“Keep your friends close, your enemies closer,” said Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu.
To which Ted Baillieu, leader of the Victorian Liberal opposition, might reply, “Fair enough Sun, but that’s easier said than done.” After all, you can’t keep your enemies much closer than giving them a job.
But that’s the dilemma Baillieu faces today following revelations that the publishers of Hewhostandsfornothing, a vehemently anti-Baillieu blog, were not only members of the Liberal Party, but member of his own campaign unit. In case you haven’t caught up with Simon Morgan (federal campaign manager) and John Osborn’s (campaign unit researcher) combination of character assassination and policy critique, here are a few highlights.
The blog’s raison d’etre:
On poll results
Baillieu by comparison
On Baillieu’s political smarts
On leadership and channel deepening
Regarding the bloggers’ opinion that Red Ted is “…bone idle, seeks power for power’s sake, is risk adverse and considers longevity more important than achievement and reform”, I wonder whether these traits actually run deep throughout the Vic Libs. The former treasurer fits this picture perfectly (ironic – Alannis like – that this storm seems to have the seat of Higgins at its center).
To be fair ‘though, if we removed the “bone idleness” assertion, the picture fits the vast majority of politicians from both major parties (and the Nats, I might add). At any rate, perhaps Jeffery Kennet’s greatest achievement will be to have been the very last Lib premier of Victoria. Keep it up, fellas!
Say what you will about Kennett, the Libs are unlikely to find another one either in Victoria or anywhere else. Most of Melbourne quite liked him, the rest of Victoria hated him, and the rest of Australia watched on in amazement. As an ALP campaign volunteer, I’ve doorknocked hundreds of homes in middle-suburban Adelaide, and if I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard the phrase “We need a Jeff Kennett here”, I’d be down the pub right now.