Labor Pains

Posted on December 7, 2004 by Mark Bahnisch
Posted in Uncategorized, Politics - national

Poor old Latho. In the wake of weeks of overwhelmingly negative press coverage, he's slumped in the polls and the party's slumped to lows not seen since Simon's leadership began to enter its terminal phase. But I don't think Ruddy's cause is going to be helped by an endorsement from Philip Adams. Adams admits this himself...

4 Comments

  1. Jacques Chester
    December 7, 2004

    The kiss of death, I'd reckon it.

  2. BigBob
    December 7, 2004

    Sack the bastards - disenfranchise the plotters-kick 'em out.

    Adams first, then MucMullen.

    Jesus, they are setting themselves up to become totally irrelevant.

    They have six months to keep the Government on their toes, and they are wasting it.

    There is plenty of stuff to be hammering them over and all they can do is squabble.

  3. Geoff Honnor
    December 7, 2004

    At the moment, I think that "sacking the bastards" would probably result in Latham, Gillard, Crean and (gasp!) Laurie Ferguson sitting alone in the caucus room.

    There's a lot of entirely predictable and understandable angst, disappointment, grieving and frustration going on which will run it's course. Latham should have identified this, acknowledged his own - not insignificant - contribution to 9 October, stuck to message and steered for Xmas. Instead he picked a stupid, no-win, major negative headlines fight with Stephen Conroy - of whom no-one much had heard prior to him doing so - and has been wallowing around in negative press ever since.

    What can't be fixed by a holiday is the clear and incontrovertible fact that there is no reservoir of personal goodwill for Latham in the parliamentary party. He therefore needs results - and polls to accompany them - asap. If it doesn't happen he's history.

  4. Ron
    December 7, 2004

    "He therefore needs results - and polls to accompany them - asap. If it doesn't happen he's history."

    Like Crean, Latham is history. I believe he is more unelectable than Crean ever was.

    The ALP is so much on the nose that it would be a good time to give Gillard a go - it couldn't be any worse than it is now. Rudd, Swan etc are just as unelectable as Latham.