Weekend miscellany

Saturday, December 3, 2011

by William Bowe

Federal Politics 2010-

No Morgan poll this week. There is the following however:

• ReachTel continues to pump out the Queensland state automated phone polls. Perhaps emboldened by a recent effort pointing to a 27 per cent anti-Labor swing in Stretton, they have this week targeted two safe Labor seats and elicited similarly dramatic results. A survey of 384 respondents in the seat of Ipswich is fully as bad for Labor as the Stretton poll, showing a 26 per cent swing and a win for LNP candidate Ian Berry over Labor incumbent Rachel Nolan by a margin of 9.4 per cent. In the Brisbane seat of Bundamba, a poll of 371 respondents found a 20 per cent swing which would all but eradicate Labor member Jo-Ann Miller’s margin. Katter’s Australian Party was on double figures in both seats. Last week ReachTel published a poll of 366 respondents in Ferny Grove which showed a 15 per cent swing, easily enough to account for Labor member Geoff Wilson’s margin of 4.3 per cent. It should be noted however that ReachTel is a new outfit using a methodology which is yet to prove its worth, and all the swings mentioned are well over the 13 per cent indicated by recent Newspoll and Galaxy polling.

• John Ferguson of The Australian reports polling by the Victorian Liberal Party shows it poised to win not only the Labor-held marginals of Deakin, Corangamite and La Trobe, but also recording primary votes of 50 per cent and 48 per cent in relatively safe Bruce and Chisholm. Particularly difficult to believe is a funding from Bruce that “Julia Gillard had a minus 22 per cent favourability rating with Mr Abbott at plus 2 per cent”, which compares with Nielsen’s recent Victorian results of minus 13 and minus 25. Ferguson’s report further says that former members Phil Barresi (voted out in 2007 and again unsuccessful in 2010) and Jason Wood (voted out in 2010) are considering comebacks in Deakin and La Trobe. Local councillor Tim Smith is another possible starter in Deakin, and Ernst & Young partner John Nguyen “would be backed by many local members” in Chisholm. John Roskam of the Institute of Public Affairs and lawyer John Pesutto are mentioned as being likely preselection aspirants, though it is unclear in relation to which seats.

• Michael McKenna of The Australian reports “lobbyist and former 2007 Liberal candidate for the seat of Brisbane Ted O’Brien and Sunshine Coast businesswoman Peta Simpson” will join Mal Brough in the LNP preselection contest for Peter Slipper’s seat of Fisher, with Brough “expected to easily win”. In the period between his appearance at a local function with Kevin Rudd and his defection from the party, the LNP state executive was considering having Slipper deposed at a snap December 19 preselection, which would have prevented the state election campaign clashing with any move by him to pursue internal appeals processes. However, this failed to take into account that many of Brough’s local branch “recruits” (according to The Australian, “since returning to the party in December last year, Brough has doubled the membership in the Fisher LNP branch to more than 1000”) would have been unable to participate due to the rule requiring 12 months’ membership. According to The Australian, it was “suspected that Slipper may have orchestrated the Rudd visit to entrap the LNP into calling an early preselection to defeat Brough”. Following Slipper’s defection, it is now clear the preselection will now be held after the state election.

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Categories: Federal Politics 2010-, Queensland Politics

1800 Responses

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In the next session of parliament Albo and the like should really go to town on the Daily Telegraph.

by BK on Dec 4, 2011 at 8:45 am
In his latest post, Mumble says the coalition will not support a conscience vote on same sex marriage.
http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/mumble/index.php/theaustralian/comments/alp_natconf/

If Abbott is still persisting with this line, I expect he’ll come under a lot of pressure.

by confessions on Dec 4, 2011 at 8:48 am
Well its all starting to should like a mr bean, tv show, which I might add I love

I love them because of the comedy and the fact there is no talking,so my hearing doesn’t get in the way of enjoying the comedy,

by my say on Dec 4, 2011 at 8:48 am
As predicted, Mr Rudd has done a bit of leadership destabilisation during the Conference. This time one or more of his minions has had a little off-the-record conversation with Ms Maiden (see link above) who has dutifully reported same with a bit of added interpretation.

