Obama knows Labor is "wacko" via Rudd

Tony Abbott's ALP criticism could affect US links

Tony Abbott's use of a Washington Post interview to brand his Labor predecessors as ''wacko'' and ''embarrassing'' could set back his working relationship with the Obama adminstration, a leading US commentator says.

Norman Ornstein, an author and political scientist with the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute, said he ''winced'' when he read the interview in which Mr Abbott put the boot into the Rudd-Gillard government in unusually strong language for a foreign interview.

Read more: SMH

Comments

[Jim Witt]

1.

Good one Tony, tell it like it is, and if the PC press brigade or Obama does not like what they hear, it just shows how shallow and out of touch with reality that they are. How "right-leaning" can this Ornstein be if he is wincing in reaction to a truth he either was unaware of or is willing to keep hidden? It is much better to have a PM that is more willing to tell it like it is, that the continuous vile spin that emanated from KRudd, Gillard and Co. and continues to spout from the mouths of Labor and Green pollies.

[Anton]

2.

It is not as if Obama actually liked either Gillard or Rudd

[James]

3.

If what Abbott said was not correct, how else can we explain why Rudd has been replaced by Gillard and then Gillard replaced by Rudd, every time there is an election coming (against Abbott)?

If the Leftards cannot concede to the fact that Gillard and Rudd have indeed be very bad, then their only option will be to admit that Abbott has indeed been really good at his job.

[Georgina]

4.

Exactly my sentiments Jim. I think that if Obama et al do not like the truth, then they are mentally deranged. Surely they laugh their heads off behind their back at the shenanigans with Rudd, Gillard then Rudd. Perhaps they will be laughing even more with weak-kneed Shorten and the Pliber sick person who doesn't know anything about foreign affairs.

[Peter]

5.

If Gillard is free to re-write history by going to the Opera House and the US, it is only fair that Tony Abbott is given the chance to put the record straight.

[John of North Lakes]

6.

Jim, it is not a matter of the rights or wrongs of Abbotts assessment of the previous government. There would be many people who would agree with his views and many who would not. That debate is a matter to be conducted in the sphere of Australia's domestic politics. It is not, nor has it ever been, a matter for debate in the international sphere.
I am not so naïve as to not understand that in the age of the internet, domestic policy debates are open to viewing by an international audience but my point is that it is not in our international interests for the Prime Minister to direct his views on a domestic political matter to an international audience in the way that he has done.
It shows a serious lack of political wisdom on his part. Basically it just shows that he has a "tin ear" at best & is "dumb" at worst.
His predecessors have not done this & his advisors should have been smart enough to tell him not to do it.
My advice to Mr Abbott would be to wash your dirty linen at home & wear only your best suit on the international stage.

[Michael]

7.

Gillard continues to campaign for the carbon tax in the US, in the backdrop of Abbott having won the election promising to repeal it.

In March, when interviewed by the same interviewer Abbott now has, she criticized Abbott as negative and provided a sanitized version of events to excuse her knifing of Rudd.

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-03-08/opinions/37549070_1_kevin-rudd-prime-minister-labor-party

She continues to call Abbott a misogynist both in Australia and overseas and congratulates herself the "success" of her speech.

Time and time again, when she was Prime Minister in overseas visits, she trashed Abbott the then Opposition Leader, who had no right of reply and would likely to have his international standing damaged and had to explain himself to repair that damage. Rudd did the same with his "war with Indonesia" rhetoric.

What dubious double standard practiced by the media, when Gillard and Rudd can do and say whatever they want with impunity, whereas Abbott would be nitpicked with no mercy.

Had Abbott declined to comment, or said something polite, ALP would just seize the vacuum and make up their own narrative.

In politics, good guy comes last.

Abbott worked quietly for 50 days and achieved quite a lot, but what has he got in return? Tony Burke claiming success for "Rudd stopping the boats"; travel rort claims filling the airwaves; firefighting bad, carbon tax stops fires etc...

[Charles]

8.

Our very own ABC brings partisanship to the international audience and portrays the Abbott government and the then Howard government in unnecessarily unfavorable angles. How's that "leaving domestic politics inside Australia"?

