Costello leads Turnbull

According to a Newspoll survey conducted for The Australian, Peter Costello is the preferred Liberal Party leader, over incumbent Malcolm Turnbull.

I won't post quotes from the statistically overladen article, as you would all fall asleep. But, for those of you who enjoy percentages, here is the link.

Costello has always been my choice for Leader of the Liberal Party. He was my choice about four years ago, but I digress.

Malcolm Turnbull is immensely capable, but I think the thing he lacks most is experience. This is beginning to show in that by now he should have put on the table what he and the Liberals would do to steer Australia out of this economic crisis.

After 11 years as Treasurer and four (I think) as shadow treasurer, Peter Costello has the runs on the board.

I have no inside information, but I think there will be a change in Liberal Party leadership before the end of the year, with phone calls beginning in earnest around the time of the May Budget...although, with the result of this poll today, I wouldn't be surprised if they have started already.

More praise for Palin

This time from Greg Craven in The Australian (full article).

snip...the US presidential race suddenly has gone from being a substitute for strong sedatives to the political equivalent of cocaine with an adrenalin
chaser.

Has it ever!

Her appeal is straightforward. Palin is just like the millions of Americans who are going to vote for her. She is cleverer than them, tougher than them, prettier than them, more ruthless than them and at the same time identical to them. Voting for her is like voting for yourself, but after you've died and gone to heaven.

Great article.

Palin To Significance

The news of John McCain's remarkable choice of running mate has made the front page today (Monday) of our one national newspaper, The Australian.

In the online edition of the same paper, this article by The Aussie's witty and erudite conservative columnist, Janet Albrechtson, paints a picture of Palin that I wish those whose published letters appear in today's print edition had the benefit of reading before many of them shot her (and McCain) down in flames.

Judging by said letters, the consensus appears to be that McCain chose Palin because she is a woman, and to appease women. Both of which is heifer dust, to put it mildly.

I would encourage Aussies (and anyone else for that matter) to do a bit of research on Sarah Palin before you start vilifying her. I think that the more you read about her, the more intriguing and likeable and, more importantly, capable, she gets.