Comments on: Relaxed if not necessarily comfortable: On (blogging and) politics in the Rudd era

By: Howard C

Howard C — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:59:41 +0000

We are less than twelve months into an electoral cycle, without any intevening news to enter the political landscape. Remember, Howard’s first year had Hanson, and Hawke’s had, well, Hawke-mania.

The first twelve months of Rudd has been fairly uneventful. That is probably by design, and maybe Rudd will continue to try and get governing under the radar. Like a 3-year long election campaign held during the Olympics.

By: nabakov

nabakov — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:51:45 +0000

“But I fear that the secret Rudd plan is to personally bore us all into submission”

I think many have had quite enough excitement from governments lately and are perhaps wishing for what Warren Harding inimitably described as “a return to normalcy”.

However, I doubt the world is going to stop being exciting. Or at least not stopping getting just plain weirder.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/xxfactor/archive/2008/08/15/five-puppies-and-a-sex-slave.aspx
http://dragandabic.com/
http://futurefeedforward.com/front.php

By: Stephen Lloyd

Stephen Lloyd — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:44:02 +0000

I wonder what Centrebet would offer for a double-dissolution election in late 2009?

By: professor rat

professor rat — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:40:52 +0000

Hate to be a wet blanket in this shaggy dog story but what about the NT? And NSW? And Taswegia?

Putting WA to one side…

Then there’s the UK and USA widening democratic-socialist disaster areas.

IMHO these nasty symptoms of death, doom and decay all point to a mid-life crisis of confidence in a stream of thought that’s lost its way and thus its chief selling point that is *product differentiation* for lack of a better analogy.
In places like Germany and Israel they’ve already effectively merged both major parties. Democratic -socialism looks like its dying. Smells like its dying.

Like Marxism 20 odd years ago, so clearly the ‘last-one-standing’ is extra-parliamentary, libertarian – socialism. Open source socialism baby.

By: nabakov

nabakov — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:35:56 +0000

“This is classic state Labor style, and I still don’t think either the Liberal “strategists” or the commentariat get it.”

Yup, Beattie/Bracks/Brumby/Bligh are all very shrewd political operators (and what’s with the “B”?) who realised delivering services while pushing just enough long term vision to make you feel good about your state, and state of being, but not too nervous about where the overall narrative is going for the long term.

We’re now all budget-balancing ideology-free technocrats sailing global currents now.

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:46:04 +0000

More comfortable with it, anyway, Terry, but not relaxing yet!

By: Terry

Terry — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:20:08 +0000

Methinks that Mark may also be a bit more relaxed about his PhD drafts.

By: Greeensborough Growler

Greeensborough Growler — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:14:04 +0000

Clarencegirl,

So what is it especially you want the Rudd labor Government to do, to relieve your boredom?

By: clarencegirl

clarencegirl — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:55:05 +0000

“Secondly, I think Rudd has us all fairly relaxed, if not entirely comfortable.”
Yup. But I fear that the secret Rudd plan is to personally bore us all into submission. :-0

By: Lefty E

Lefty E — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:31:17 +0000

Well, I agree Mark – and what you say builds on the related “end of the Keating/ Howard era” thesis. I loved Keating’s own comment on Howard as a state police minister – at the scene of every crime.

I remember japing at LP, at the time, that he’d be “on about hoons” before too long. And then 2 months later he was!! It was unbelievable.

I still await the book on the media fiascos and MSM/ Blog flame wars which were certainly what I remember most about election 07.