Reflections on the Miracle of Democracy at Work in the Greatest Nation on Earth

Newspoll: 57-43

The Australian reports Newspoll has Labor’s lead back up to 57-43 after two fortnights at 55-45. No figures yet provided to back up its headline “Costello wanted as leader”. Hat tip yet again to James J.

UPDATE: Graphic here. It shows Peter Costello’s rating as preferred Liberal leader up to 41 per cent from 23 per cent in April (wrongly labelled in the graphic as April 2007), Brendan Nelson up from 15 per cent to 18 per cent and Malcolm Turnbull down from 25 per cent to 24 per cent – bearing in mind that 19 per cent has been freed up because Julie Bishop and Tony Abbott were not included in the question this time.

UPDATE 2 (31/7/08): Further attitudinal polling, including the finding that the Prime Minister is 3 per cent less experienced than he was six months ago.

UPDATE 3: Suggested Newspoll question format for next time: Is Rudd experienced? Has he ever been experienced?

1,444 Comments

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  1. 1301
    gusface
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 7:23 pm | Permalink

    Bilbo
    off topic but as a former miscreant and jousting partner, I think you do a damn fine job sir

    *resume normal transmission*

  2. 1302
    Edward StJohn
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 7:26 pm | Permalink

    William,

    Are you still opposed to privatisation? Sink or swim on your own blog?

    From EStJ – he of the many sins.

  3. 1303
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 7:29 pm | Permalink

    Are you still opposed to privatisation? Sink or swim on your own blog?

    Two things I want privatised: 1) Marriage 2) The Office of Film and Literature Classification ( http://www.oflc.gov.au )

  4. 1304
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 7:34 pm | Permalink

    ShowsOn for Prez!

  5. 1305
    ron
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 7:36 pm | Permalink

    ShowsOn

    The Greens have announced they will preference the CLP ahead of Labor in all seats bar Port Darwin, where negotiations are ongoing

    ie. preferencing the CLP party that wants a uranium dump in Central Australia and to destroy the Daly River via land clearing for agriculture
    (patent gg)

    Is that not a hypocritcal act by th Greens to influence th WHOLE govt of NT ?

  6. 1306
    Greeensborough Growler
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 7:37 pm | Permalink

    ESJ,

    A parent loves all their children equally. I think William is trying to work out if there are any bast*ards among his brood so he can cut them off without any emotional compunction. Judging by the Isle of Bile today, there are 20 good reasons to let them go.

  7. 1307
    ron
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 7:41 pm | Permalink

    Jen , Clasified , Inner , Turn

    same question to you per #1305
    (just want to see these ‘Greens” moralistic values we hear about)

  8. 1308
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 7:44 pm | Permalink

    Thank you, Gusface. Whatever it is we jousted about has long since exited my memory. The rest of you: no more on Another Place please.

  9. 1309
    Inner Westie
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 7:45 pm | Permalink

    ESJ @ 1295

    Valid point. Six hundred thousand dead civilians, billions of US dollars poured down the drain (that could have been put towards mitigating CC), and a savage, murderous and seemingly endless internal power struggle within the country are all a worthy price to pay for deposing one spider-hole-dwelling psychopath.

    But everyone’s heard all this before.

  10. 1310
    ron
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 7:58 pm | Permalink

    Your Pres has left th building , along with suporters of th looney econamic Party but he is not one , you keep backing virtual reality Pres’s

  11. 1311
    ron
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 7:58 pm | Permalink

    Enemy Marsupial

  12. 1312
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 8:13 pm | Permalink

    ShowsOn for Prez!

    Oh, and I want Australia privatised from the U.K. Monarchy.

    Is that not a hypocritcal act by th Greens to influence th WHOLE govt of NT ?

    But this could work the the Government’s favour. They could say that the CLP has worked out a deal with the Greens to stop the LNG plant from going ahead which will cost the territory jobs and cash.

  13. 1313
    The Finnigans
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 8:20 pm | Permalink

    The fun and game you miss for being in the real world for a day

    …………. I read the news today oh, boy
    About a man who wanted to make the grade
    And though the news was rather sad
    Well, i just had to laugh. LOL, lol.

