Okay, he isn't the sort of bloke blokes gravitate to. You wouldn't go out on the town with him for a bit of pollinating.
Let's be honest he's about as appealing as a bucket of sand. But how can you be appealing as an Opposition leader? I mean, you have to oppose don't you, that's your job isn't it? What else is there to do, you can't govern, you can't do a damn thing except oppose?
A cartoonist is in the same category. I guess if (when) Abbott wins Office, HE will become the target and Gillard will have disappeared.
Gillard's research indicated the word "negativity" struck a chord with her focus groups. Thus the entire Caucus was instructed to use that word, in relation to Abbott, in each interview at least three times. It worked!
Look at it this way, most would agree Gillard is a mobile series of disasters. There is hardly a day goes by without a major or costly stuff-up. So, it's hardly Abbott's fault if Gillard supplies the fodder on which Abbott must feed.
Abbott did his best to form government without selling his soul. When he was unsuccessful he solemnly vowed to hold Gillard's makeshift, unrepresentative bunch to account. Amid constant "negativity", that's exactly what he has done! And extremely successfully. But, unlike everyone else, he gets low marks for excelling at his job!
He is an unusual person. Just when you think you have him worked out, off he goes on a completely unpredictable tack. He adores his gay sister, and she him, but is against gay marriage. He is a prophet of productivity but wants 18 months' parental leave. His policies are expensive but will unwind Gillard's carbon tax cash flow. Just when you have digested that, he is off telling the Chinese to pull their heads in.
He just pips Gillard in the polls yet the Coalition is a mile in front on two party preferred. The "negativity" tag has worked well but his dogged, single mindedness is impressive.
He has stuck to the script without wavering. He is rarely off topic, stands up to scrutiny, married with kids, religious, a Rhodes Scholar, a monarchist, a seminarian, is boring and elocutionary challenged but his Party is solidly behind him. What else do you want? Personality perhaps?
Okay, but post Gillard, a dull, stoic politician lacking spin will be a welcome change... for a while.
Abbott will be coming off a low popularity base so he hasn't too far to fall from favour, as have other incoming Prime Ministers.
The pendulum swings from one extreme personality to another: Gorton to McMahon, McMahon to Whitlam, Whitlam to Fraser, Fraser to Hawke, Hawke to Keating, Keating to Howard, Howard to Rudd, Rudd to... notice a pattern here?
Abbott will be like Queensland's annoying little goanna-eyed, Campbell Newman. You hardly ever see him but you somehow know he is doing the job.
Abbott has the ability to change dinner party chatter from politics back to sex.
That'll do me!
