Re: 2007 Federal Election - Coalition or Labor/Howard or Beazley?
If Beazley manages to pull off a win, it will be due to either: a) higher interest rates, b) economic slowdown/WorkChoices backlash or c) further increased petrol prices. The man capitalises on failures or problems, and pretends he has an answer. Apart from WorkChoices he doesn't want to change anything fundamental.
His stratagem is simple:
1) find out what concerns people through polls. Create an expression of outrage at given problem, remedies or solutions can be thought through later or not at all.
2) Have no fundamental differences with the Liberal Party except for union backing. Any difference between ALP and LP leaves ALP exposed to attack, which they don't have the balls to counter.
3) Increase 'economic credibility', by appeasing to business groups as much as possible. We don't want to be offside with the big end of town. Look what happened to Latham.
He is truly pathetic. As Latham said, he was a man beholden to union powerbrokers, and above all, deeply scared of change. Until the ALP offers a clear policy differentiation between itself and the Liberals, the electorate will have little reason to vote them in. The only way to achieve this, i believe, is to make a concerted shift to the left, which is never going to happen.
[end beazley rant/]