I guess, the most noticeable achievement of all these negative portrayals, is to scare off potential boatpeople from attempting to come to Australia.

[Jim Witt]

9.

Domestically or internationally I desire our leader to tell it like it is. The political merry-go-round and incompetent governance during Labors reign has to be explained to all, along with the assurance that the Australian electorate has thrown them on the scrap heap. It is good politically and it is good for business.

[Terry]

10.

Labor was wacko and embarrassing. Labor's (and the left media's) problem with what Tony said isn't that it's out of order, but that it's true. And the left never did like the truth coming out, did it?

[Arthur Dent]

11.

Tony's phone is probably being monitored by the NSA , so they'd know what he thinks.

[kraka]

12.

And now, thanks to Michael Smith-we find out how reliable a source the SMH really has for comment. Seriously, they have gone out of their way to find an academic with an axe to grind and John at Northlakes knee jerk reaction is to stick it into Tony without questioning the veracity of the story.

http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2013/10/the-sydney-morning-herald-could-have-told-us-a-bit-more-about-their-international-relations-expert-d.html

The story is a deliberate beat up, fanned by a press organization still throwing tantrums over getting beaten at the election-truly pathetic.

[Peter Simmons]

13.

Telling the truth upsets the Leftist Press Gallery.

They are screaming their heads off because the Abbott Government doesn't crawl to them like their ALP/Green mates.

The ABC, Fairfax and, especially Sky's Agenda etc, can't stand the fact that their biased commentators are being IGNORED.

[Tom Ainsworth]

14.

We know that when Howard was PM, his anti-Obama statement was widely deplored in the USA in the run up to the 2008 Pres election

The same may now be true for Abbott who must"wince" when he recalls the close links Gillard had with Hiliary Clinton and Obama
I doubbt that either of them would have much time for Abbott..and as for Barnaby Joyce...they will see him and the Nationals as real Hayseeds.. chewing on a straw
What a laugh !

[Jexpat]

15.

Michael Smith is a laughingstock -a wannabe Rush Limbaugh who, as far as anyone can tell, hasn't had an original thought in his life.

Much like some of the posters on this board- who look to Americans like pathetic tea party denizens intent on impoverishing their own selves.

[kraka]

16.

That may be, but you didn't dispute the article did you. The fact remains, the Fairfax press went out of their way to dig up someone with an axe to grind and didn,t disclose it.
The story is a beat up and Abbott will get on fine with the next Republican president after 2016-just after he starts the second of about 4 or 5 terms of government-bwahahahahaha-losers.

[Jim Witt]

17.

Although John Howard got along with the Republican Bush very well and made that anti Obama statement, the fact is that both US political parties are more conservative than any Aussie political party, and the Democrats being the most left leaning is very much aligned politically with the Australian Liberals rather than the Labor party. While the Yanks have voted Democratic 2 elections in a row, this has more to do with the Republicans getting them into several expensive wars and allowing the financial system to rape the nation into poverty. Most Americans would consider the policies of the ALP sickeningly socialistic and the Greens bat shit crazy commies.

[Allan]

18.

I wouldn't be talking about laughing stock if I were you. Your beloved socialist Fairfax scandal sheet SMH tries to pull a swifty and conduct itself in an unprofessional manner yet again and when Michael Smith tips a bucket on them you come out in typical lefty fashion hissing, spitting venom and insults and generally chucking a childish tantrum.

About par for the course I'd say.

[Tom Ainsworth]

19.

