Gloom Grows In The Australian Labor Government After A Messy Start To The Election Campaign

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and The Leader Of The Opposition Tony Abbott.

By Andrew Bolt ~

Dennis Shanahan reports concern within Labor about Kevin Rudd’s messy start to the election:

ONLY two days into the election campaign, concerns are beginning to be voiced from inside the ALP about Kevin Rudd’s presidential campaign style, Labor’s political momentum and the strength of the Prime Minister’s popularity.

Senior ALP figures have told The Australian there remains an intense dislike towards Mr Rudd despite Labor’s rise in the polls since his removal of Julia Gillard five weeks ago, and a view his campaign has not started well and is losing momentum…

There … is criticism of Mr Rudd’s frenetic schedule ahead of calling the election for September 7, opposition to his concerted efforts to wage war with the “Murdoch press” (News Corporation, owner of The Australian), claims he will not take advice and suggestions he should have called the election a week earlier for August 31…

One influential Labor figure told The Australian: “The week before last he had a one-in-three chance of winning; this week it’s down to a one-in-four chance. It’s still a chance but not what it was.

“In the marginal seats Kevin Rudd’s satisfaction is just ‘even Stevens’ and Tony Abbott is appearing less negative.”

UPDATE

Watching Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s press conference today, I detect a new sense of confidence. Abbott has always enjoyed campaigning, but today he seemed happy and in the zone. I suspect the initial fear of Rudd’s comeback has well and truly gone, and Abbott feels he now has Rudd’s measure again.

Had Labor gone to the polls a week earlier, it might have caught Abbott when he was a little less sure of himself and how to proceed.

Small detail: good that the Liberals have made the background hoarding a slightly darker shade of blue, too. The initial color I saw was far too insipid.

Andrew Bolt is a journalist and columnist writing for The Herald Sun in Melbourne Victoria Australia.

Andrew Bolt’s columns appear in Melbourne’s Herald Sun, Sydney’s Daily Telegraph and Adelaide’s Advertiser. He runs the most-read political blog in Australia and hosts Channel 10’s The Bolt Report each Sunday at 10am. He is also heard from Monday to Friday at 8am on the breakfast show of radio station MTR 1377, and his book  Still Not Sorry remains very widely read.

Read more excellent articles from Andrew Bolt’s Blog . http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/

Tagged: Andrew Bolt, Australian Federal Election, Australian Labor Party, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Austrlain Opposition Leader Tony Abbott

Posted in: Australia, Leftists (In the USA aka as Liberals-Progressives), Politics, Power Hungry, Public Opinion