Friday Fight Club: Who won week two of the campaign?

Phil says:

03:59pm | 30/07/10

Not content with the knives QeeJoo has pulled out the Voodoo Doll of Kevin 07 and started pins in the abdominal region.

Seriously he has just been admitted to hospital and had his gall bladder removed. (At least thats the story, maybe he will not run)

Laurie Oakes I hear is at his bedside along with Therese and the kids.

Our prayers are with you Kevin

MarK says:

11:48am | 30/07/10

Deal Lucy

And what this did was make me think of spitting chips. Then I wondered where the expression had come from.

<3 Google

http://www.abc.net.au/newsradio/txt/s1512900.htm

Hows about that for a segue.

Brendan says:

12:33pm | 30/07/10

You’re kidding right?

Ahhhh sarcasm, I get it…

Razor says:

11:05pm | 30/07/10

Brendan - Nielsen Poll 52-48 to Abbott.

Suck it up Princess

spinnah says:

12:04pm | 01/08/10

@ razor - centrebet - to win

1. AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY     $1.54    
2. COALITION                           $2.40

good odds,, id go put my house on it if i were you…

Billy B says:

01:20pm | 30/07/10

Dear Iansand - You are a stirrer!

Phil says:

01:43pm | 30/07/10

Iansand

I think the grenade is being held by Tanner actually.

We know M/s Gillard is a passionate woman, after all just ask Mrs Emerson.

No wonder the AWU threw their support behind Jollya, after all shed been rooting for them for years.

Lauz says:

02:09pm | 30/07/10

Phil- rooting them but screwing the teachers??

iansand says:

02:15pm | 30/07/10

And Fanboy Phil responds with a talking point.  Hoo bloody ray.

Sickemrex says:

02:29pm | 30/07/10

Funny stuff!  Can you be a contributor?

Phil says:

03:16pm | 30/07/10

iansand

Ive previously stated I respected your views on a few things, hell weve even agreed a couple. So dont get too precious about my pro Lib friendly banter. Laborites are free to push whatever they desire after all you have the entire ABC on your side. If I had your address I could send you some kleenex.

ALP nor Libs are a shoe in to win this election. It will be tight.

I will as I did on Sophie Mirabella’s piece this morning gave credit to labor for their disabilitiy policy, which I dont stand to benefit from but agree with. I dont think its a liberal vote winner but its good to see them match and increase the package although I have not seen the detail.

See yes many here are Liberal Voters, that is our choice. I appreciate it must be humbling to root for your beloved Kevin only to see him knifed by faceless union puppets and the odd member of parliment. Do I think he needed to go yes, did I approve of the way it was done no.

The true deceivers then thought Queen Joolya (QeeJoo) Patron Saint of the deliberately unmarried childless career women would glide them home to a sweet victory. Richo’s “whatever it takes” yet the gloss is coming off QeeJoo (sounds like somthing you would eat at Yum Cha and pays homage to Kevin our Mandarin Speaking ex PM) and not many of the left are happy. I suppose the grenade thrower in the bunker isnt helping either. I therefore understand their anxiety at the destict chance of being thrown out of office after a single term, something that was unimaginable 7 months ago, and QeeJoo being one of the shortest PM’s in Australia’s fine history.

How the ALP love to get their snouts in the trough, and hate the thought of anyone else holding the purse strings. They have so many mates lined up for consultancy jobs and contracts that they could not possibly payback lifes favours in one term.

As QeeJoo has not said Nay Ho Ma to the Chinese or Konichiwa to the Japs (another leak sprung in the ALP boat) since her election victory of June 24, it remains to be seen if Tanner, Mrs Emerson or could it be Garrett the leaker is discovered in time to prevent the sinking of the HMAS QeeJoo.

I hear she also rooted for the Timber Workers Union as well.

Yes Lauz she did screw the teachers.

Julie Coker-Godson says:

04:14pm | 30/07/10

@Iansand:  “Grenade exploding in 5…4…3…2…1….. KABLOWIE!!!!! ”  You sound like my brother used to when he was playing “battleships” in the shower using up all the hot water and incurring my mother’s wrath.

