Tony Abbott: “Malcolm can still win”
Despite taking a hammering in the polls, and with his rating as preferred Prime Minister now languishing at some 16%, Tony Abbott still reckons Malcolm Turnbull can win the next election.
Clearly Tony Abbott, now sees his role in the Liberal party as something akin to a “court jester,” with his bizarre outbursts and centre-of-attention commentary which has its fundamental logic based on a unique concoction of his own blinded perceptions intertwined with something that’s occurring on the peripheries of reality.
The Newspoll in today’s Australian newspaper shows Mr Turnbull dropping three points as preferred prime minister to 16 per cent – his worst performance since becoming Opposition Leader last year.
Mr Turnbull’s predecessor Brendan Nelson had the same lowly approval rating when he was ousted from the leadership last September.
Undettered by the facts, the jester insists that Malcolm will be in a winning position come the elections:
“In the end, come election time, people will judge the Government and its record; they will judge us and our proposals and I think we have got every chance of winning.”
Now you might be wondering whether these words sound familiar. And you’d be right. This is exactly the same thing that Tony Abbott, John Howard and Peter Costello were all saying in the lead up to the last election!
And we all know how successful that was!
Age shall not weary them.
reb
Miglo
Turnbull has been disappointing. He seems to have turned into a waffler.
Who does he think he is ? Kevin Rudd?
Governments get beaten from time to time, unexpectedly. Greiner & Kennett are examples.
These governments lost because they were seen as arrogant and out of touch.
Who would suggest that this government isn’t developing a bit of this odour?
Rudd’s 6108 word self congratulation is an example.
I actually feel a bit sorry for Talculm.
I mean, he can’t help being rich (not that there’s anything wrong with that anyway), but I don’t understand what motivates him to get out of bed each morning only to face morons like Abbott, Bishop and Hockey.
Sure, he wants to be emperor. I can appreciate that.
I think he’d prefer it if it was just “the Malcolm Turnbull” party.
I wonder why people hate him so much? Or is it just because it’s the Liberal party that people detest?
But, but … Kev wrote over 6000 words of bullsh!t that caused me to dry retch.
Did He write that guff? Or did he get the 16 yo work experience student to cut and paste some old press releases?
Kev gets D+, Mal gets 16%.
The SerfChoices Fear ‘n Smear Party is set for a long time on the outer. They know it, Mr Rudd, I daresay knows it, and Turnbull knows it. What’s more, the polling figures for almost two years without fail have shown they are the most unpopular Opposition in the history of Newspoll.
This jester routine (good one, Reb!) shows Abbott (again) as the arrogant, reality-challenged right-winger that the Liberals should, and would, if they were less beholden to a rejected, rigid, extremist ideology, ditch for someone new, fresher and somewhat more in touch.
6000 words? Dry retch?
Well you’ve only got yourself to blame Tom.
As soon as I heard the words “Rudd” and “Essay” used in the same sentence I immediately lost interest.
A filter I, too, will be employing in future.
I agree Caney.
The funny thing is, when Talculm appeared on the scene, I thought he was going to represent that new ‘fresh’ face that the Liberals desperately need, but even he’s ended up adopting the old fear and smear mantra.
They will be spending a long time in the wilderness I suspect.
Meanwhile the mad monk will be telling everyone that they’re actually doing a very good job! FFS.
I think everyone should read the 6108 words. Penance.
Rudd wouldn’t submit this rubbish if he was still a public servant, or even an undergraduate.
He writes as he speaks. Our only PM that has ever needed to be translated into English.
If he submitted it as an undergraduate, his lecturer would send it back marked “must try harder”.
I suppose he can’t have written it himself – the words aren’t long enough.
It looked to be written by the Mayor of Crapperville.
Caney – ’serfchoices’ – we now have No Work Australia. Job creation for union hacks.
Tom,
Don’t want to talk about the Liberal predicament of Turdbull and Abbott?
I wonder why!
Rudd is a waffler. He deliberately over complicates his statements.
He thinks using 4 syllable words is impressive, a sign of his intelligence. It is a sign that he is a BS artist.
People exchange puzzled looks when listening to him – German translators couldn’t translate him.
He’s a tosser.
“He deliberately over complicates his statements”
In the words of the former rodent – I reject that!
Now, what part of that simple statement don’t you understand?
I picked up this book in a bargain bin sometime ago and got around to reading it recently. The latter part of it gives an interesting insight into the man who is Malcolm Turnbull (and the Liberal Party and the Young Libs). The book’s author worked in the Wentworth electoral office at the time.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/book-reviews/the-education-of-a-young-liberal/2006/08/21/1156012451880.html
Rudd is a waffler. He deliberately over complicates his statements.
…and malcolm just wants to run the show, in interviews he adopts a very aggressive and arrogantly demanding posture which doesn’t go down well.
Tony Abbott is positioning himself for a run at the top job when malcolm falls, which is why he’s trying to come off more like mother theresa than the mad monk these days. Australian women won’t have a bar of him though “get your rosaries off our ovaries”. As the former Howard headkicker and parliamentary attack dog, i can’t see how anyone would be fooled by the makeover and a ‘new’ tony abbott!