In it's present mood the American electorate as a whole will keep the Republicans in opposition for many years yet...
...not hard to see as they are really two Parties now,with the Tea Party hardliners even attacking their own in their mad rage against modern times and liberal ideas

Nothing better exemplifies this than the controversy in the last election over rape and birth-control...yes...not over just abortion but birth control and "legitimate " rapes

...and which saw the defeat of 2 Repub senators who took the extreme stand on these issues

Polls now actuallty show that the Repub Right wing is far out of step with public opinion and that Americans are far less conservative on a host of issues than the far right believes
Also the Repubs are now a party of "old white men" and have no hold over black/hispanic/asian voters who now make up over 30% of voters...and they now do badly among many young women
Asians who make up 6%,and much more in the West Coast states have been repelled by right-wing shock jocks( people like our Allan Jones) and asians vote 4 to 1 for Dems...another example of the Repubs trouble,because asians are often small business people and should be in the heartland of the Repubs...but are replelled by the far right which is basically racist...disasterous at the polls in such a mixed nation now

Watch next week to see a Democrat win the Governorship of Virginia in a real upset in a special election
I'm just back from the US and in the recent polls the Dems lead by more than 10% in Virginia which will be a major upset in a once conservative"southern' state

[Tom Ainsworth]

20.

Yourcoment re the next US election shows a laughable ignorance of the real state of US politics
For a good picture you could read "the American Conservatives "site... which has no illusions about the unelectable Repubs(of either brand)

do some reading and plug the gaps in your knowledge of the US before making more innane comments on US Politics

[Tom Ainsworth]

21.

The American Conservative today on the coming Repubican disaster in once conservative Virginia next week

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/cuccinellis-collapse/

ATTENTION KRAKA

[kraka]

22.

I go to the US probably as much as you do-the difference being I associate with real Americans in middle America-not the latte set you deal with.
We will see in 2016 who is most in ignorance-Americans take their role in the world seriously, unlike Obama.
Keep believing you know what your talking about if it helps you with your own sense on intellectual and moral superiority. I'll let the cached pages of this site decide who is ignorant rather than take your jaundiced word for it.

[John of North Lakes]

23.

Jeez Kraka, settle down! I am just back from two months travelling all over the US. Talking to middle age/older/middle class White Americans I was struck by the vibrant hatred of Obama coupled with their despair over the divided state of the Republican side. Conversely I was struck when talking to Black/Hispanic people of all ages & demographics, the vibrant hatred of the Republican side. The trouble is that the Black/Hispanic demographic is growing like topsy whilst the middle class/aged/White demographic is shrinking markedly. It used to be that it was the Democrats who had difficulty in getting their supporters out to vote. That has changed with Obama. I can say confidently that the Democrats are energised for voting whilst the Republicans are weary & dispirited apart from the (surprisingly small) shrill ratbag element in the so called Tea Party. Really all they are doing at the moment is pissing off the more middle of the road Republican supporters & this has resulted in a fractured dispirited party. I am not a Sage but I would say that at the moment Hillary Clinton looks like a shoe-in in 2016.
BTW I should have been more clear in my earlier post about Abbott mouthing off about Labor to the Washington Post. I abhor any of our political leaders conducting a domestic political debate in the international sphere. I had not read anything about Gillard speaking out of turn. That stuff belongs in our domestic debate. No family likes to see it's dirty linen washed in public & the principle is the same in politics.

[Allan]

24.

You are a game person, John. The Republicans may be despairing right now but they are around three years away from an election. Are you sure that you would want to put your money on Hilary Clinton this far out?

I have a great respect for the wisdom of Thomas Sowell who has said of Obama, "I think this man, Obama, really does believe that he can change the world, and people like that are infinitely more dangerous than mere crooked politicians."

Obama is a Democrat and I believe that he will eventually become so on the nose throughout the US and will take the Democrats party down with him.

You mention the Black/Hispanic demographic and I have no argument with that but, that demographic is heavily associated with high density population, low employment and welfare dependence of the 'entitlement' cult and I have to wonder what their distribution throughout the US really is.

Those people here relying on polls to support their argument are deluding themselves. The old saying, "A week is a long time in politics", carries a lot of wisdom in itself and as the mood of the voters in the US changes so will the whacky polls.

[John of North Lakes]

25.

Alan, my wife& I travelled pretty widely on our trip, spent a lot of time in small towns all across the "lower middle" parts as well as big cities. Perhaps what we noticed more than anything was the depth of feelings on either side of the divide. There appears to be no room for persuasion as to the rights or wrongs of policies. Compromise was not an option. Actual policy details just don't enter into the discussion. This said though I was surprised at the general disdain towards the Tea Party except in small towns in States like Colorado, Texas & New Mexico. These places seemed to be their spiritual home & because they are in steep economic & population decline (anecdotally) their influence seems small but annoying. You are right about that old political adage but from what we saw & heard, the Republican base appears to be in a slow but inevitable demographic decline.

