Let Australia's US style Presidential Popularity Contest ……eerrrrr…….Elections begin!

As widely expected for the past few months, PM Malcolm Turnbull announced a double dissolution election for July 2nd last weekend.

And let's make no mistake about it: As his record so far stands, Malcolm Turnbull can only hope to win this election based on a US style Presidential/Personal popularity contest!

Malcolm Turnbull has been underwhelming to say the least since he toppled Tony Abbott last year & created a wave of national optimism.

He has demonstrated a mastery of political rhetoric & a less skillful political tactician than anticipated. The Government's foray to Tax Reform was of course the single biggest demonstration of lack of proper political process. The PM has jumped from one idea to the next & has quickly dumped one hasty thought bubble for another, causing embarrassment for his colleagues & in particular the Treasurer Scott Morrison.

Bill Shorten on the other hand, was totally hit for six by the popular wave of optimism following Turnbull's toppling of Abbott.

But to give Bill Shorten & his Labor colleagues credit, they have stayed united & focused on (mostly) policy issues & kept their nerves. Shorten has successfully narrowed & closed the huge gap in polls following the change of leadership & has highlighted the apparent lack of cohesive policy & decision making in the Turnbull Government to voters.

So as it is right now, and with a very long 8 week contest ahead of them, Malcolm Turnbull's best hope is to win a USA style Presidential popularity contest against Bill Shorten, because so far he has shown little substance to justify his challenge to replace Tony Abbott.

If eight weeks is a long time in politics, 8 weeks of election campaign must be even longer! Both leaders are bound to stumble & make mistakes during the course of the campaign.

But let's hope the Australia voters a) have lasting memories of e.g. Kevin Rudd's fruitless popularity  & b) remain interested & retain their focus during this long 8 weeks to scrutinise & ultimately judge the major parties based on their policies.

Otherwise, we will have a superficial USA style popularity contest based on media performance of our two opposing leaders!

Gillard Government's obsession with self preservation threatens the foundations of Labor Party but no one in the Party seems to care!

Since the last Federal elections in Australia, there have been two key events responsible for the consistently low primary vote for Labor Party:

1. Julia Gillard's obsession with self preservation in Government by shaping policy based on preserving her agreement with the Greens (and to a lesser extent with the independents)

2. Labor Party's powerbrokers' decision, again in a self serving self preservation manner, to largely ignore the road map recommendations in the Faulkner/Bracks/Carr report on the affairs of the Labor Party in early 2011

As a result we are left with a PM who's constantly watching her back & is in self preservation autopilot, and Party led by powerbrokers who are more interested in their fat pockets & retaining their positions of power & influence than the future relevance of Labor Party.

Meanwhile, none seem to care that Labor Party is on its knees! Julia Gillard is mistrusted by the vast majority of the voters, and the Party itself is progressively abandoned by its grassroot supporters who continue to defect to the Greens.

And tonight's Victorian Lower House State by election in Melbourne has developed to a closely contested & fierce battle against the Greens, in a traditionally safe Labor seat!

Labor needs to renew & restructure soon, or their selfish leaders will drag the party down with them into the black hole oblivion they are destined to go to in the upcoming State & Federal elections in the next few years.

Not that anyone would miss their incompetence!

No. But voters must not forget or forgive Labor leaders' selfish self preservation tactics if indicative polls become reality & end up with Labor's annihilation into obscurity, as they have in NSW & QLD so far.
A democracy without strong opposition is simply not a democracy.

At the rate Gillard, Unions & Labor powerbrokers are turning voters away from them to the opposition & the Greens, this is becoming a distinct possibility.

History & the future leaders of Labor Party will not forgive these selfish self preserving individuals.