KEVIN Rudd still has "the ticker" to tackle Julia Gillard for the prime ministership and is preparing to challenge within months.

‘Ticker’ is a loaded term and presumably has been slipped into the narrative by Mr Rudd’s foot soldier for ‘colour’. IMHO, it jars because, as an implied attack on Ms Gillard it does not work. We all know she has ticker. OTOH, not only does Mr Rudd have a shonky physical heart, why do we need to be reminded that he has a ruthless ambition to return as prime minister, whatever it costs. That is not about ‘heart’ in the broader sense’. It is about heartlessness.

Despite a belief that Mr Rudd's leadership ambitions had been put on ice following a recent turnaround in fortunes for Julia Gillard, supporters of the deposed PM want him to move on her before next year's Budget in May.

Having failed before Christmas, Mr Rudd is casting about looking for the next likely timeline. The prediction in PB that Ms Gillard was now safe from a challenge from Mr Rudd a couple of months worth of sittings into the next parliamentary year looks about right.

"Kevin has never wanted for ticker when it comes to taking on the leadership," one Labor MP told the Sunday Herald Sun.

This repeats the word, ‘ticker’. In case the Herald Sun readers did not get it the first time. After all the paper is written for a reading age of around 12.

Mr Rudd's resolve is said to have firmed after being humiliated at the ALP national conference.

I imagine that having your nose rubbed into it by the person you loathe most in the world would do that for you. But if you have been running a destabilisation campaign, what could you expect, really?

Despite dragging Labor out of 13 years of opposition in 2007, Mr Rudd's brief period as prime minister was deliberately wiped from history by Ms Gillard in her opening address.

True.

Mr Rudd's backers were infuriated and disgusted by the very public snub.

That would have to be true.

Despite Gillard Cabinet euphoria that the year had ended on a high with the defection of Peter Slipper and the passage of the mining tax, Mr Rudd's supporters insist the leadership issue has not been laid to rest.

If they say so, it must be so. The logic is internally consistent.

"This will all come to a natural head before the next Budget," a Labor MP said. "Gillard will never go anywhere by her own volition. So it will have to be done by other means.

Mr Rudd’s supporter uses the term ‘natural’. This is an attempt to create a timeline designed to force a leadership crisis. The longer Ms Gillard lasts, the harder it gets for Mr Rudd to force a leadership change.

“She’s been given all the rope she needs.”

This is brutalist language around the notion of a person hanging herself. Incidentally, it echoes the sort of talk you would get from Mr Abbott about Ms Gillard’s Government being an ‘experiment’. The use of the past tense indicates that the speaker is trying to impress that Ms Gillard has had her chance and she has failed.

The Foreign Affairs Minister has been increasingly flexing his muscle in recent weeks, declaring an open mind to the direct election of the Labor leader by rank-and-file members of the ALP.

Noted in PB at the time. But it omits to mention yet another of his ‘slip ups’ at about the same time.]

There was anger among supporters of Mr Rudd yesterday over what they regarded as the sidelining of the Foreign Affairs Minister, who was relegated to the dying hours of the ALP conference on Sunday to debate his portfolio.

I can only imagine that there was such anger.

Ms Gillard's decision to argue that ALP conferences should not be a "coronation or a campaign launch" was regarded as another dig at the former PM over claims he shut down debate.

I certainly regarded it as such. Who else could this set of words possibly be directed at?

The Prime Minister and Treasurer Wayne Swan's decision to pay tribute to Labor's greatest leaders on Friday, in a roll call that included every Labor PM including Curtin, Chifley, Whitlam, Hawke and Keating but excluding Mr Rudd, had also angered MPs.

I can only imagine that die-hard Mr Rudd fans in the parliamentary party would have been angered by this deliberate snub by the Prime Minister.

Supporters of Mr Rudd conceded that the ALP caucus was not prepared to act before Christmas, citing a desire to extend Ms Gillard natural justice, allow her to welcome US President Barack Obama to Australia and conclude the ALP conference.

Mr Rudd’s supporters are gilding the lily here. The reason Caucus was not ready to move on Ms Gillard was that her numbers improved and Mr Rudd did not have the numbers. The other stuff is bullshit window dressing.

