Labor’s hardly a leftist party, either, to be honest. Howard’s probably lost, and I’m sorry to see him go, but it’s not the same kind of disaster America would face with a Democrat President. Unless Rudd does a complete about-turn on most of his policies (which, given his track record, doesn’t seem all that unlikely), we’ll still have a fairly conservative government in power.
what do you suppose it means to be “line-ball with one percent counted?” I just mean, please translate.
The problem isn’t Rudd. He isn’t that far to the left, I agree.
But Labor is a very factionalised party, and parts of it are very left wing. And Rudd has to work with them, and deal with them.
So it depends on how much he can do what he wants, and how much he has to cater to other elements of his party.
On this basis, I’m glad he has apparently achieved a reasonably majority. It gives him more clout.
If we have to have a Labor government, far better it’s him that somebody like Latham.