TimB says:

04:59pm | 30/07/10

Get off your high horse Iansand. You’re always bleating about how impartial you are…right before you sink the boot in to the Coalition side of politics.

Give me a break, who do you think your fooling?

iansand says:

05:27pm | 30/07/10

I forgot to add in the original post that I also stop reading when any of the fanboys produce one of their asinine plays of words on Ms Gillard’s or Mr Rudd’s names.  Unless they really are 14.

iansand says:

09:22pm | 30/07/10

Tim B - I call what I see.  Stop playing the victim and argue the issues.

TimB says:

09:08am | 31/07/10

I always argue the issues Iansand. Unfortunately along the way, I also have to deal with posters who’s contributions to the Punch consists of the adnauseaum reptition of stuff like “Phoney TONEEEEEY”, “UNELECTABLE”, and other general un-intelligible & substanceless garbage. Some are completely unable to stay on topic and just end up posting random anti-liberal pieces that they dredged up with Google.
 
I have yet to see you condemn any of these people, in fact theres no mention of “Labor fanboys” anywhere in your post. It’s all a criticism against the Liberal punchers. Which is fine. You want to do that, go right ahead.
But don’t for a SECOND try to claim some sort of “impartial status” and act as if that somehow makes you superior to those of us who actually have a point of view. I daresay anyone reading your posts knows what side you lean towards. Time to man up and admit it.

iansand says:

12:34pm | 31/07/10

Tim B - Poor widdle Libbie Wibbies being beaten up by that nasty iansand.  It’s not fair.

You may not have noticed it, but there are not a lot of Labor fanboys here and those that are do not confine themselves to the same repetitive themes.

I am not a swinging voter.  I refuse to vote for either of them.  I am, however, reasonably intelligent.  Surely you should be worried that your party’s tactics and policies over the last 4 or 5 elections have alienated me?  I used to vote for you guys.  Maybe there are a lot of other people like me.  People who could support a slightly damp Liberal Party but who cannot tolerate the pettiness and mean spirits that characterise it now.

Mark says:

01:40pm | 31/07/10

iansand

The issues are that the current government has comprehensively screwed up almost everything it has touched.

And don’t go bleating about the GFC and Australia’s avoidanceof the worst harm - that was the result primarily of the excellent health of the economy. And that was thanks to the last government (it is hardly realistic that the current government had any time to affect the economy one way or another, given the GFC struck so soon after the election).

And even then, man commentators have questioned the handling of the GFC (and continue to do so) given the real waste involved. How exactly did the stimulus payments help, given how much ended up being sent to China?

Given the current tensions inside the Labor party, it looks likely that, if in power after an election, it would form a pretty ‘lame duck’ government. Not a lot of trust. And, really, do we want the NSW government (and the Queensland government, come to that) repeated at a national level?

iansand says:

05:24pm | 31/07/10

Mark - Which bit of “I refuse to vote for either of them” is making your brain hurt?  Quite frankly, anyone with half a brain and a bit of integrity should adopt the same position.  They are as bad as each other.

TimB says:

06:22pm | 31/07/10

Iansand have you read ANYTHING written by Rob R, Nosthow or Christian Real lately?

They’re the very definition of “Labor Fanboys”. Hell, Christian still thinks the Labor leaks are nothing more than a conspiracy cooked up by an unholy alliance between Laurie Oakes and the Liberals.

If you think these are the kinds of people to take seriously, you have issues.

Reg says:

07:23pm | 31/07/10

Mark I am amazed at your ignorance, specifically about this…>  “How exactly did the stimulus payments help, given how much ended up being sent to China?” The crash was a global phenomenon requiring injections internationally and intended to make a contribution in support of the local and internationally economies. Our much vaunted “trade ties” were the commercial avenues by which stimulus payments propped up the world economy, to the benefit of all Australians.

iansand says:

08:45am | 01/08/10

TimB - Of course I read fellow travellers Chong, Real and Charteris.  I used to read Persephone until her boss got the flick.

Surely it concerns you that I put most of the Liberal fanboys beneath them.  As said in the original post - I don’t know who they are trying to influence coz they aren’t influencing me.

