A Democrat member writes:

I’m a
Democrat and have been for 5 years. Nice little knee in the balls
applied by you in Crikey today.. Thanks for that. (groans). Family
First elected Steve Fielding on preferences from nearly every party in
existence, including the ALP and the Libs. Nobody rated them, and their
preference deals were the most savvy that I have ever seen.

Stop
blaming the Democrats for something about which everyone in Victoria
should be ashamed. I voted below the line, and put Family First where
they belong, down with the loonies at the bottom.

Family
First are scum, and the small preference flow from the Democrats was
only effective after Family First scored largesse from the Libs, Nats,
and the ALP. Look at their preference position with all the parties at
the 2004 election before you lay into the Australian Democrats.

Family
First are a side symptom of a growing proportion of people who have
voted conservative in both houses. This is the real tragedy which has
come about alongside the AD’s recently poor electoral success.

It’s
like people who still bang on about the GST and the Democrats some
eight years on, forgetting that Howard was re-elected on the platform
of a GST. If they didn’t want a GST, why the f*** did they vote for
Howard?

Ill informed and we deserve better.