Crikey

“Mr Rudd doesn’t really stand for anything,” the Prime Minister claimed on The 7:30 Report last night.

“I mean love me or loathe me, people accept that I stand for something and I think that difference will become more apparent as we get closer to the election.”

“Has Mark Textor suggested that that’s one of the public lines you should use?” Red Kez amusing replied.

Well done Kerry. And here’s me thinking The 7:30 Report is usually entirely predictable.

I gave a little lesson to all those people who are very good at spotting wedges and then promptly fall for them in Crikey 12 months ago. “You don’t get Howard so you can’t beat Howard,” I said:

John Howard is said to have a rapport with Middle Australia. Yet when has he ever really demonstrated this? When has he said anything at all?

John Howard’s two skills are simply evasion and dog-whistling. His personality is non-existent. This is the man, after all, who claimed he liked Dylan for the music.

His boosters say that he’s a conviction politician. Yeah? When has he ever nailed his colours to the mast? A conscience vote on stem cells is suddenly on the cards. The migration bill is pulled. He melted on the Snowy a few weeks ago. Look back to his time as Malcolm Fraser’s treasurer, when he wouldn’t fight for what we’re now told was his agenda all along.

Missing this may well be the biggest mistake of Howard’s opponents. They fulminate against conservatism and racism – but can’t put their finger on any truly objectionable thing the PM says. Sure, their sensibilities are offended, but to ordinary voters they seem to be objecting to motherhood statements – hence the four election wins on the trot.

It is when Howard seems tricky – or, worst of all, indifferent, as on petrol prices – that he is really politically vulnerable.

That stands more than ever. A tax and spend prime minister who is running the most blatant and brazen pork campaign the nation has ever seen gets bagged for his neo-liberal agendas.

Blind hatred has blinded John Howard’s opponents on the left.

Kevin Rudd is running the tricky line – and running it well. He is determined not to fall for wedge campaigns, but that has difficulties, too.

John Howard, clever politician that he is, has spotted the Labor leader’s problem.

“I think people are starting to say well, apart from wanting to become prime minister, what does Mr Rudd really stand for?” he said last night.

Well, of course. That’s what he did in 1995. It’s now passé.

Forget “echonomics”. Why vote for Kevin Rudd when you can vote for the original shameless opportunist?

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