Day 19- Halfway to a threeway

Folks, it's getting tiring. Isn't that right Tony?

Yep, sure is Glenroi. Via fairfax.

Abbott went for the oldies, having a bit of a bowl and flinging some money about 'for those who want to work', while her Realness announced more cash for parents. That, and another call for a debate. Tony says no. This will go on. And on. We're halfway there. And what have we learnt?

• That small target stuff benefits nobody.
• That Kevin Rudd may still harbour some ill will.
• That realness is more important than, say, ideas, or leadership. Whatever it is, make sure its real.
• That Tony Abbott, on the leash, is still capable of a clanger.
• That this election is, even more so considering today's newspoll, all about the marginals.

And what does that tell us, in brief? That elections are, more than ever, about retention of power. I know, politics is always about that, but allow me a youthful moment of confusion, the last before my innocence is quashed for good. Parties build their brands on ideas. And, if one takes a quick flick through the books, some big things happened in this country. Sure, we have been embarrassingly slow to take a up a bunch of big challenges (I could make a list, but you know exactly what I mean). But the nation did motor ahead at various points. It did. It's part of how we sit now, in cities and towns, wasting time on writing/reading blogs.

This is not one of those times.

This, after the relief of Kevin 07 and the subsequent confusion as to where all the movement we were promised had been shifted to, may well splinter the Labor party. Win or lose, this party cannot seriously say that it represents the Labor movement. As for the Liberals, what is their point? It's not the party of Menzies, born of a British idea of conservatism. Nor is it Howhard's Republican lite, with Abbott's taxing of business, his paid parental scheme, so on. Both have exiled themselves in order to win. And will, we assume, in our lazy nation, continue to do so, until someone comes along with a better idea. Anyone?