But they warned the fundamentals of Labor's primary vote had not altered, with dozens of Labor MPs facing the loss of their seats in a potential electoral slaughter.

Indeed. The take home message is that the best hope that Mr Rudd has of unseating Ms Gillard will be that if the Party’s polling remains in the disaster zone. He has much in common with Mr Abbott.

The critics warned the defection of Liberal MP Mr Slipper to become Speaker and sit as an independent in Parliament would blow up in her face.

Mr Rudd’s supporters, once again, are on the same page as Mr Abbott. Strange, that.

The political knifing of Mr Rudd, the carbon tax lie and the "knifing of Harry" as Speaker were cited as the PM's three biggest problems. Former Speaker Harry Jenkins has denied he was pushed to vacate the Speaker's chair, a move that has delivered Labor an extra vote on the floor of Parliament.

My view is somewhat different. The two biggest problems for the Prime Minister are the ongoing GFC and AGW. To put her problems as problems in terms of politics rather than policy shows that Mr Rudd and his spear carriers have yet to accept that governance is about policy, not persons.

But there were also expectations that Mr Rudd would offer another olive branch to the Left faction on nuclear policy when he spoke today.

Mr Rudd is cutting deals to try and win support. We are supposed to think that he has changed his spots, that he is no longer a dithering but maniacal micro-manager.

The Right faction remains solid behind the Prime Minister, with power brokers Bill Shorten and Stephen Conroy bitterly opposed to the return of Mr Rudd as leader.

This is stating the obvious.

The thing that must really be hurting Mr Rudd is that he can no longer threaten to resign his seat, force a bye-election and bring down the Government.

It is not only Mr Wilkie who has suffered relevance deprivation syndrome as a result of the Slipper Ascension.

by Boerwar on Dec 4, 2011 at 8:50 am
BK:

I misread Bernard Keane as saying Penny Wong had called the DT the most contemptible media outlet in the country.

I’m sure she would privately!!

by confessions on Dec 4, 2011 at 8:50 am
Paul Kelly does “angry old man” very well. Sometimes he shakes he is so angry. Thathappens whenever the word “Gillard” comes up. I like it when he shakes. He is funny. But he never shakes when he talks about Tony Abbott. I suppose that makes sense because why would you shake with anger when you are giving a boy some fatherly advice? That only a wise old man would possess?

Paul Kelly is useless hack who gives a bad name to has-beens.

by Roy Orbison on Dec 4, 2011 at 8:52 am
BB – You are still in fine form.

by dave on Dec 4, 2011 at 8:52 am
There was a NZ politician called Pansy Wong.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pansy_Wong

by waznaki on Dec 4, 2011 at 8:52 am
BREAKING…

Libs in freefall…

Myer store manager refuses to blame
Carbon Tax, rising interest rates for price gouge
A BOTTLE of Chanel No5 is reportedly sold every 55 seconds around the world. But Myer shoppers pay an extra 40 per cent for the privilege. "I can't categorically say why there's such a significant price difference," the Myer group general manager, Judy Coomber, says. She denies the department store is profiteering but won't reveal its margins. Myer is charged more for cosmetics than department stores in the US and Europe because of the size and remoteness of the Australian market, Coomber says. Such price discrimination is common, according to the Productivity Commission. Retail analyst Russell Wright, from Patersons Securities, agrees: "Australian consumers are being exploited by global suppliers who charge well in excess of what is an appropriate cost for distribution." Higher wages, GST and freight costs to Australia can add 10 per cent to 15 per cent to retail prices, he says. Overseas suppliers typically add a further impost of 20 per cent to 30 per cent on average, he adds. "This surcharge in some cases is so excessive that even though Myer is the largest importer of cosmetics in Australia it can't source products cheaper than what's available online.'' Separately, Coomber questions the quality of cheaper goods through online retailers. StrawberryNET in Hong Kong rejects this charge, saying its products are genuine.

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/shopping/why-the-high-price-tag-20111203-1och9.html#ixzz1fVkMZvV7

by Bushfire Bill on Dec 4, 2011 at 8:54 am
BernardKeane Bernard Keane
"Pansy Wong" says it all about the least trusted, most contemptible and crassly partisan media outlet in the country.