  14. 1314
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 8:21 pm | Permalink

    If Rudd wants a Republic, the most efficient way to achieve it would be to appoint David Flint as GG! :mrgreen:

    The nations constitution would be privatised by popular demand quicker than a US military supply line.

  15. 1315
    ron
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 8:24 pm | Permalink

    re #1305 :Is that not a hypocritcal act by th Greens to influence th WHOLE govt of NT ?

    ShowsOn
    #1312
    “But this could work the the Government’s favour. They could say that the CLP has worked out a deal with the Greens to stop the LNG plant from going ahead which will cost the territory jobs and cash.”

    you avoided th answer

  16. 1316
    Edward StJohn
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 8:24 pm | Permalink

    Inner Westie,

    Somewhat of a generalisation I believe.

    2 further questions;

    Do you believe in Western enlightenment values? ie freedom of speech, liberty, right to own property etc?

    AND assuming you do

    Do you believe everyone is entitled to these rights or only some?

  17. 1317
    Edward StJohn
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 8:25 pm | Permalink

    ShowsOn,

    Why stop at that? Shouldnt we have freedom to hunt and kill animals as we please too (amongst other things)?

  18. 1318
    gusface
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 8:28 pm | Permalink

    you are one sick possum :(

    i’m going to have nightmares for weeks now

  19. 1319
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 8:32 pm | Permalink

    Aww Gus – if we’re serious about these things, there’s no use doing them by halves!

  20. 1320
    gusface
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 8:39 pm | Permalink

    Poss

    but the means does not justify the end

    though flinty would look fetching all vice regaled up

    plus he wouldnt need the wig :)

  21. 1321
    ron
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 8:40 pm | Permalink

    Enemy Marsupial

    you annointed another Pres tonite But all of your Pres candidates go to water …Mr oilness , th panche , Showey , j/v , fern , blind , optim , Sir Robert etc etc …and 90 Uni degrees to boot You’ve educated these to do some bloging work , so sureley th General Marsupial does not now hav to do all th work , when retirements once did beckon , to ‘green’ pastures

  22. 1322
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 8:52 pm | Permalink

    you avoided th answer

    WTF? Why do I need to answer? Obviously the CLP have better negotiators than the NT ALP because the Greens went for whatever the CLP offered. Maybe the Greens suspect a big backlash against the Government and figure that this deal is the best way for them to win a seat?

    At least the Greens are setting aside principle in the name of self interest for a change. If they did that on economic policies they would be a more credible third party.

    Do you believe everyone is entitled to these rights or only some?

    I believe in all those rights on a universal basis. But the problem is if we want everyone to enjoy all those rights then we would have to support U.S. lead invasions of Cuba, North Korea, China, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea (a strong U.S. ally), Burma, and probably a couple of dozen other countries I can’t think of. :D

    So we need a bit more realism instead of the idealism that led us to think we would be greeted as liberators wherever we go. Of course I am glad Hussein has gone (I’m actually not glad he is dead because I oppose the death penalty universally, which is the only way you can oppose it), but what about Robert Mugabe? What about those hilarious Castro brothers? What about that wacky video buff Kim Jong Il? What about Offthefaceofthemapinajad? What about the wacky Wahhabi who runs Sadi Arabia? He’s obviously a friend to women, because he owns, oops, I mean has married 30 of them!

    If Rudd wants a Republic, the most efficient way to achieve it would be to appoint David Flint as GG! :mrgreen:

    LOL! And Rudd could ask the Queen to also make Flint Lord Warden of the Cinque ports which is what Roy & H.G. call him.

  23. 1323
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 8:59 pm | Permalink

    Why stop at that? Shouldnt we have freedom to hunt and kill animals as we please too (amongst other things)?

    I don’t know exactly which post you are referring to.

    I thought we are allowed to kill things, or has all fishing been banned? I haven’t been rabbit shooting in a while, but I imagine that will make a big comeback once they all become immune to calicivirus.

    I guess I don’t see quotas, or the need to get a permit or a license as an infringement on a right, whereas some other people do. But some people see filling in a tax assessment as an infringement, whereas I think that is a huge overstatement, and that there are more serious rights to worry about, like freedom of association and speech.

  24. 1324
    Edward StJohn
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:00 pm | Permalink

    ShowsOn that is essentially the relativist argument.