TimB says:

11:11am | 01/08/10

Iansand, yes it concerns me. Probably not for the reasons you think though.

After all, what you’re telling me is that you take posts that contain nothing but juvenile insults (“Snivveling libs” , “Phoney Tony”, ad nauseum repition of “unlectable”) and zero evidence, more seriously than posts with actual facts.

Who cares if the BER has been brought up a hundred times before? It’s still relevant. Same goes for the Insulation scheme. And any other failures of Labor policy.
A government must be made to stand on its record. The election doesn’t represent a “clean slate” for us all to ignore the past no matter how much you might want it to.

Now that I’ve managed to let you divert me into a defence of a whole other issue, I’m going to reiterate my original point and be done with this silly discussion that has gone on far too long IMO:

You aren’t impartial. Stop acting superior and pretending that you are.

iansand says:

12:48pm | 01/08/10

TimB - I never said I was impartial - I said I vote for neither major.  As it happens I know Tony Abbott.  I have met him a few times and had dealings with him when he was my local member.  Unimpresive.  I also know Malcolm Turnbull a little better.  I certainly would not stand between Malcolm and power for fear of serious injury.  I would not vote for a party led by either of them.

I used to vote for your party, until it went mean spirited.  I have said that several times.  Think of me as a spurned lover.  The problem is that your attempts to woo me again are pathetic.  I also think the party’s resort to the politics of fear is contemptible.  I voted for Labor once, when I was a couple of ballots away from conscription.

One thing that interests me about your rants, and the Liberals in general, is your silly sense of entitlement.  You seem to believe that I owe you equal time.  I am not the ABC.  I also find your bunker mentality interesting.  Any criticism is met by attack.  You have given up on reason.

Andy D says:

03:37pm | 30/07/10

Terry, yours is the most accurate assessment in my opinion.

Abbott has gained a little confidence since the debate, but not enough to win the week.

About the only way Julia could have had a worse week is if she had announced she was in fact not an Atheist but a Satanist and had sacrificed and eaten a baby on live TV.

Reg says:

04:09am | 01/08/10

Terry, I guess you’re parading your opinion for some reason but you might as well save space. To my aged but logical mind, if one of two loses, then we may accurately assume the other wins. And you call Terry’s assessment accurate Andy B? I guess your paper thin baby eating associations with anti-religion are expected to turn a few fluttering minds towards the Liberals. Weeellll chaps, the intelligence you display may just do the opposite. That is, unless you’re trying to convince each other like two slobbering drunks at the bar.

Richard says:

08:18pm | 30/07/10

You ultimately have to make a choice Wentworth voter: it doesn’t matter if you put liberal last and labor 2nd last or vice-versa, your ballot paper at the end of the night will end up in one out of only two piles whether you like it or not. Welcome to preferential voting.

Youdy beaudy says:

07:54am | 31/07/10

They’re all crooked and self serving, just tear up the ballot paper and go home. Our country is second rate because we have second rate so called leaders. If everyone refused to vote and paid their fine then it might give them the wake up call they have needed for a long time.

A problem in Australia is that we have become so used to being used up that we have become complacent. None of them are worth a vote so why vote!. It should be a choice as to whether we vote or not like Americans have with their rights to chose. It is not a democracy if you are forced and fined for not voting. It would be easy to make the country ungovernable by just not supporting any of them at all.

Australia is just another police state. Let’s really have a good look at how many rights we really have, and we will find that we have none, and never will have if we continue supporting a feudal system. Kick them all out, that would be good to see. They’re only there because we’re too weak to stand up. Let’s test the water this election, send them a strong message that we are sick of being their chooks. Shove the propaganda back to them and step out.

The French did it and celebrate each year, Bastille day. Maybe we can one day rise up and create our own day to celebrate. But they have that worked out already. Their good ol diggers will just shoot us down in the street. So I say bugger Anzac Day as well. No Patriotism in our house, it’s because we don’t love our army for that reason. What a pathetic situation we have made for ourselves, one day we will change it. May I suggest a revolution to fix it.