Poor old News Limited is always being called out for partisanship (and rightly so). But why doesn’t hate radio also come in for proportionate criticism? There is nothing remotely non-partisan about its thousands of words of anti-Labor / anti-Green editorial outpourings each day. We shouldn’t underestimate its reach / influence either. In most parts of Australia hate radio is the only spoken word available locally on the radio dial.

by Cuppa on Dec 4, 2011 at 8:54 am
Confessions

Pansy Wong was a New Zealand Parliamentarian

by docantk on Dec 4, 2011 at 8:58 am
Connie,
A well bought up still attending mass every sunday,

Will never ever, accept Sam sex marriage, believe me
I know of these’ people,.
The rest. Of us are true to our faith in our own way. And consider ourselves no lesser catholics
That is the majority these days,

by my say on Dec 4, 2011 at 8:59 am
Pansy Wong was a New Zealand Parliamentarian

So?

by confessions on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:00 am
Now Labor has one extra vote in the house why is Kev not terminated? He is a boil on the ass of Labor that should be lanced before it grows to large and explodes infecting everything around it.

by rummel on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:01 am
POLICE have charged independent MP Bob Katter's daughter with assault over an alleged altercation at an elite Sydney daycare after her three children were "disenrolled".

Mother-of-three Caroline Katter Coupland, a lawyer for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, was charged on Thursday and will appear in the North Sydney Local Court on January 18.

http://www.news.com.au/national/bob-katters-daughter-charged-over-an-alleged-assault/story-e6frfkvr-1226213279570

by confessions on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:06 am
r

Good question.

I suspect the answer is that forcing Mr Rudd! onto the backbench would free him to stop doing his destabilisation behind the scenes. Freed from the rule of Cabinet solidarity, he would be able to engage in open criticism.

His alternative would be to resign his seat, force a by election and probably reducing the Government’s number of seats by one.

In all this we know that Mr Rudd! has long since abandoned the view that AGW is the greatest moral challenge of our generation.

In fact, he acts exactloy like he thinks that personal power for Mr Rudd! is the greatest moral challenge of our generation.

by Boerwar on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:08 am
confessions @ 814

That is the sort of news story that newspapers should not report, IMHO.

by Boerwar on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:09 am
Morning all – saw Paul Kelly and his ‘shaking’. He doesn’t do it when talking of Kevin either and, interestingly, the last 3 newspoll weekends have included leaked stories from Labor supporters of Kev about the leadership.

Paul Kelly to Scott Morrison “Has Ausralia lost control of its borders” ha ha – what do you think Morrison answered. Switched over to watch the conference instead.

by BH on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:10 am
Gary

Cannot answer but I assume that Maiden has her reasons. Could be just general anti Labor destabilisation but more likely she sees it as a way of continuing to keep the anti Rudd fires stoked.

I can’t answer it either. Any anti Labor destabilisation doesn’t just affect Rudd. I suspect the anti Rudd fires don’t need to be stoked. I think she’s more anti Labor than anything else.

by Gary on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:14 am
In fact, he acts exactloy like he thinks that personal power for Mr Rudd! is the greatest moral challenge of our generation.

Agree.

by rummel on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:14 am
BH

Australia has lost control of its borders.

When thousands of individuals cross the border on their own volition, that is exactly what has happened, has it not?

by Boerwar on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:15 am
Had the PM done the appropriate thing yesterday and included Rudd in her list of former Labor Prime Ministers there would have been no grounds for this speculation today. Yes she never mentioned Frank Forde who was interim Prime Minister for eight days but Rudd was there for three years and ignored.

This is an own goal of the PM’s making.

by MTBW on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:22 am
Gary

Cannot answer but I assume that Maiden has her reasons. Could be just general anti Labor destabilisation but more likely she sees it as a way of continuing to keep the anti Rudd fires stoked.

I can’t answer it either. Any anti Labor destabilisation doesn’t just affect Rudd. I suspect the anti Rudd fires don’t need to be stoked. I think she’s more anti Labor than anything else.

The obvious reason Ms Maiden published that article is because a Labor MP who was a Mr Rudd! supporter provided her with a set of quotes that she could use for a story. Leader destabilisation is grist to the journalistic mill.

