Saturday, May 05, 2007
DOWN WITH CLEVER
Labor leader Kevin Rudd, four years ago:
John Howard’s been used to being told by commentators what a clever politician he is ...”
These days Howard is being told the same thing by Rudd and other Labor anti-cleverists:
• Kevin Rudd, October 2006: “Mr Howard is a clever politician ...”
• Kevin Rudd, January 11 2007: “That’s part and parcel of Mr Howard’s clever leadership style, his clever political style ... It’s time Mr Howard, who’s a very clever politician, stops playing games ...”
• Labor’s Tony Burke, February 7: “John Howard is a very clever politician ...”
• Labor’s Wayne Swan, February 12: “Elections are always close in this country and we know that John Howard is a clever politician and a vicious street fighter.”
• Kevin Rudd, February 26: “Mr Howard is the most clever politician I think this country has produced ...”
• Labor’s Tanya Plibersek, March 5: “People have always said John Howard was a clever politician ...”
• Kevin Rudd, April 10: “Mr Howard is the most clever politician that Australian politics has ever seen ...”
• Labor deputy leader Julia Gillard, April 22: “When John Howard confronts a political problem he is a clever politician. “
• Labor senator Chris Evans, April 23: “John Howard’s a very clever politician ...”
• Kevin Rudd, April 29: “Mr Howard is the most clever politician this country has seen in a generation ...”
• Kevin Rudd, April 30: “I’m up against a very clever politician who is my opponent ...”
• Julia Gillard, May 1: “Mr Howard of course is the clever politician.”
• Kevin Rudd, May 2: “We’re up against the most clever politician in the country.”
• Laborite Kim, May 2: “Let’s never forget, folks, Mr Howard is a clever politician.”
• And Chris Sheil, late to the party, May 4: “He’s a clever politician, our prime minister.”
So “clever” is bad now? It was good during Labor’s reign:
Bob Hawke opened the National Science and Technology Centre in Canberra in 1988 declaring the need for Australia to become the “clever country”.
Mission accomplished, then, if Howard’s critics are any guide. Last year Julia Gillard was challenged (by an animation) over her opposition to Howard’s cleverness:
Gillard: "He’s a clever politician, that’s not necessarily a compliment."
Tench: "Why, are you a dumb one?"