Have the Libs gone mad?

[Matilda]

It's very obvious that the conservatives are trying to regain control
of the party, and Abbott sees himself as the saviour of the Right.

But all this about "we're going to lose the next election because of
Malcolm Turnbull's support for an ETS" is crazy talk. They were always
going to lose the next election unless Rudd did something to stuff up
badly. And Rudd was elected in part on his promise to act on climate
change, sweeping along moderate Liberal voters with the rest of the
electorate. He couldn't have won without them.

Those on the lunar Right may have genuine misgivings about man-made
climate change, but pragmatism surely must dictate that Rudd has a
mandate (a word so beloved of the Libs when they were in power and
wanted to remind us they had one) to act on climate change. The current
legislation might be a dog's breakfast right now, but the electorate
wants something, and to resist is electoral suicide. The way they're
going, Rudd could win the next two elections.

Malcolm wanted the leadership so badly - the old saying comes to mind:
"Be careful what you wish for - you might get it".

[gemini_liberal]

1. Well it's official

Pope Antonius I to Turnbull: unless you become a good puppet by Monday, I'm challenging!

Hockey appears to be in support of Turnbull, but will no doubt put himself up as the non-crazy option in the event that the party wants anyone but Turnbull (or if Turnbull resigns)

It'll be interesting to see how it turns out. If Abbott wins, it'll be confirmed that the Liberal Party is very inappropriately named. Maybe a schism similar to the formation of the Australian Democrats or Liberal Movement in SA will occur. Who knows?

I have a feeling Tony is going to win as one of the key figures joining him in his mutiny is Nick Minchin a powerbroker who is pretty much a kingmaker in that party...

[Matilda]

3. A win for Abbott would be great for Labor.

It must have been pissing Abbott off no end that everybody has been taking it for granted that Hockey will step
effortlessly into Turnbull's shoes.

Hockey says he won't stand if Turnbull stays to contest the leadership - I hope he sticks to that for his own sake,
because whoever leads the Libs to the next election is toast anyway. Only an affair with a rock star could dent
Rudd's popularity now. (Or would it?)

It's hard to believe the stupidity and lack of political judgment being displayed all round - Malcolm's ego has
always been a problem and he's not the right man to soothe ruffled feathers or try to gently persuade dissenters to
his point of view. He's a bit like Whitlam in his "crash through or crash" approach - and look what happened to
Gough.

I think Tony's all about ego as well - he's changed his position on the ETS three times this week - first, totally
against passing the bill, Wednesday supporting it, and today back to being against. I think his nose was always
out of joint since Malcolm failed to appoint him to a senior shadow Cabinet portfolio (bad judgment again from
Turnbull), and he probably sees this as his last chance. But he has no more ability than Malcolm to build bridges to
those who disagree with him, and I doubt his appeal to the wider electorate. Even his own daughter said he was
"a gay Catholic loser".

I'm wondering when Andrew Robb is going to throw his hat into the ring - he's the one who took Minchin's "sceptic"
statement and kicked it up a gear by publicly disagreeing with the leader's position. The only question about him
is whether his statements were a result of his depressive condition. Is he a fit man?

Nick Minchin is still a powerbroker, and he's been proven right in his opposition to Turnbull's election as leader,
although it can't really be a surprise to anyone that Turnbull's lack of experience and arrogant style were always
going to be drawbacks. But Minchin's comments about global warming not being man-made position him with the loony
fringe, and surely even the Libs have got to be questioning his judgment as well. it puts him in bed with people
like the Mad Uncle.

Politics can be fun sometimes!

[depakid]

6. Tony Abbott makes my skin crawl

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[gemini_liberal]

8. Don't underestimate the appeal that Abbott could drum up

He may be a far right fundamentalist nutter, but he also wears the badge of a populist conservative. Never underestimate populist conservatism. It's exactly what the middle class, mortgage paying, suburban, Today Tonight viewing voters love. Nothing turns the voter to the conservative cause more than people being different, crime and scary things that children may be exposed to! Remember: it wasn't any of Rudd's economic or environmental policies that saw the first major hit of his approval, it was how he handled the boat people - and his crime there: not being completely hardline and inhumane. Never underestimate its power - it's what got Howard elected so many times.