The thing I object to with Mr Rudd! is that he is so greedy for personal power that he is prepared to damage a Labor Government in order to get that power.

In fact, I will go a step further. The power fight between Ms Gillard and Mr Rudd is damaging the Labor Government.

Ms Gillard should have given a gracious nidnod to Mr Rudd in her listing of the pantheon of erstwhile Labor Prime Ministers. But she did not. This was a sign of Ms Gillard’s weakness, not her strength vis-a-vis Mr Rudd!

The intiative for this damaging stoush is Mr Rudd’s. He can stop it anytime he likes. But personal power is far more important to him than anything else. So he will not stop the damage until someone drives a stake through his political heart.

And then they will have to put a pile of rocks on his political grave to make sure he stays there.

by Boerwar on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:22 am
onya tanya

no uranium to india

by gusface on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:22 am
BW

I don’t agree with you on much at all but I do agree with you @ 816.

by MTBW on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:23 am
MTBW

This is an own goal of the PM’s making.

I agree that it was an own goal, but really, Mr Rudd! was always going to have some sort of leadership destabilisation go at the National Conference.

by Boerwar on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:24 am
BW

Mr Rudd! was always going to have some sort of leadership destabilisation go at the National Conference.

How do you know that?

by MTBW on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:28 am
‘Insiders’ doing a markedly substandard job on analysing the surplus target. On the one hand they joked about the tiny size of the surplus. On the other hand they said it was politically critically important.

They did not get round to the important fiscal policy implications for things like Australia’s triple A rating and the cost of money in Australia.

Lightweight stuff.

by Boerwar on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:30 am
Mr Rudd! was always going to have some sort of leadership destabilisation go at the National Conference.

Totally.

1. We can’t have the PM cast in a leadership role when all the country’s media are watching.

2. It’s always about Rudd. Never about the party or the govt.

by confessions on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:32 am
MTBW

Mr Rudd! was always going to have some sort of leadership destabilisation go at the National Conference.

How do you know that?

I predicted it and it happened.

Mr prediction was based on the view that when it comes to personal political power, Mr Rudd is powerless to stop himself from having a go.

by Boerwar on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:32 am
Boerwar – that did strike me when Kelly asked the question. After seeing Gillan ask useless questions of conference delegates and pollies this morning I’m thinking that any Murdoch influenced employee has lost the plot.

BTW – forgot to mention the other day that somebody linked Kev’s blog where he had posted his ideas for changes to the Party and direct election of the leader by members. I left a comment. All the comments were complimenting Kev on how wonderful he is and how he should regain the leadership. My comment didn’t criticise him at all but pointed out that Caucus might be the best judge of who should be leader as they have to work with that person. My comment wasn’t accepted altho others were added after the time that I posted.

by BH on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:34 am
‘Insiders’ did a thorough hatchet job on the Opposition’s economic management.

by Boerwar on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:34 am
BH

My comment didn’t criticise him at all but pointed out that Caucus might be the best judge of who should be leader as they have to work with that person. My comment wasn’t accepted altho others were added after the time that I posted.

So much for Mr Rudd’s dedication to ‘democracy’ eh?

by Boerwar on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:36 am
Mr prediction was based on the view that when it comes to personal political power, Mr Rudd is powerless to stop himself from having a go.

I have never met him and wouldn’t know but whatever your view he deserved recognition as a former Prime Minister yesterday but was excluded from that list.

I think he would have every right to be very peeved about that. It was blatant.

Perception in politics is everything and it wasn’t a good look.

by MTBW on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:40 am
I hesitate to say this but it did cross my mind that

Gillards polls were awful
CT came in AND there was a public kiss of Rudd
Labor polls went up
Gillard embarrassed Rudd over the uranium
Labor’s upward movement levelled or fell

In other words when the public though that Gillard and Rudd were friends again polling moved up

Just a thought. The public HATES disunity

Failure to mention Rudd was an own goal I suspect but probably not too serious

by daretotread on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:40 am
d

The public HATES disunity

Never a truer word was spoken.

by Boerwar on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:42 am
sandraom Sandra O'Malley
The heartfelt speech from Penny Wong on #marriageequality. Beautiful. http://fb.me/SkcGTQBN (via @carolduncan @EMILYsListAus)

Faulkner’s was good as well.

by confessions on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:43 am
MTBW

I have never met him and wouldn’t know but whatever your view he deserved recognition as a former Prime Minister yesterday but was excluded from that list.

