Open debate thread

A thread for you all to discuss the debate as it happens. If you don’t like the company round here, there’s a live chatroom at Larvatus Prodeo.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

1,076 comments on “Open debate thread”

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  12. Kina,

    The worms are implicated again. Apparently, the report was composted and guess who ate the damning report.

    The Worm…… Very convenient. Andrew is right to keep their sort out of Australia. They will never assimilate.

  14. From the London Daily Telegraph – and remember, these guys love Little Johnny…

    Rudd beats Howard in Australia election debate
    By Nick Squires in Sydney
    Last Updated: 3:11pm BST 21/10/2007

    Australia’s political leaders have gone head to head in an election debate, with opposition leader Kevin Rudd getting the better of the embattled prime minister, John Howard.

    Former diplomat Mr Rudd was judged to have performed better in the debate, with a live audience of undecided voters on one commercial television network favouring him 65 per cent to 35 per cent.

  18. GG’s a load of rubbish. If that was a narrow victory, show me a landslide! Night all, Im off to contrive some more of my existence.

  21. Scorpio 995
    You are correct. There is growing uncertainty in the electorate as to Howards position. They won’t want to go to the polls twice. Maxine is offering a full three years. Voters dislike uncertainty.

  22. Latest on News Ltd.

    {THE audience for the Sky News debate was decorous – on pain of being kicked out. And the person in greatest danger of being kicked out was a frustrated Peter Costello. }

    { In question time, the Treasurer has trouble keeping quiet for 90 seconds.

    Sitting in the front row in Parliament House’s Great Hall, hearing economic policy being discussed and his name being tossed about, he was supposed to keep quiet for 90 minutes.
    It was all too much.

    Asked afterwards if it was the toughest 90 minutes of the campaign, he replied: “The tough part is sitting there and hearing yourself talked about and not being able to say anything”. }

    http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22626115-29277,00.html

  24. Sure is hard work, Scorp. I was absent, blog wise, since Saturday lunch time, until tonight. There will be another life! I hope.

  25. That was the most comprehensive victory in a political debate I’ve ever seen. It’s hard to imagine a more one-sided debate.

    I wasn’t convinced until tonght that Kevin Rudd really had it, but he was sensational. They should’ve stopped the fight in the third round – they wouldn’t let an animial suffer like the PM did – a thrathing of monumental proportions !

    The $34 billion allocated to tax cuts by the Liberals (and then the ALP) has miss fired – it hardly got a mention. The ALP’s few billions to be spent on education, in contrast, is great value for money, in terms of votes.

    Rudd was dominant on economics – clear, concise, knowlegeable, confident and devastating. Howard’s response to questions on Iraq was pitiful – avoiding the question three times. His questions of Rudd were weak. If debates have any impact, we’ll see a widening of the gap after tonight, with a likely bloodbath election ahead.

    This victory was helped along by the eighty clearly biased worm operators – they didn’t even need Rudd to be brilliant for them to love him.

    With a huge ALP election win looming, will the Senate be the only brake on ALP/ union dominance throught Australia ? Lyn Allison was also brilliant on ‘Meet the Press’ this morning. It’s vital that the Democrats be re-elected to keep some balance.

    The panel of journalists was outstanding tonight, as was the moderator – all a credit to Australia’s political process.

  27. Peter Costello

    Asked afterwards if it was the toughest 90 minutes of the campaign, he replied: “The tough part is sitting there and hearing yourself talked about and not being able to say anything”.

    Imagine what Mr Haneef felt like.

  28. I don’t know if polls are such a healthy thing.

    The little bit I did see of Howard on the Channel 9 web site and heard on the radio did not give a good impression. He seemed very strained.

    I have been concerned about his mental health since January. He seems to be having the occassional dark night of the soul. He even lost his temper in parliament for the first time because of Rudd. He seems to have trouble concealing displays of emotion when on tv/public. And the Mr Speaker incident is simply weird – where was his mind then?

    Are his party so scared of him that they can’t replace him?

