On AM this morning a breathless reporter claimed that the kerfuffle over Rudd’s wife’s business underpaying 54 staff had neutralised his attack on Howard’s WorkChoices. It is further evidence of the parallel universe inhabited by the commentariat. I can just hear the 1 million disgruntled WorkChoice victims breathing a sigh of relief, “That’s it then, I was going to vote for Rudd but now I’m going to vote for Howard!” Rudd has correctly acknowledged the embarrassment, the problem’s been fixed, move on – a behaviour never exhibited by Howard.
HowardCo and the commentariat are ‘outraged’ by Rudd’s comments that Therese is not just an appendage of a middle-aged man and spin it to be an insult to stay-at-home mums. Never mind that Howard has done nothing to make it easier for stay-at-home mums, despite his rhetoric. Rudd’s comments will resonate with women more than HowardCo’s faux indignation.
HowardCo still haven’t learned that the more they dig, the deeper the hole gets – the more they are seen as acting like the opposition responding to Rudd’s agenda. It doesn’t wash. Expect another shift in the polls toward Labor.
…and today’s Newspoll puts ALP/Coalition on 60/40 2pp.
To turn these around at all, the government needs to focus on why they should be re-elected, not on why Rudd and the ALP shouldn’t be. It. Just. Ain’t. Working.