I think he would have every right to be very peeved about that. It was blatant.

Perception in politics is everything and it wasn’t a good look.

Yep.

by Boerwar on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:43 am
c @ 836

Yep.

The genuine emotion surrounding Ms Wong’s participation in the Conference has been a highlight, IMHO.

by Boerwar on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:46 am
Faulkner’s final comment wtte that “a conscience vote on this issue is unconscienable” was brilliant.

by MTBW on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:49 am
As I said the other day, had the PM mentioned Rudd in the context in which she raised all the others (historical), then no doubt we’d be seeing tales of woe from Rudd and his backers that he was consigned to history, rather than mentioned as part of the current team.

And besides which, she also neglected to mention Andrew Fisher. I suppose she was snubbing him as well.

by confessions on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:50 am
Meant to add agreement to Penny Wong wonderfully passionate speech. She has class writ large.

by MTBW on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:51 am
MTBW

Faulkner’s final comment wtte that “a conscience vote on this issue is unconscienable” was brilliant.

So, what is Mr Faulkner going to do, abstain?

by Boerwar on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:53 am
Boerwar:

Wong has said she’s been pushing for change within the party on this front for years now. I imagine this weekend is a very emotional, yet satisfying time for her.

It makes Rudd’s attempts at destabilisation look even more self-serving.

by confessions on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:53 am
confessions

If you are going to honour the list from former Labor PMs from Curtin you honour them all without exclusion. It was very poor form.

by MTBW on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:54 am
BW

Last I looked the consceince vote motion was carried that is how it will be. He was debating against that concept but now the vote has been carried in the affirmative they will be able to vote with their conscience. Who knows what any one will do I don’t have the skill of reading their minds.

by MTBW on Dec 4, 2011 at 9:59 am
Bore War @ 803

Get over it mate. Get help if you need it.

by bemused on Dec 4, 2011 at 10:00 am
Morning all. I won’t pretend to have kept up with all the media goings on but my brief comments are as follows:

Yes, the usual suspects are using all current events to portray Labor as disunited etc. Talk of a Rudd leadership challenge now is nonsense, but still gets trotted out.

Yes the ALP conference is getting mixed coverage, positive for the Gay marriage policy, negative for the cop-out of a conscience vote that will defeat it.

To me, the fact that a significant proportion of Labor delegates want a conscience vote, and not a formal party position, shows that they are not in touch with majority community opinion. They are, as Keating would say, “unrepresentative swill”. This perception does Labor no good at all.

It is all very well to bag media coverage but, unless the media reports are false and the conscience vote is passed in parliament, the truth is comments like this are correct:

The Prime Minister has called for the matter to be subject to a conscience vote. This is an approach that would allow the Prime Minister to appear liberally inclined on the issue, while in effect (and here Ms Gillard relies shrewdly on her working knowledge of actual Labor consciences) ensuring that the whole thing dies with its leg in the air.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-02/crabb-labor-left-and-right-make-for-queer-bedfellows/3708072

There is no point shooting the messsenger unless the message is actually false. Unless the bill is passed, what Crabbe said is true.

Meanwhile the hypocrisy of those on the Labor right who happily decide almost every policy on opinion polls and focus groups, except when it clashes with their own personal prejudices, is sickening. Why do they even remain in a “progressive” party? An accident of birth? I suppose it is a well paid job for life for some.

On happier themes, I’m off to do some work before watching the cricket. I hope you all have an enjoyable day.

by Socrates on Dec 4, 2011 at 10:01 am
daretotread

I hesitate to say this, but I think you’re reading too much into the polls. People change their minds for a whole range of reasons and usually those who try and read something specific as “the reason” polls change one way or the other often attribute it to something that makes sense to them personally.

by ltep on Dec 4, 2011 at 10:02 am
Soc

Very well said!

by MTBW on Dec 4, 2011 at 10:04 am

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