[Jim Witt]

26.

I also recently spent 4 weeks in USA and it is quite dispirited at the moment. Besides political persuasion, their is definitely a racial element to the opposition of Obama. Also, as pointed out above, the socioeconomic group most likely to vote Democratic is growing, while the support base for the Republicans is very splintered and the middle of the road conservatives are very pissed off by what they have seen done to their Grand Old Party. I also unfortunately see a Democratic win at the next presidential election with the possibility of couple of things that could swing it. First will be the public reaction to the workings of the healthcare system known as Obomacare. There are already some signs this could be in be in trouble and disastrous for the working lower class. The other would be a healing of the current rift in the Republican party and the selection of a high quality popular candidate. The Republicans have not had such a candidate for many years, and this includes Bush Jr. who actually won 2 elections. Americans will also have to be educated to the fact that the regulations that had been in place that would have prevented the global financial meltdown were removed by Slick Willie (Bill Clinton), one of many of the peoples favorite past presidents, despite his moral indiscretions. Sadly, I think there is little chance enough can be done to swing the 2016 election to the Republicans.

[Allan]

27.

John, over a forty years period I have spent a lot of time in the US in the upper north eastern states and have some very long term friends in that neck of the woods. I didn't and still don't get the same messages as you and obviously we are speaking to those of differing socio/economic levels.

I am not dismissing what you say but I would suggest that it is far too early to estimate what is going to happen at the next US election and to attempt to guess the outcome this far out is a worthless and pointless endeavour.

[John of North Lakes]

28.

To Alan & Jim. Thanks for the interesting debate. Polite too, makes a pleasant change to some of the sites I post on. Yes Alan, 2016 is a long way away but I reckon the Republicans will need to get their act together in the next twelve months if they are to mount a credible candidate & suite of policies. This is something that I will watch with great interest as the outcome will be of profound interest to us here in Australia. Cheers.

[Tom Ainsworth]

29.

I can't believe you when you say that"Americans take their role in the world seriously,unlike Obama"

I think
you must have gone to some other country

The USA that I know so well ...having family there..(.and they are not in any way what you call"the latte set).....(anyway Americans make awful coffee,and many wouldn't know what was ment by" latte")

Americans are in the main very unaware and often quite ignorant of the outside world...even Australia is very seldom known about in any accurate way ...and the current mood is a growing isolationist one...with a real dislike of any more foreign military involvement anywhere...a mood that Obama's is responding too

Even some of the Republicans sense this mood..the Tea Party in part is of the same mind and disagrees with old line Repubs like McCain and publically so...on foreign military actions. when I was there last month

So we will see no US involvment in Syria and despite the urgings of the Israelis...who always opt for war in the M East .... and their neo-cons allies in the USA ,there will be no action against Iran...of that you can be sure

[John of North Lakes]

30.

Tom I agree with you here. Each time I have been in the US over the last five or six years they seem to be more insular at many levels of society. The average Joe in the suburbs & towns professes to know little of the outside world & they seem not to care less about the outside world. Their national psyche seems to have been badly burned in recent times by constant wars that produce no tangible results for the USA except an increase in the deficit, more division internally & less respect from the world.
My wife & I were struck by the apparent mood of resigned pessimism around the country. There was a noticeable mood of frustration at the political impasse. Who knows how it will turn out for them? One can only observe & hope for the best.

[Tom Ainsworth]

31.

