Comments on: Malcolm Turnbull – a Ute Full of Pain

By: Possum Comitatus

Possum Comitatus — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:21:11 +0000

Trubbell,

That’s a good question!

Does Peter Costello carry a personal vote of a few percent for the Liberals – where that vote simply sat with the Coalition under the faint hope that one day he would lead, but no he’s going will dissipate elsewhere?

By: Not Your Average Constituent « Under The Milky Way

Not Your Average Constituent « Under The Milky Way — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:40:33 +0000

...] Ozcar Affair (also at Crikey and New Matilda) has already caused Malcolm Turnbull great damage and threatens to take out, or make unelectable, the entire top echelon of the Liberal [...

By: Trubbell at Mill

Trubbell at Mill — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 05:34:53 +0000

Poss, I was thinking that at least some of the dive in the Coalition’s primary vote might have been due to poll respondents understanding that, not only is Costello no longer an option as leader but he is also no longer ‘in the team’ so to speak.

The high ‘Costello as preferred OL’ result seems like a real smack to the Liberals that most people think they haven’t treated him well enough to keep him – complete sook though he is.

By: Bryce

Bryce — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:59:40 +0000

I suspect the public are reacting to the impetuosity/lack of judgement of Turnbull. Defence of his actions by himself and others (not my fault/ he was misled etc) don’t cut through because they are addressing the wrong issue. Leadership qualities was uppermost in the thoughts of those being polled and Turnbull was badly marked down.

Difficult economic times require a leader with a calm head, and if the Libs think their economic credentials are strong enough to stay in the game, then they must have a leader to match Rudd’s steady hand.

Turnbull, it seems, is not that person.

By: wilful

wilful — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:26:45 +0000

John, re the economic debate, have you read the comments in the Shanahan column today? The true believers are very much convinced that this is the issue to fight over.

By: thewetmale

thewetmale — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:14:58 +0000

Would that be a “dead cat bounce”?

Every bounce associated with Malcolm Turnbull from now on will be a “dead cat bounce”

By: Musrum

Musrum — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:31:56 +0000

I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a ‘bounce’ for Turnbull

Would that be a “dead cat bounce”?

By: John

John — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:13:24 +0000

Libs have to wait and see if the next polls have it blowing over or getting worse as the news continues to roll out. No point jumping now and then in 6 months no one remembers all this.

But re comment #2 – “they still will only get real traction if they sort out what the heck they stand for.” I think they have worked this out – they stand for a surplus budget (and negligible public sector foreign debt) as the highest national priority. That’s what they have chosen to jump on, and that’s their big idea.

Sure, that’s what gave the world the Great Depression, and sure, that will put untold thousands out of work, but that is their big idea, their point of difference from the ALP, and they are sticking to it. As a centrist I want to see this contest of ideas front and centre, and I want to see this economic lunacy exposed for what it is. Congratulations to the PM and Treasurer for not being scared to spend big to save jobs, and I hope that they are vindicated in the court of public opinion, not only in the halls of the IMF and OECD.

By: Evan Beaver

Evan Beaver — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:17:25 +0000

Incredible numbers. I bet there’s some backbenchers shaking and scratching their heads this week. It would piss me off severely to see my leader carry on like such a fool and burn the party so badly.

By: Cat

Cat — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:12:33 +0000

zoomster I have never asked about People Skills as I specifically have about a few others but going on reactions when he is mentioned I suspect the reactions are pretty much the same as mine. I shall put it simply as “not flattering”.