October 09, 2004
ELECTION BRIEFLETS
• Tim Dunlop claims to have read every book and article Mark Latham has ever written. Which would explain a lot.
• Backpages commenter Brian Bahnisch: "I remember in 1982 we had a drought. Came the election, came Hawke, came hope, came rain. The land heaved a sigh of release as the pestilence dissolved and went away."
• Gnu Hunter: "I will not vote for the ALP, or the Greens, both of them with their sad record of appeasement and their sniping, opportunity politics. I will not vote out good economic managers and elect unknowns."
• Sam Ward: "Greens last at all costs!"
• Antony Loewenstein: "The ALP under Mark Latham has many question marks under its name, of this there is no question."
• Andrew Bolt on Mark Latham: "Here's a man who, whatever his other virtues, is impulsive, divisive, punitive, bull-headed, enthralled with grand visions and prepared to write a cheque out to the Left. Many voters will like that in him, but should Labor lose, it must learn at last to see these qualities for the vices that they are."
• Remember Al Gore pulling a similar staring move on George W. Bush in 2000?
• Depending on the result, Professor Bunyip is planning either (a) a celebratory hangover, or (b) earnest consultation with the Billabong's accountant.
• The campaign is not going well. Puce's campaign to be included in Google News, that is.
• AFP reports: "Australian Labor Party leader Mark Latham may be tipped to lose Saturday's election but he is being seen as a winner regardless of the outcome after a strong campaign performance marked him out as one of the leading politicians of his generation." Latham has been Labor leader for only ten months.
• Civilising Global Capital: New Thinking for Australian Labor. Amazon.com Sales Rank: 1,083,113
• Gianna: "I was thinking one of the reasons the Howard-lying thing doesn't seem to have cut through in this election campaign is because we're a nation of liars."
• Gianna may be on to something: "This afternoon the Finance Department released its costings of Labor's Medicare Gold policy, estimating it would cost $726 million more than Labor says it would."
• Mike Jericho: "I say to all our American, British, Polish and Italian friends, if Mark Latham and his party of isolationism should win tomorrow, bid us farewell, and try not to resent us our folly. Remember us for how we were, and not for how we've allowed ourselves to become. For there are old Australians amid the new, and I swear to you, our time shall come again."
Posted by Tim Blair at October 9, 2004 02:56 AM" Mike Jericho: "I say to all our American, British, Polish and Italian friends, if Mark Latham and his party of isolationism should win tomorrow, bid us farewell, and try not to resent us our folly. Remember us for how we were, and not for how we've allowed ourselves to become. For there are old Australians amid the new, and I swear to you, our time shall come again."
And I would ask the same of y'all, should the unthinkable happen and Kerry actually snooker his way into the White House. Not, you know, that it's very likely to happen anyway, without massive amounts of voter fraud.
Posted by: Vicki at October 9, 2004 at 04:43 AMTim,
Please tell your fellow Aussie Professor Bunyip (I don't see his e-mail address on his site), re: his article prior to the one that you cite, that a Christian council held in 585 A.D. was a 6th-century A.D. council, not a 4th-century B.C. council. The error was in his source; he perpetuates it. For highly technical reasons (which I can broadly summarize as "by definition"), there were no Christian councils held in the era "B.C."
He might even welcome a diversion from The Elections, don't you think?
well lookee here, i'm no longer banned from commenting. i love this site! i love Tim Blair!
ah yes...but do i come from the village of liars or the village of honest people...?
Posted by: Gianna at October 9, 2004 at 06:19 AMNice picture. Doesn't Howard have some Secret Service-types nearby itching to throw that asshat down for a sidewalk party?
Posted by: Some Guy at October 9, 2004 at 06:59 AMPay no heed to Kerry and the Democrats' maligning of Australia. They do not represent America.
We Republicans know that Australians are allies not because you are "coerced" or "bribed" but because you are patriots both wise enough to recognize danger and brave enough to face it.
We are grateful for the Australians' unflagging support and wish continued success to John Howard's administration. We are lucky to have you and his administration on our side.
Perhaps Mark Latham and John Kerry can meet and talk over their respective electoral defeats somewhere appropriate ... Paris maybe?
Posted by: Lucky American at October 9, 2004 at 07:47 AMSaw Latham on BBC World a coule of hours ago. He called Howard an "arse licker." Sheesh, what a vulgarian. Howard, on the other hand, was measured and statesmanlike. This American is pulling for him.
Posted by: carlryan at October 9, 2004 at 11:30 AM