    For mine governments are bad and a good act is a good act regardless. The world is better off without a brute like Saddam, the fault in this case was the execution, surely the CIA with 50 years of experience could organise a proper coup in a country like Iraq.

  25. 1325
    Edward StJohn
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:02 pm | Permalink

    Again with the relativism ShowsON,

    if marriage should be privatised, then surely laissez faire should apply across the board? A little bit of laissez faire or the laissez faire big brother gives you is somewhat inconsistent?

    If I should be allowed to marry whom i choose then surely I should be allowed to shoot whatever animal i choose?

  26. 1326
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:08 pm | Permalink

    The Greens have a possible crunch coming up: if the Fibs block the ETS then the govt will rely on the Greens and independents and if so will the Greens pass an ETS they think is too mild? They wil have to deal and negotiate.

    Somewhere I saw the stats of 840 Democrat amendments, 40 Green amendments, such ideological purity will mean the Greens will be powerless and everything will be negotiated by Labor & Fibs.

  27. 1327
    ron
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:08 pm | Permalink

    ShowsOn
    #1322
    “Obviously the CLP have better negotiators than the NT ALP because the Greens went for whatever the CLP offered.”

    Pretty lame excuse , th Greens preferencing the CLP party that wants a uranium dump in Central Australia and to destroy the Daly River via land clearing for agriculture “better negotiators” ? more like Labor stood by its principals , and th NT Greens became a politcal harlot to th liberals

    showsOn
    #1322
    At least the Greens are setting ASIDE PRINCIPLE in the name of self interest for a change

    So th Greens stand for nothing Giving an OK to a Unranium dump and destroying the Daly River would be core Greens policy , thats tantamount by comparison to Labor giving away Medicare Where is th santimonious “morality” and principals of Greens policy I keep hearing about compared to mainstream parties , zero

  28. 1328
    the judge
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:22 pm | Permalink

    ron,
    i know the facts get in the way of your theories.
    so don’t let me spoil a good load of crap originating from you.
    but The Greens will not be preferencing the CLP in the NT.
    Also The Green will not be giving away drugs to school children.
    Sorry to spoil your fantasies.

  29. 1329
    ron
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:27 pm | Permalink

    Another Green

  30. 1330
    Jen
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:31 pm | Permalink

    Growler @1300-
    just having dinner, sweetie.
    although it’s unlikely I’ll be backing the Libs…
    let me read the rest and i’ll get back to you.

    :wink:

  31. 1331
    Just Me
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:31 pm | Permalink

    With the exception of one seat (Port Darwin) that is still under discussion with the ALP, the NT Greens are explicitly NOT preferencing anybody. See the latest NT election thread for a few more details.

    http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/905

  32. 1332
    ron
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:36 pm | Permalink

    The Judge
    #1328
    ‘a good load of crap originating’

    i STARTED off replying to a foolish Greens suporter who stupidly claimed Kevin Rudd is close to ‘a consevative’ you did NOT post then So you’ve got th gall to claim that was not foolish You’d probaly also defend fantasyland Green econamic policys as well

  33. 1333
    Jen
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:36 pm | Permalink

    Oh bugger Judge…
    that was my favourite policy – giving drugs to school children.
    No one knows how hard I worked to get that through instead of free soy milk at recess…

  34. 1334
    Diogenes
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:40 pm | Permalink

    ESJ

    Enough with the red herring arguments. Giving someone the freedom to marry whomever they want cannot be extrapolated to an argument that we can shoot any animal we wish. There is no universal principle in common between the two, except for free will.

    As you WELL KNOW, there are many “freedoms” which a society based on Enlightenment principles does not allow.

    And you are intelligent enough to know there are no such things as “universal rights”.

    I suppose you are still grieving Solzhenitsyn’s death.

  35. 1335
    TurningWorm
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:43 pm | Permalink

    Ron, did Ruddster not say he was an economic conservative? And we know his views on social issues could not be described as liberal. i.e. anti free speech, anti gay marriage, pro oiliness, pro popeyness. How would you describe Ruddster’s politics?

  36. 1336
    Thomas Paine
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:44 pm | Permalink

    Watching programs like 4 Corners tonight on the ice melting etc is just depressing. They ought to add some avenue of hope in the way they construct their report. They are in danger through relating the real and imminent dangers of ice melts and CC etc of making everyone give up in despair.