  31. Scorpio @ 1022. $weetie thinks 90 mins is hard, what about us, we have to sit still for three years before we can say anything!

  32. Yeah, Gecko, that was a dead giveaway on Insiders this morning.

    I’m pretty sure that Costello realises that the golden chance he had during APEC that he passed up is surely the end of all his ambitions to be PM. Now eaten up by a worm.

  34. 1028 – on this point, did anyone notice the PM’s twitching moment fairly late in the debate last night?

    Now, I’m not a fan of his but I don’t raise this to try to lampoon him. I looked at him there, and for a moment I seriously thought he might be having a cerebral event.

    There have been a couple of times this year where I’ve wondered whether he might have a problem in this regard.

    Again, I want to stress that whilst I’m no fan of his I would take no pleasure were it the case. I just make the observation as comment on the above post.

  35. 1029
    nath Says:
    October 22nd, 2007 at 1:13 am
    Costello should have been PM for the past 11 years. But he didn’t want to face PJK in the 1996 election. No guts…

    Damn his yellow streak. Possibly with him as the PM the countries boom times would not have been wasted on pork and special interest groups and, maybe WorkChoices would not have happened. Then again he did establish the HR Nicholls society – a big worry, those guys would cheer if he offered slavery. 🙁

  36. [Scorpio @ 1022. $weetie thinks 90 mins is hard, what about us, we have to sit still for three years before we can say anything!]

    Rudd has proposed an independent comission to set up the debates, and there would be three rather than one.

    For one of the debates I would have 200 people randomly pulled from the electoral roll, flown in to canberra. Then say 20 of them at random get to ask a question.

    The debate could take place in the house of representatives, because it is the people’s house. The PM could sit in his usual position, and likewise for the opposition leader.

    They then have to answer whatever question the person asks.

    That would be a REAL question time.

  37. Looks like all that coaching by Janette was wasted.

    I bet Howard cops it when she gets him home to Kirabilly.

    No hot milo and a cuddle tonight.

  38. You know I reckon that since the Liberal leadership ‘challenge’ it has become fairly obvious that the Libs don’t have anybody else other than Howard. I once toyed with the idea that Costello had hidden substance, but that has since proven to be false.
    Howard has been such a dominant figure for such a long time that plainly, sycophants are the result. Take him out of the equation and a lot of egos will be let loose. Howard is the glue and the only hope. This really is a watershed election in so many ways.
    I fear it will be a long time in isolation for the Libs. And I only say fear because democracy works so much better with an opposition that works.

  39. I liked that moment when the host said, Mr Howard, you are the 2nd longest pm etc…subtext: what are you still doing here? aren;t you happy yet, go away and enjoy what little of you life is left.

  40. It will be all forgotten in a few days. However those industry groups and the like would have watched and seen that they Rudd is a fair dinkum leader. Some the sycophants would have been dissapointed. Bolt should have been impressed, I wondere if he will be honest about it?

  41. Mark @ 1031,

    Maybe a long 3 years, but hopefully after the 24th November, we can reclaim back the “real” Australia that we know is still here.

  43. [I once toyed with the idea that Costello had hidden substance, but that has since proven to be false.]

    Well last night he showed everyone that he is essentially a jerk.

    He is also a negative politician, he hasn’t had a single good idea. He is simply in politics to oppose whatever Labor wants to do.

  45. Among all the reasons one would have for posting on the blogoshphere, we know it is read. By they, who would be. My friends are fascinated by my accounts.

  46. ShowsOn @ 1036: What about on line as they do in the US? Also questions from the public can be a bit lame and pollies tend be able to always turn them to there advantage (unless of course they are participants on this site).

    Scorpio @ 1041. Were in like Flyn for Nov 24. But $weetie is such a knob-jockey….

  48. oooo that scwewy mr Wudd, I’ll get him for making me look so stupid.
    (in the voice of Elma Fudd if you didn’t get it.

  50. [I fear it will be a long time in isolation for the Libs. And I only say fear because democracy works so much better with an opposition that works.]

    Got to agree with Gecko. Good government needs a strong opposition.

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