Everyone today has an opinion or three on whether the latest Newspoll is the 47th end of the Rudd honeymoon or a polling outlier. The most likely answer is probably a bit of both.
Articles by Possum Comitatus 
Net Access — more than just smut and piracy
With the debate about the National Broadband Network well underway, some of the dismissals of why a population would need higher broadband speeds (or as Kevin Rudd so quaintly called it at the Tasmanian Community Cabinet meeting, “Bandspeed”) — often bounce around somewhere between the ridiculous and the incredulous.
It’s not only the economic and social value of […]
Media, leadership and the structural change of Australian politics
This article could also be called “How to explain nearly everything about big P politics in four simple charts”.
Possum: Coalition’s “economic legacy” in tatters
A new Essential Report has found the public have a favourable view of the Rudd government’s economic management, and they’re dismissing every single economic angle the Opposition has been raising as an attack for the past six months.
Comitatus: Getting out the youth vote: why it will be a new ALP priority
What would have happened in the 2007 election if those missing from the electoral roll actually enrolled, turned up and voted? Possum Comitatus crunches the numbers.
Crikey votes: who should host the next Andrew Olle lecture?
Crikey utilised the highly scientific polling tool of Twitter to quiz readers on whether Chaser chief Julian Morrow really deserves to host the next Andrew Olle lecture, and if not, who should.
Turnbull rallies the undecided
The interesting thing to come out of today’s Newspoll isn’t so much the small increase in Malcolm Turnbull’s satisfaction levels, but rather that the “undecided” responses for Turnbull are at the lowest level they’ve been since he became leader.
Rich unemployed are good news for the budget bottom line
The budget deficit will come in at a much smaller number than is currently being projected. Possum Comitatus explains how.
Australia: land of 150 economies
What has the GFC done to the Australian economy? That depends where you live, says Possum Comitatus. The maps tell the story.
Comitatus: Mapping unemployment by electorate
The mainstream commentary and analysis of the Australian economy in the wake of the GFC has leapt way ahead of the data, writes Possum Comitatus.
Turnbull does a Downer on popularity
In the modern history of federal leaders of the Opposition, there have been only two that have burnt their public approval like phosphorus, writes Possum Comitatus.
Comitatus: The Australian centre left majority
Possum Comitatus crunches the numbers on the gap between each of the major party primary vote estimates and their respective two party preferred estimates.
Budget causes Rudd honeymoon to end… according to Fairfax
Nielsen never actually demonstrated the political change that Fairfax had projected onto it — it was just poor analysis.
graph pr0n The politics behind the Rudd’s $150K means test
150K per year is pretty much bang on the mark you would choose for means testing to kick in. Possum explains why.
graph pr0n Turnbull’s satisfaction ratings head south
The big news out of the latest Newspoll is the confirmation that Turnbull has gone inverted on the satisfaction ratings.
graph pr0n Comitatus: Rudd vs Howard at 17 months
Another quarter has passed, so it’s probably time we updated our Howard vs. Rudd polling comparisons.
