative alternative

Edward St John,

People don’t want a conservative alternative. They want a moderate government which puts the nations interests first. They aren’t getting that from Howard. If Rudd can convince people he not beholden to the left or the right he’ll win. Rudd is closer to being a true moderate than Howard. Howard is a reactionary, not a conservative.

Three years ago I met an absolute Liberal voter woman, many years my senior, we have developed and sustained a firm friendship.

Yes, we argue about politics, from our opposing sides, but respectfully, and agree on certain things. She challenged me recently, casting me as one who would never vote other than Labor. I gave her instances of doing exactly that and provided my reasons for so doing.

All taken in and challenged her to think otherwise. Most of it is about stuff like Labor destroying economy, fear of unions and other nonsense.

I talk about direction and vision.

Her late and second (academic) husband was an ardent Labor voter who suffered terribly before his death with auto immune condition. My friend looked after him at home, no matter what.

I pointed out to my (senior) friend that she could hardly regard the services she and her husband had received as ideally arranged or delivered under the various HACC and other programs. As she well knows and she is looking to her future.

Regards

Fighting for the new jerusalem are we?

You remind me of those who got purged by Stalin many went to the firing squad saying “if only comrade stalin knew..”

Your football team might win but so what! How is life going to be different? I dare say if people want the conservative alternative they’ll vote for the real thing not the imitation Coke!

Perhaps you’ll find Yasmine Anadyr there too comrade.

It is a little cute to worry about the color of the guns in the midst of a battle.

Well put. I’m beginning to think the hard left and hard right deserve each other.