30 July 2010
Labor strategists have been grappling all week with the question of the campaign: what to do about Kevin Rudd.
On Thursday night, one told me the answer was a hit man.
I think he was joking.
But in the end he wasn't far off.
Rather than a bullet, it was a gallbladder that put the former PM in hospital.
Rudd's hospitalisation is a potential circuit-breaker for a Labor campaign which has been unable to shake the leadership tensions.
From his sickbed he offered a goodwill gesture, saying he was looking forward to leaving hospital next week and campaigning wherever needed for the re-election of Prime Minister Gillard.
This goes further than his previous statements to campaign for the re-election of Labor.
And it shows he's willing to be a team player.
Whether campaign HQ takes him up on his offer though is another thing.
It's hard to imagine Labor candidates in marginal seats embracing Kevin Rudd.
"Hi, I'm Kevin, I'm from Queensland and please re-elect this lot who knifed me in the back."
At least he'll attract some media attention in marginal seats!
At the end of week two of the campaign, senior Liberal strategists are sounding more confident.
Tony Abbott clearly won the week and is looking more Prime Ministerial.
Strategists on both sides agree Labor is in trouble in western Sydney and Queensland.
But despite a difficult week, number-crunchers still have Labor winning enough seats to hold on.
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my husband and i have been watching your program for the past 5 weeks as we have been on holidays, from our observations you clearly vote labour. you can never say well tony abbott is just better then ms gillard instead you continue to rant on how she will pick up ground. Perhaps you are forgetting that we the australian public are not entirely stupid and consider what you are saying is simply labour spin.
We MAY have the faceless men, I say again MAY. But we now have the gutless men of the Liberal National Party. Why not have another debate, not just say Sunday night but any night. A wee bit frighten are we Tony?
