Republicans stage a comebackOn the one-year anniversary of Barack Obama’s landslide win, the winds of change appear to have shifted, with two Republican candidates winning seats in this year’s state elections. Is this a sign that voters are becoming increasingly disaffected with the new President and his party?
Elections
Why a one-candidate Afghan election isn’t as stupid as it sounds
A one-horse race in Afghanistan actually offers a unique opportunity, writes Abubakar Siddique: if the election is run with only Karzai, and few Afghanis bother to vote, his mandate will be so weak, co-operation with his political opponents will be vital to keep peace in the country.
Everybody loses
With Hamid Karzai being effectively handed the Afghan Presidency by default, everybody loses, says Simon Tisdall: the UN, Washington, democracy — and most of all, the people of Afghanistan.
Which Coalition members are fighting for their life?
Possum Comitatus looks at how the new electoral redistributions have changed Australia’s political pendulum. Which Coalition members should start sweating?
102 seat landslide for Labor
If a Federal election was held today, the ALP would most likely win a whopping 102 seats in Parliament — a 19 seat gain on their current position, says Possum Comitatus. Start panicking, Malcolm.
Gordon Brown, dead PM walking
British PM Gordon Brown addressed the Labour Party conference with his party trailing around 19 points in the opinion polls. It wasn’t so much about winning the next election as stopping the bleeding.
Rudd will go to the polls on August 21, 2010. Here’s why
Malcolm MacKerras predicts the double dissolution will be effected in July 2010, causing a general election for all members of both houses to take place on August 21, 2010.
ouch! 
Gordon Brown’s disgusting act of cynicism
In his pre-election speech to the Labour Party – which in reality was just a series of lists – the British PM threw the biggest bone of all to the Liberal Democrats, says Simon Heffer. It was the act of a desperate man.
More of the same from Gordon Brown
The British PM’s re-election speech didn’t offer anything new, just more childcare, incomprehensible fiddling about with constitutional reform and a sudden concern about police response times, says John Rentoul.
Germans vote peacefully, but not quite contentedly
The results of the German election indicate Germans are dissatisfied with what they have been offered for so long, and in their calm, orderly way, are saying they would like to try something a bit different.
SPD smashed at German ballot box
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s dour triumph at the German polls says more about her hapless opposition, writes Humbolt University’s Charles McPhedran.
Antony Green dissects the double dissolution election
Does the Government want an early election? Nope, says Antony Green. But don’t rule out a double dissolution just yet — a constitutional loophole means Rudd can have his cake and eat it too.
Election hypothetical: who would win?
What would happen if if an Australian election had been held in the last 3 months? Possum Comitatus crunches the figures — and things look very good for the ALP. Only regional Australia gives the Coalition some hope, according to today’s Newspoll.
Political snippets: Paying for a Clinton plug
Former President Bill Clinton may have been dishing out the compliments to PM Kevin Rudd, but Rudd fails to mention that the Australian government is a donor to the Clinton foundation.
Vote now for radical reforms to Australia’s electoral system
The Government is taking submissions on some wide-ranging reforms to Australia’s electoral systems, including letting non-citizens vote, removing “truth in advertising” requirements for campaigns, and ending mandatory voting. Have your say.
No winds of change in Germany, just storm clouds slowly gathering
It’s German elections time! With a fairly robust economy but unfairly distributed wealth, it’s a murky political mood in Germany. The Economist examines a country not pining for change, just stability.
Merkel looks for a narrower coalition
Germany votes on Sunday, with Christian Democrat chancellor Angela Merkel an unbackable favourite to be returned. But will the liberals distance themselves from the parties of the traditional left?
Time for Karzai to bow out
Even if Hamid Karzai is declared the winner of the Afghanistan election, his reputation is so far beyond repair, he must step down, says Amin Saikal. It is the only chance the country has at achieving stability and reconstruction.
Will the messy NSW govt cost Rudd seats?
With no NSW election until 2011, the Rudd government is concerned that voters angry at the troubled NSW state government will take out their frustration against Labor at the next federal election.
Young swinging Japanese voters cause landslides
Young Japanese voters — middle class, university educated, nonchalant about politics 30 somethings — often turn out to be the biggest decider of Japanese elections.
Voting for Afghanistan. Again and again and again
The Election Complaints Commission has already received 1157 allegations of irregularities in Afghanistan. And the allegations are not just coming from disgruntled candidates.
A Tory experiment worth studying
Foreign observers shy away — with good cause — from the US’s creaky, dysfunctional electoral process. But the British example serves to remind us that primaries are also well-known in Europe.
Liberal Rule: historical epoch or chapter of accidents?
Despite what you may have seen on SBS series Liberal Rule, the rise and fall of the Howard government did not represent big shifts in national sentiment, writes Charles Richardson.
Territory set to sail uncharted constitutional waters
The upheaval in the Northern Territory government could result in the first constitutional test of Australia’s move to fixed-term Parliaments, says the ABC’s resident wonk Antony Green. Will the NT ALP sit it out until 2012, or play some tricky numbers games to wrangle an early election?
British MPs should be quaking in their boots
With public trust in politicians at an all-time low, being an incumbent MP in Britain will be a huge liability in the next election, says Michael Brown.
