John Howard Loses Australian Election, Labor’s Rudd New PM
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Glenn Greenwald “Good riddance to John Howard”
Tigerhawk “Thank you John Howard.”
Mark Steyn: “John Howard was characteristically graceful in defeat.”
Jules Crittenden: “Australian vote — Pre-9/11 Era”
Tim Blair “Audience enthusiasm seemed to trail off a few times, particularly when Rudd mentioned “the worst drought Australia has ever suffered” (crowd applauded, hesitantly) and when he described the suffering of a long-time staffer: “He’s had to put up with me for FIVE YEARS!” (crowd applauded, nervously). Phrase “You know what?” used three times. “Working families” once.”
Sydney Morning Herald: “Prime Minister John Howard has phoned Kevin Rudd and conceded defeat. The prime minister also faces a possible loss of his Bennelong seat in Sydney with Labor’s celebrity candidate Maxine McKew achieving a 6 per cent swing against him with more than a third of the vote counted.”
CNN: “The deputy leader of Australia’s Labor Party predicted her party would win enough seats in parliament to replace the government of veteran Prime Minister John Howard.”
Blogocracy’s Tim Dunlop is also following the results, still not convinced it’s a Labor win.
Reuters: “With just over 2 percent of the vote counted, Labor was leading in several key seats needed to win power. Labor frontbencher and strategist Stephen Smith predicted his party could win between 20 and 25 seats, enough to win power.”
BBC: “Howard also faces the possibility of losing his own seat in Sydney.”
Gloom at Tim Blair’s, though noting that TV network Nine is now claiming Labor needs just four more seats for victory. ABC TV reports very slow counts in Queensland and South Australia; “Chads?”
Andrew Bolt has been following results minute by minute. He calls the election for the Labor party on the basis of exit polls.
So the Aussies traded in their backbone for a limp wrist. I’m hard pressed to see how this will be good for Australia – or anyone else in the West for that matter.
Dear Australia,
John Howard is the man. We will miss him.
Your friend,
America
Now after the people of UK, Poland, Japan, and Australia, it is Americans’ turn to remove the last warmonger.
You’re sooooo right, Asib. Bush won’t be president again! You’ll see!
It’s called “democracy,” people, and it’s what separates the civilized world from the savages with whom we’re at war.
Deal with it.
Australia has been going the way of the U.K. for some time. This is not a surprise.
While John Howard was good for his support of the U.S. in the Middle East he was also the architect of the Aussie gun ban. I don’t suppose that was controversial in that country, however. After all, keeping the Aussies defenseless will make it easier for the Jihadies to carry out their operations on Aussie soil.
i was thinking about moving to the u.s now kevin rudd has won i’m moving for sure. Australia sucks!
RE, Asib – Howard was ousted over domestic political issues, particularly the recent interest rate rises and the botched introduction of his new WorkChoices employment legislation. To be honest, if Iraq and Kyoto were huge election issues he probably would have lost the last election rather than this one.
Flash Gordon – virtually nobody in Australia views gun control in terms of national security or resisting oppression. Australia’s culture fundamentally differs from the US’s in that respect. Both societies function adequately nonetheless; can’t we just leave it at that?
“It’s called “democracy,” people, and it’s what separates the civilized world from the savages with whom we’re at war.
Deal with it.”
That is also likely what some well meaning people said after Adolph Hitler won his election in 1933. Democratic elections, sadly, do not always end in a good result. “Dealing with it” does not preclude the realization that something awful has occurred.”
Thank you John Howard for saying what a lot of people are thinking.