  37. 1337
    Thomas Paine
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:47 pm | Permalink

    By the way when people like ‘nameless’ realise they have lost the misinformation campaign they will change to the new tactic of, it is all too late and so we are wasting our time doing anything. Better spend money on mitigation than prevention. ANything to protect the pockets of the energy industry and big business.

  38. 1338
    Edward StJohn
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:48 pm | Permalink

    Lol Diogenes,

    Too true – as Vladimir Illich said “Freedom is so precious a commodity it must be rationed”.

    One could say Hong Kong Chinese are the most libertarian people around, I am free to eat that rare tropical fish because I paid a $1000 for it.

    Seriously though arent all societys a balance of freedom and norms/restrictions?
    That is the point, whilst ShowsOn argues for privatisation we do collectively choose to prohibit somethings and inhibit the freedom of the citizenry. It’s just what one considers freedom another considers repugnant.

    I believe (from observing government too closely) one should err on the side of government regulation where possible – truly marriage probably should be privatised amongst other things. And the government being here to help me – that I doubt. Do people seriously think some Labor or Liberal MP’s are here to help them?

  39. 1339
    Edward StJohn
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:49 pm | Permalink

    TP, Come on do you really think Penny Wong and Kevin Rudd are going to save the planet? Really truly?

  40. 1340
    Diogenes
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:51 pm | Permalink

    I haven’t followed Sam Newman’s latest unpleasantry but it looks like the Tasmanian MP involved has attempted suicide or had a “nervous breakdown” of some sort. It could be a coincidence that she has needed emergency hospitalisation for some other reason, but the odds would have to be with something directly related to the recent publicity. The faces of her colleagues look pretty sombre.

    Paula Wriedt rushed to hospital
    http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,24126126-921,00.html

  41. 1341
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:52 pm | Permalink

    Tiptoeing around mentioning Andrew Bolt is irritating me more than references to him (or rather, the frequency of them) was doing in the first place.

  42. 1342
    ron
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:53 pm | Permalink

    The Greens will deny Labor their preferences in all but one crucial seat in the Northern Territory election , where they are still negotiating

    FACT: Th CLP (”Libs/Nats”) the CLP party that wants a uranium dump in Central Australia and to destroy the Daly River via land clearing for agriculture

    I’m calling th Greens hypocrites Thats th same as not preferencing Rudd vs Howard

    Now THE JUDGE #1328
    “so don’t let me spoil a good load of crap originating from you”

    You ar clearly full of it , typical foolish Greens answer for this site Unlike some Greens friemnds of mine who ar politcal experts & know Labor and rudd ar not ‘a conservative’

  43. 1343
    ron
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:55 pm | Permalink

    “Tiptoeing around mentioning Andrew Bolt is irritating me more than references to him (or rather, the frequency of them) was doing in the first place.”

    I use a term for one CC denier politcal guy “quack quack” Never said who he is

  44. 1344
    Dario
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:58 pm | Permalink

    ESJ, do you think Nelson or Turnbull would fare better?

  45. 1345
    ron
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:59 pm | Permalink

    Turning worm

    You’ve come back for more , well Sir Kevin once he’d gave a BLANKET denial to any offshore oil drilling in an area , then Sir Kevin , seeing he’s not oiliness financied , would stick to his policy and not flip flop You suport flip flop pollies who will do so , and hav said so

  46. 1346
    Progressive
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 10:03 pm | Permalink

    How many of you watched FOUR CORNERS tonight? If that didn’t convince the sceptics, I don’t know what will!
    And Channel 9 should sack Sam Newman immediately: horrible man!

  47. 1347
    TurningWorm
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 10:07 pm | Permalink

    I’ll take that to mean you concede he’s conservative then, Ron.

  48. 1348
    Edward StJohn
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 10:08 pm | Permalink

    Neither Dario,

    First year of opposition the Government can do no wrong, that is why Labor’s performance has been so underwhelming – look at what Hawke did in his first term for a comparison.

  49. 1349
    Greeensborough Growler
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 10:11 pm | Permalink

    ESJ,

    I suppose you are right. Hawkie did break the drought.

  50. 1350
    Edward StJohn
    Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 at 10:14 pm | Permalink

    Franklin Dam, Medicare, Bank deregulation all in the first term GG.

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