Leaders matter in politics. It doesn’t matter how good the policies, how broad-based and popular the party, or how strong the messaging — if the leaders are no good, that’s a problem.
The Coalition finds itself in an absolutely woeful position with its top personalities: Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, and Defence Minister/potential next Liberal leader Peter Dutton are all voter turn-offs.
Only Josh Frydenberg has any semblance of popular appeal. Why?
One of the powerful and insightful techniques when assessing leaders in political research is to ask young mothers who they’d like their children to grow up to be like. The answer is clear: Scott, Peter, Barnaby? Hell no! Josh? Yes!
Joyce is incredibly unpopular in mainstream metropolitan electorates. Many voters, particularly women, react in an almost viscerally negative way when his name is brought up. It is a toxic combination of his personal story, his extreme perceived policy positions — especially on climate — and his faux-bumpkin manner.
Dutton is just too Queensland for many voters in the southern states, and his tough, no-nonsense Queensland-copper persona sends a chill down the spines of Sydney and Melbourne. His defence posturing on China — seen as fear and warmongering by many voters — also raises questions about his stability and sense of responsibility.
Morrison is the least worst of the three. He does enjoy a reasonable degree of popular support, with an approval rating in the low- to mid-40s. But his disapproval rating is much higher, in the high 50s. Simply put, voters formed the view that over the course of the pandemic he has slowly failed. Putting it all together — the bushfires, vaccine fiasco, quarantine issues, the lump of coal, the cack-handled women’s response — tell the story: Morrison is on the nose.
Frydenberg is the only major Coalition personality with any degree of electoral appeal for many voters. If he survives the challenge in his seat, he represents the future of the Liberal Party post-election. A responsible, middle-of-the-road moderate, very much in the Menzian tradition.
Unfortunately, many perceive Josh as being a personality-free zone. He projects all the charisma of the hole in the middle of a donut.
#Joshiefromaccounts is as vacuous as the rest of them. Add Bridget ‘Rorting Queen’ McKenzie, Angus ‘Watergate’ Taylor, Brother Stuie ‘Robodebt’ Robert and you’ve got a rogues gallery of spivs and incompetents.
You have left out quite a few, but that is enough to turn all but but the most degenerate of stomachs.
I don’t think Frydenberg is middle-of-the-road in reality…didn’t he describe himself as a devout Thatcherite?
Also, listening to an interview with JF is as excruciating as listening to one with Morrison…they both ignore the question, answer the alternate one they wanted to be asked, and the BS stats are off-the-chain.
The only diff is that out of the lot, Frydenberg looks younger, speaks softer, thereby giving the appearance of being less thorny and someone your nan might want to hug. Otherwise, he’s a bad as the other three.
He does shout loudly during QT… Gets quite worked up when attacking Labor.
Joyce is a train wreck looking for somewhere to happen. He is totally lost in a void of his own and his reality check bounced.
Dutton is dangeroys he thinks he is Ceasar and tries to rule by his values ( which) are of little value when you view who was Premier at the tine he was a cop in Queensland Police Force ( Newman)
Morrison us just a out and out liar who could and should not be trusted on anything he says, he has been Prime Minister for the most corrupt, deceitful Government in Australian history.
Rotten to the core the whole lot of them and sooner election called the better it will be ..( mind you the lies, pork barreling will flood the news)
Yet the dopes of new England keep voting for him..it’s their fault…
They could stand a backwoods ape in that electorate as long as it had a national party rosette hanging around it’s neck.
I do wonder why Dutton shaved his eyebrows. Shaving one’s head because one is balding is one thing, shaving one’s eyebrows is sinister – taking the Voldemort look quite far. Earlier photos show Dutton smiling more often. Politics seems to have transformed him in bad ways.
Actually Plodd was a Qld plod from ’90-’99.
In under Goss, then Borbidge – out under Beattie.
Newman’s one-term stand was from ‘2012-2015.
Frydenburg – a “ middle-of-the-road moderate” ?
He’s a total incompetent – only fit for shovelling money to big business!
Yes Frydenberg is a total incompetent, shamelessly burning up taxpayer’s money, over-shovelling it non-stop into the coffers of big business. His admiration of Thatcher says it all, not caring one moment for ordinary Australian’s though professing to do so, in a patronising way. Frydenberg must be lying awake at night wondering if the electors of Kooyong are going to vote him out
Aside from the fact that there are no moderates in the Liberal Party.
He might only be fit for shovelling money to big business, biut he certainly does that in spades.
WTF does “too Queensland” mean? By all means, refer to Dutton as a fascist former Qld copper who retired in dubious circumstances, but just a general “too Queensland”? C’mon!
Do you think we’re all bald up here? That we’re all denizens of the night?
mmm..YES
He has a ruddy complexion?
Only when he has fed on meal of fresh blood
Jimbo, while I understand your dismay at the generic slight “too Queensland”, I remember Bjelke. He may have tarnished Qld’s reputation until none of us with that memory are still here. And I was, and am, all the way over in Perth. We were scared, and became scarred. “Too Queensland” has a place in our language as it immediately has a meaning. Tho to side with you, less so over time .. post the current Rogue’s Gallery. Bjelke-Petersen was more Abbott than Abbott, More Barnaby than Barnaby, and a crooked cross between the two.
“He who must not be named” could have apparated anywhere and just as easily can disappear and reappear. So if he appeared In Tasmania would he be described as ‘too Tasmanian’. I hope not. One of him is enough v
It’s just a perception – what other states can boast “us” electing/giving Oz politics a dose of the Hanson, Bjelke-Petersen, Christensen, Robert, Roberts (Malcolm), Hinze, Austin, Lane, Lester, “Senator Cousin Jethro”, (Keith) Wright, …. Dutton, ….”mavericks”?
… Rudd?
Unfortunately Jimbo, as offensive a description as ‘too Queensland’ might be, I think klewso makes a valid point.
Highlighting the various “colourful” and kooky Qld politicians. The euphemism of colourful seems to absolve these collected halfwits and authoritarian “wanna be’s” of any accountabilty.
Hey, I’m mis/represented by Bob Katter and Barnyards newest son in law is running locally for the UAP at the upcoming election.
And you think you’ve got problems
Correction, that should be Barnyards ‘newest father’ in law not son in blah
I live in the deep north and know that almost all the nutters come from Qld.