A nation clears its throat, stares at the floor, fiddles about with something in its pockets and tries to pretend it isn’t crying

I guess there must be some Australians who are celebrating tonight, or don’t care about politics, but tonight I feel nothing but anger and disappointment. I should be feeling pleased that President Obama’s appointment of Ari Ne’eman, a diagnosed autist, into an important position in the United States has finally been confirmed, but after witnessing the political hatchet-job on the elected Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd my mood is not the least festive, and once again I’m appalled at the way this country treats good and clever people. Do I feel empowered as a woman now that we have a female leader? Get f***ed! I believe Gillard is a puppet of the ALP factional power-brokers. As the new Prime Minister she interviews like a politician who has nothing up her sleeve except well-polished evasive tactics and a few euphemistic catch-phrases that have been written by someone else.

What about Ruddy? Will he really stay in politics or will he go? That’s where my thoughts lie at present. I’m sure I’m not the only Australian who feels a great amount of respect for a man who can manage to give an intelligent political goodbye speech, at the same time promoting himself, crack a genuinely funny joke and recite a list, while being viewed by a nation of millions, in tears. As Annabel Crabb has observed, Rudd’s most affecting goodbye speech had a list as its basic structure - a list of achievements. When the established order is smashed by untrustworthy and unpredictable people, and emotions swirl and threaten, and there is no knowing what tomorrow will be like, a list is a simple structure that one can follow as a guide through trying times. When the world is a shitstorm, fiddle about with a list, I say! It’s interesting to note that this isn’t the first time that Kevin Rudd has made a political speech in such dire circumstances. I have read that the published diaries of former ALP leader Mark Latham include an account of Rudd unsuccessfully trying to convince Latham to give him a position as Shadow Treasurer in tears after being accused of leaking to the press, not long after the death of Rudd's mother. It just goes to show the incredible persistence of Rudd. He keeps on going while everything is falling apart, even himself. He has no “stop” button.

How were the Australian people informed this morning of the unfortunate fate of our elected PM? On the national broadcaster a speech was made by an unfamiliar voice confirming the results of the leadership challenge. One ABC commentator asked another one who he was. The reply was that his name was unknown. Isn’t that just like the ALP? A really important announcement is made by someone who probably isn’t known beyond the union movement or the party, and really important decision-making is done by faceless, nameless creatures who live in the basement, who lurk under the sink, and don’t come out till night-time. This is why I normally don’t vote ALP.

At the next federal election, will Julia Gillard prove to be as popular as the hunter who killed Bambi’s mother? Time will tell. I think Rudd’s moving, bordering on mawkish goodbye speech might have an effect on voters that the ALP never foresaw. The next election might be a good one for the Greens. I think I might vote Green. But today I’m wearing black.


Part one of the speech on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PogIuqGLgtg&feature=related