Reg says:

04:35am | 01/08/10

Andrew, God help us if you think Abbott looked like Prime Minister material. As Youdy Beaudy says above, there is a vested interest in having a complete absence of passion in Australia and his chosen name quietly illustrates it. We can’t blame the politicians because we keep changing them and getting the same result. The problem is the dispassionate attitude of the people, the fact they they have no idea what it would be like to lose their right to vote or to lose the right to choose to put a colourless individual like your Tony as the head of state. What is needed is a few voter riots with storming and burning of ballot boxes to register dissatisfaction with the calibre of the candidates we are saddled with. (Philip f’ing Ruddock fr’godsake) Put some passion in their pants. This would give a Joh type government the right to arrest me for inciting riot and the next step would be to have the army open fire on the people it is supposed to be protecting.  Andy, the lack of passion in your response conforms completely with the anti-patriotism attitudes engendered by the elitist Liberal Party and its dirt-boring fellow-travellers of the soil.

The Badger says:

01:08pm | 30/07/10

Just saving themselves and their ammunition in case the contest ever gets close

Macca says:

02:07pm | 30/07/10

@The Badger, with the most recent poll have two party preferred even, not sure what else you are looking for (Gillard’s personal rating being higher than Abbott’s, but other than that its neck and neck)

The Badger says:

05:14pm | 30/07/10

@ macca
latest odds for your perusal - read it and weep macca
Australian Labor Party     1.27
Any Other Party   3.75

follow the smart money macca

The problem for the conservatives is really very simple. They have Tony Abbott as their leader. Australia doesn’t want to lurch to the right. If you had Turnbull or a moderate, it might be 50 / 50. but you don’t.

The Liberals need to spend another 3 years in opposition and this time accept that you are the opposition and lose the denial. Do something in the national interest, cause NO just doesn’t cut it with the populace.

Always been Right says:

10:53am | 01/08/10

Abbott will win purely based on the fact he will be an elected official not a parachuted reptile,Get well Kev,thanks to yourself and Lindsey for the leaks

Reg says:

06:40am | 02/08/10

AD if you ever get around to saying something worth responding to we’ll be here. Count on it. Until then ...

BobM says:

02:49pm | 30/07/10

You mean ratf…d, don’t you? 

MarK says:

05:00pm | 30/07/10

Ok.

Well name them. And tell us how they they influence Tony. Tell us to who and what he is beholden to.

Please.

Reg says:

04:43am | 01/08/10

The Australian Chamber of Manufacturers etc—and their shadowy lobbyists. The lobbyists that only big business can afford to hire as back-door arm twister of elected government.  In this case bought before the election as an on-going demand for exclusivity and WorkChoices in one form or another.  You asked.

MarK says:

10:32am | 01/08/10

Sorry Reg Abbott is not beholden to any of them. He owes them nothing.

You did manage to get WorkChoices in there though. Sticking to the script is not helping much though,

Reg says:

09:07pm | 01/08/10

... and you would know this how, MarK? That is, unless someone’s been leaking. One of Obama’s most important changes since his election was to severely restrict the access of LOBBYISTS. We don’t hear too much about that, but there is little doubt that Liberal election funds would have dried up severely had John Howard done the same. We are well aware that the - WC -legislation was initiated from outside of the elected government and the very thought of a Liberal Government restricting such access would spell certain political death, thus encouraging even more secret dealing.  It only took that one example to prove the point you try so vigorously to avoid MarK. .

Belle says:

08:54pm | 31/07/10

Rudd hasn’t done any campaigning for the Labor party yet, and I’m betting his medical issues will be used to excuse why he won’t for the rest of the run up to the election. There is no way he will be able to credibly stand next to his assassin and support her bid to be the elected PM, a position he firmly believed was his.

Reg says:

05:00am | 01/08/10

Girls-girls-girls, you’re confusing Liberal politics and Labor politics. Political assassinations are part and parcel of the Costello type demise where-as Labor politics are gentlemanly negotiations with sore losers to be expected. Perhaps you think Costello with the moderation of his brother, had nothing to offer the Australian electorate? John Howard obviously rejected his philosophy. Or perhaps the whole of the John Howard bitter dog politics was simply fighting off the born to rule Melbonian clique with the electorate as the losers.

