Rather less then a year ago
Our Australian media had judged
That Kevin Rudd had sinned.
He was undone because found out.
Their view, broadcast far and wide,
Showed him unfit for public office.
He was once seen in a night club.
He had berated an air hostess.
He had worked too hard.
He had expected too much of others,
But engendered such fear
That colleagues spoke no ill of him,
‘Til he began to heed the Oracle, Newspoll.
Then Party men agreed;
Publicly eating his own ear wax,
Raising his voice in interview
With redoubtable Red Kerry,
Privately expressing impatience
With agents of all powerful China,
Were not acceptable.
His affectation of a gentle mien,
Pretence of domestic harmony,
With loving wife, cat, dog and
Children, did not convince.
Nor did bringing us prosperity
Amidst the chaos of a broken world.
None of that availed.
His great wrongdoing then, it seemed,
Was placing the welfare of the common man,
The national economy and body politic
Before the powerful interests
Of international conglomerates,
Whose rights to the riches of our land
Transcended all others.
All that because of anger in his heart
Against a father now long dead.
For that he had attacked
The powerful, the great, the good,
Our mighty mining magnates.
Have those fathers of this nation,
More generous to their media sons,
Than that would-be patricide,
Decided he should be forgiven?
Or is he seen of use to them,
A means to bring ruin to
The harridan who succeeded him?
Does the devil they once knew
Now seem benign in comparison?
Does her defiance of the Oracle,
Newspoll, cause them to fear
She will achieve those very things
For which he was in truth condemned?
Comments
Miglo 05/04/11 Patricia, I’ve lost count of the number of people who have asked me if Kevin will get his old job back. I’ve been replying in the negative but secretly I don’t rule it out as a possibility.
BSA Bob 05/04/11 I like this. Rudd’s temporary “rehabilitation” is entirely at the whim of a media focused on the destruction of this Government. I remember a short article in the Oz by (I think) Chris Wallace along the lines of “the Canberra press gallery has left Rudd & it won’t be going back.” Are we now expected to forget that the media set its mind to Rudd’s destruction? I guess we are.
Pip 06/04/11 Very true patriciawa. Last night on Qanda Kevin Rudd answered questions, and named no names and as far as one can tell, told no lies, but that was enough for the press to have a field day.
Kevin Rennie 07/04/11 Thanks, Patricia. We have to keep some sense of history. The current sorry state of political analysis and debate and media coverage mirror the Whitlam experience after the 1974 election. The gloves came off and anything became permissible. Wreckers become heroes. Rumour becomes fact. Vested interests become national interests. Multinational bullies become victims. Scientists become conspirators. Lowlife political creeps and media sleazes become opinion leaders. We have no option but to keep our cool and campaign with ideas and not bile.
polliepomes 