Re The USA today

That mood of pesimism and doubt you mention John...is just what we have sensed in the USA over recent years...that American confidence has badly deflated

Ten years ago one of our sons married an asian-US woman and their child(our grandson) was born there ..so we have been regular visitors over that time..and as well as ...family visitation we have travelled everywhere
We find AMYTRAKs trains are the way to go and thus have journeyed widly,using the sleeper/roomettes available on the long 2-3 day journeys,,and found the food quite OK too (in huge serves...very American)

Recently we went from Chicagoi(where our son lives) to San Francisco...a great way to see the West and the Rockies on the Californian Zephyr..in 3 days

We've also done the West Coast trip frokm LA to Canada and the long journey from New York to Florida and also down to New Orleans...
but everywhere we have noticed the signs of economic decline and a kind of malaise...and much poverty and destitution...much worse than a decade ago...parts of the deep South look like the third world..as do places in West Virginia which is terribly depressed in the remote corners

You see things by train that you miss on the Freeways
The mood is of uncertainty and a kind of bewilderment as they see no way out

One contibutor here accused me of only talking to the cafe-latte set which is to silly for words...I told my son and he roared with laughter...US coffee is almost always awful I wonder why ?

[kraka]

32.

Point taken on the black/Hispanic vote and the growing demographic and it is a concern as Allan points out that this vote is purely one driven by an entitlement nature.
However polls in the US have a greater MOE due to the non compulsory nature of their voting system.
I believe Obama will be as on the nose with the American public as Allan suggests and the folk mentioned above would rather just not vote.
Again, I'm happy to have history judge my take on it.

[kraka]

33.

WTF- "anyway Americans make awful coffee,and many wouldn't know what was ment by" latte")

Never heard of Starbucks or been inside of one in the US Tom? The menu is full of Latte's-Pumpkin Spice being my favourite-not available here yet unfortunately. I won't argue the coffee is terrible but What was that about I must have been to a different country? Puhlease.

[Allan]

34.

On the lighter side, I find the banter about American coffee amusing. Amusing because as a black coffee drinker I find there are very few places in Australia that you can obtain a good coffee

Even given that our tastes differ from person to person, most of it is dark brown dishwater and burnt and some of it is so bitter that it is almost painful to drink it. I learned very quickly not to order coffee in a mug unless you want an even greater quantity of burnt dishwater.

Some of the best coffee that I have ever tasted was in Columbia and Italy. It is a pity that our so-called baristas and coffee bean roasters don't learn how to do it properly because even a multi-thousand dollar coffee machine doesn't guarantee quality.

[Jim Witt]

35.

Americans make awful coffee? What a load of crap! At least you can still get a proper percolated coffee there instead of the crap from one of those huffing/puffing machines that Dome, Starbucks and every other coffee shop in Perth has. I hate the latte's, cappuccinos and other variations of crap those units make and can only get a decent cuppa at my own home with the exception of when I am in US and then most roadside diners have nice percolated coffee. Hmm that,s got things well off message now, LOL

[John of North Lakes]

36.

Hey Tom,well bugger me! We just did the AMTRAK from Chicago to San Francisco, in a sleeper too! That top bunk is an adventure! Have to agree with your sentiments about the food & coffee but when you are desperate any coffee will do. The long trips gave us a unique opportunity to talk at length to a variety of Americans & yes you do get a very different perspective of the country from the train line. So much crumbling infrastructure, closed down factories, poor housing & a general air of decaying past glory which seems to sum up the generally depressed mood in middle America. Driving around & talking to the residents of the small towns in States like New Mexico & Colorado just confirms what we saw from the trains We have done the west coast journey (our daughter lived in Vancouver for years) Not a dissimilar experience to the California Zephyr in terms of the state of the nation.

[Tom Ainsworth]

37.

If you think Starbucks is the solution to the coffee problem in the USA....then your part of the problem...and that pumpkin muck sounds awful...keep pumpkin in the soup not the coffee

but each to his tastes I guess !

[kraka]

38.

hey dopey, did you not do comprehension at school. You said American's wouldn't know what a latte was right after spruiking how much you knew about the place and I didn't.

I merely pointed out to you that statement is palpably false.

Back to the subject at hand-another 3 years of this and the Republicans will be looking like manna from heaven.

http://catallaxyfiles.com/2013/10/30/there-will-be-no-loss-of-health-cover-under-a-government-i-lead/

Do click on the links within. I'm guessing the Republican president sworn in on January the 21st 2017 will accept the phone call from PM Abbott.