Gregg says:

02:34am | 31/07/10

Substance you say Rob!
What a joke if you have to resort to a visit with the kids and all Julia is doing is being evasive to questioning on anything she can until she backs herself into a corner.
Julia would have trouble waddling anywhere let alone around a mountain and with all that Unions/Labor throw Abbotts way he is the one that has shown the stamina and discipline to climb mountains, something this country needs in a leader.

Rob r Charteris says:

12:16pm | 31/07/10

Gregg says:02:34am; LOL evasive!!! why because she didn’t pander to the likes of you??? give me a break. The only one being evasive is Abbott on have his so called policies costed, he’s avoiding that one like the plague. The only stamina he has is for kicking someone when they’re down and a woman too…. nice!

Rob r Charteris says:

05:42am | 31/07/10

Dont ya just love these snivelling libs who get a couple of polls two days apart which appear to inch them ahead and all of a sudden they’ve won the election. Boy you guys give me a giggle. Like they say 1 week is a long time in politics, last week it was Abbott belly flopping. You’d be a fool to wipe Gillard off the field.

Reg says:

09:20pm | 01/08/10

No the biggest joke Gregg, is that you think what you wrote there is a constructive criticism, yet it is devoid of any firm Liberal plan to remedy your complaints. Ah but of course…02.40am. Let’s just call your input a brain-fart.

Ryan says:

08:25pm | 31/07/10

@XLabor Voter and Aged Pensioner: well Gillard and the Labor party like the Labour party in the UK will need to save money to give to the “boat people”, might as well do as the UK Labour party did, take it from the pensioners who couldn’t afford to even switch on their heating in winter. A filthy lot these Labor / Labour twerps are, I guess it buys them votes.

Belle says:

08:44pm | 31/07/10

I agree, the media is portraying Ms Gillard in the same way they promoted on the “Kevin07” con. The key difference is that the public is not so easily fooled anymore. I’m predicting a landslide victory to the coalition.

Phil says:

05:18pm | 31/07/10

No you dope they generally put their lives on the line for our country. Some of them are paid well others not.

Medical and dental are considered part of their package. Just like some get a company car, higer super an expense account etc.

Envy will get to you.

JJ says:

08:29pm | 31/07/10

Without these type of sweeteners spinnah, we would not be able to recruit enough defence members.

JM says:

08:51pm | 31/07/10

When you learn to spell defence then maybe you can comment.

Ever served in out defence forces? I did, for quite a while. I have a completely stuffed back, my knees are like spagetti and I have hearing loss. All due to serving in our defence forces. However, don’t get me wrong, I’d do it again because it was something I believed in.

You don’t get paid a lot in the forces, in fact my present public service job, in which I pretty much do nothing, pays a lot more than I ever got as a soldier and an airman.

So, if you are going to complain, at least understand what you are complaining about. Or do you have some cushy union job where the most hazardous thing you’ll ever do is carry an anti Howard placard?

spinnah says:

02:01pm | 01/08/10

@ jm ( why so defenCive ? )

congratulations on being able to make incorrect assumptions.

where am i complaining in the above statement?  im just asking why all australians, including the likes of volunteer ambos, and volunteer firefighters, what about the police, these people are often in more danger than some of our armed forces, ( who by the way are too busy invading foreign lands illegally and making us less safe than actually defending us ) shouldnt be included in such things. doctors , nurses, can we do without them?

and to Phil… envy is not what compelled me to ask, i actually get more government funded dental care than most, due to chronic disease, but like jm, ( who cant understand geographically based spelling differences, doesnt make one or the other either correct or incorrect and thinks one must be a member of the armed forces before one is able to comment on them ) but dont let facts get in the way of making preposterous presumptuous ad hominem attacks if you have nothing else to offer.. its good for a giggle.

may as well respond to jj while im at it.. i know jj… i know

Reg says:

04:05am | 02/08/10

JM, I had such hope for something positive as I began to read and then you went and slumped into self-pity and and glorification of your poor career choices. The motherhood pledges to defense forces are something that should not require comment. Not in a career where losing one’s teeth is an hourly possibility. Unless you were a cook of course. Then it’s daily.

MarK says:

10:26am | 01/08/10

Why?