“he’s trying to come off more like mother theresa than the mad monk these days..”
LOL!
Tony Abbott may well become the leader of the opposition, but like Malcolm Turnbull, he’ll never be prime minister.
From Daphon’s link…(about Liberal party politics)…
It all sounds very familiar…
Tom, I didn’t write that crap.
It looked like a cut and paste job to me, I call the PM’s latest manifesto ‘Mein Histeroic Waxling’.
A tad better than ‘Mein Dogs Breakfast’ that he wrote early in the year.
Yes Kittylitter, the idea is of Abbott becoming leader is quite hilarious. The depths to which they’ve sunk.
It is like the ALP being so threadbare of leaders that Steven Smith, Wayne Swan or Martin Ferguson were promoting themselves. Or heaven forbid, our Julia.
And no Mr Mayor, the Rudd essay wasn’t sufficiently “visionary” for you to have had any input. It was a grab bag of bullsh!7. What was he trying to say?
I must read it again, when I’ve had a few reds.
Anyone: Opposition
Tom: Labor
Anyone: Abbott
Tom: Labor
Anyone: Turnbull
Tom: Labor
Anyone: Anyone
Tom: Labor
Anyone: Anything
Tom: Unions, Labor, unions, Labor, unions, Labor, unions, etc. ad nauseam.
I can’t quite pick it but I think there is a pattern here.
Tom: Unions, Labor, unions etc..
reb: Christians, Catholics, Pentecostals etc…
“We all have our cross to bear…”
Too true reb, but I’d hate to be at the end of Tom’s cross when Labor gains another 15 to 20 seats in the next election. Unbearable would be putting it mildly.
LOL Mobius!!
Boy Adrian, as if I need reminding about the consequences of my non-aligned behaviour, and the outcome – awful, sin binned, banished and ostracised!!
Nonetheless, I find that being contrary provides exchange of views.
Here’s my observation about the alternative view –
Adrian – Turnbull is just playing politics with this vital area of public policy. The public sees this, and that’s why he and the Liberals are in a downward popularity spiral… ( a bit more rational, detailed commentary, etc)…
Contributor 1 – Good point Adrian, I agree. It is time Turdbull took a more rational position and kicked all the right wingers out.
Contributor 2 – Yes, I agree Adrian and C1.
Contributor 3 – Interesting analysis Adrian. C1 I think you’ve hit the nail on the head.
Contributor 1 – Abbott is stupid, he’s a right wing zealot.
Contributor 2 – Too true C1. I think he is a fanatic, no self respecting nun would go for him.
Contributor 3 – Yes, did you see the photo of him in a wet suit?
Etc, more agreement, everyone nicely aligned in opinion etc.
It’s always a fascinating discussion when everyone agrees!!!
Dead man walking, God’s man stalking.
I disagree.
I agree.
I don’t
I don’t agree either!
I choose to neither agree nor disagree.
You fence sitter, you!
I agree with some who disagree, and disagree with some who agree; I disagree with others who disagree, and agree with yet others who agree. Overall, though, I mostly agree to disagree, in order to appear agreeable.
I agree with you Tony.
But what happens if you agree to disagree in order to appear to be agreeable?
Would that mean consensus?
I agree to be disagreeable.
Adrian, I note comments made elsewhere you’ve observed that you think Rudd is getting criticism for what he says rather than on the basis of his policies.
Some of us have been critical of –
• Not optimising the employment bang for buck from the stimulus packages.
• All the talk about “tough economic decisions” – please someone, name just one of these.
• Inadequacies of the CPRS.
• Problems with the industrial and employment legislation and regulaton.
Which part of the government policy framework is it that you think isn’t being discussed?
On the other hand, Rudd has just put his name to an “essay”. He surely couldn’t have written this himself. He must have had one of his underlings do a cut and paste for him.
Over 6000 words of guff/repetitive crap, purportedly written by the PM, is bound to cause some discussion.
Rudd and this government ae going ok, but the opposition seems ineffective. You seem determined to focus on an increasingly irrelevant opposition.
To me, this is entirely the wrong focus. Commentators (including blogs) must focus on the performance of the government.
Excusing anything less that optimal outcomes in policy is simply encouragement of complacency and poor performance.
You and other ALP apologists should be more rigorous in your criticism of the government.
Tom,
If you would like to “discuss” Mr Rudd’s essay, why not ask Reb or Joni if you can start a thread on it? I know they welcome posters starting their own topics. That would beat hijacking this thread which is about the Liberals, Turdbull and Abbott.
Really, your effort here is beginning to look like The Australian’s attack campaign on Rudds first essay: 1 essay, more than 50 critical articles published in response. Talk about overkill.
He wrote, what was it, 6000-odd words in this one. You must be approaching that number of words yourself "in response", in a thread which isn't even about Rudd or even the Labor Party! … OK, maybe I exaggerate a little, but you'll hit 6,000 soon enough at this rate…
Why not try to stick to topic? Because the topic is critical of the Liberals, is that it?