Campaign Day 22

I hear the pundits are saying that voters won't blame John Howard for any interest rate rise this week.

Well I'm a voter and I'm acutely aware that before Howard lit the flame of this incredible round of election promises with big money attached, the Reserve Bank warned that promises of this kind would cause inflationary pressure.

So yeah - I will blame a Prime Minister more intent on getting re-elected than on managing the economy.

Labor promises to keep Medicare Private

There will be smiles on the faces of a number of retirees on the NSW North Coast after Federal Labor promised to reverse the Howard Government's decision to sell-off Medicare Private.

They will be pleased that their equity in this medical insurance company will not be going down the plug hole if Rudd wins government.

Definitely nothing 'me too' about this promise.

News.com.au article today:

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22700796-29277,00.html 

The Prime Minister is looking tired

Well it had to happen. With the blogosphere taking note of John Howard's every shoulder twitch or eye shift and occasionally commenting on his obvious ill health, someone was bound to come up with a diagnosis.

Possible TIA or small stroke has now firmed into early Parkinson's Disease.

 

The Prime Minister's health status is the real elephant in the room during this federal election campaign and it is an animal that mainstream media is trying its best to ignore.

 

This issue may be one of the reasons why opinion polls are stubbornly refusing to significantly shift in the Coalition's favour - Howard is considered a health risk. Voters have been watching the Prime Minister's pronounced variability in cognitive function and may be quietly deciding that he is no longer up to the job.

 

The Daily Telegraph on polls and campaign:

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22696212-5001031,00.html

Campaign Day 21

Still recovering from the rude shock delivered by ABC TV last night.

Just before 8.30pm I was abducted by a ponderous Liberal Party election advert and cruelly waterboarded with alternating doses of JoHo and Capt'n Smirk.

Come on Aunty, be fair - if I'd been in the mood for advertising I would've been watching one of the commercial channels.

If John Howard wants more air time he should have accepted the offer of another televised debate.