THOSE RUDDY BASEBALL BATS

Before the 1996 federal election Peter Beattie had a warning for Prime Minister Paul Keating. He said the voters in Queensland were on their verandahs waiting for him with their baseball bats. And they were.

Flash forward to last Saturday night. The Liberals’ Federal Director, Linton Crosby, was looking at some ominous early figures. The spectre of defeat was looming but he had one consolation. On Sky News he said ‘at least there are no baseball bats’.  He should have waited until the Queensland slaughter started. The baseball bats were out in full and even seats with margins of more than 10% were no longer safe.

Not only in Queensland. In all the eastern states the voters attacked John Howard with bats, cudgels, clubs, cricket wickets and croquet mallets. You name it. And this country got a new Prime Minister in Kevin Michael Rudd – ending a 12-year drought for Labor in Canberra.

Then the ultimate humiliation. John Howard not only lost Government, he lost his own seat to a political novice, Maxine McKew.

He used to say ‘love me or loathe me’. On Saturday millions of voters loathed him. And it WAS personal. In a classy and dignified concession speech John Howard said he took responsibility for the Liberal campaign and for the defeat. As he should.

As I said on Friday at this time: In the end it seems it comes down to something that John Winston Howard either feared all along or stubbornly refused to accept. Or a combination of both. Two little words. It’s time.

He stayed too long at the fair. He should have handed over to Peter Costello a year ago. And failing that Costello should have had the balls to wrestle it from him several months ago. That’s not to say Costello could have beaten Rudd. Howard and Costello came as a team with a promised hand over later. The voters said ‘a pox on both your houses’.

That’s why I wasn’t surprised that Costello pulled the pin yesterday. Frankly, I do not understand why he is so unpopular but he is. What would he do? Spend three, maybe six more, years as a PM in waiting and then possibly lose out again.

And so, Kevin Rudd triumphed. Whacko the diddleo. And, to use the American expression, he had very long coattails. It was a clever campaign. A smooth, managed, campaign. A presidential campaign. Labor managed to make Work Choices a big issue and he pushed the right buttons on Climate Change and education.

But the biggest issue wasn’t climate change. It was Government Change. It was time. He painted John Howard as old and grumpy and out of touch. And Costello, his anointed successor, tired and not much better. Yesterday’s people in tomorrow’s world.

People ignored how good the economy was. How low unemployment was.They listened to him and trusted him. And voted for him. He’s Kevin. He’s from Queensland. He’s here to help you. Now comes the hard part.

Monday, November 26, 2007

©Copyright Derryn Hinch 2007