I would love Tony to be leader right now, when no Liberal could win, only so they can get any flirtation with him out of their system, instead of a few years later when a Liberal leader could conceivably win and he just needs to appeal to the selfish troll inside the average voter!

[anakie]

13. I agree we shouldn't underestimate Abbott

I (and many others) made the mistake back in 1995 when Howard rolled Downer of underestimating Howard. 13 years later .....

However, Mr People Skills will have a difficult time winning over moderates.


Peace

[Esra Star]

14. The Mad Monk knows he will be a shit leader.

He had no intention of holding the most difficult job in politics.
I believe the scare campaign has already started.

When you have absolutely nothing of substance to sell the voters, sell fear.
So that's what we will see. Fear for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

[depakid]

9. Minchin has now switched to Hockey

[gemini_liberal]

10. Well, in that case

Hockey needs to just throw his hat in, and the job is his!

Pity too. I like Hockey, but he's got a long way to go yet to be a viable PM candidate (he's still a little thin skinned and defensive)

[Matilda]

11. The situation appears now to be that the spill will take place on Tuesday.

Abbott will challenge, and Turnbull intends to fight.

Abbott says that if Hockey will stand, he will withdraw, but Hockey has
said that he won't stand if Turnbull decides to make a fight of it.

But Abbott has a condition - he will withdraw for Hockey only if Hockey
will withdraw his support for the ETS. This is difficult for Hockey,
because he's a genuine climate change believer and worked hard with
Turnbull and McFarlane to get the amendments on the table.

So to take the leadership, Hockey will have to throw away his genuine
belief in man-made climate change and join the deniers. But if he
decides not to do that and keep his principles, the Liberal Party will
then become the tool of the ratbags on the far right, and will be doomed
to an even bigger defeat at the next election. And of course, the
Coalition leader will get the blame.

He'd better be praying hard at Mass tomorrow for the Libs to see the
light and rally round Turnbull, because he's actually Hockey's best
hope for the future.

[Esra Star]

2. Yes, yes they have.

Now if Kevvy waited until they elected Wilson fukwit and the brought on a double diss,.......
they couldn't make enough popcorn.


:popcorn:

[foreigncorrespondent]

4. They were always mad!

They just haven't been locked away from public eye because of their illness yet. ;)

[gemini_liberal]

7. No, we're the mad ones

and it's up to the nice, rational, level-headed moderates on the hard right that need to save the other 90% of the population from their crazy ultra-leftist ideals :sarcasm:

(at least that's what I've worked out from the comments section at News.com.au)

[foreigncorrespondent]

12. ROFLMAO

Love the comment!

I don't even bother with news.com.au anymore.

[Matilda]

5. Now it looks as if it's going to be Hockey.

But to get the job, he's going to have to walk away from his support for the ETS.

What a bunch of losers.

[Matilda]

15. The Libs are the gift that keeps on giving.

Now there's angry words between Turnbull and Julie Bishop, because (a) he thinks she didn't vote for him (she says
she did), and (b) that she said bad things about Tony Abbott to him the night before the spill, in his Canberra
home, and she therefore shouldn't have agreed to stay on as his deputy.

Malcolm still doesn't get it - he has no right to ask who she voted for, and then by telling everybody something
that, if it was said, was said in private to him alone, he's violated every rule about "off the record" speaking.

Paul Keating was right about him - "he's brilliant, he's fearless, and he has no judgment". Spot on.


And now, for the next show - yet another spill for NSW Labor. Too funny - they think that by replacing Rees with
Sartor or Kenneally, they're going to change the polling? Both of them are more despised than Rees ever was.

The more I see of politicians, the more I think anarchy has something going for it.