Australia General Discussion

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Would probably look nothing like maps of recent U.S elections (slight exaggeration), especially this election.

I'll post a couple of demographicy stuff and so on shortly.

Taking a guess at 2007:

(I'm having problems putting a map into my post so I'll write by hand)

Coalition:
Liberal - Washington, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Indiana, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
National - Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina.

ALP: Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Nevada, Montana, New Mexico, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisana, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, District of Columbia, New York, Massachuttes and Rhode Island.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

I'm not sure why the assumption seems to be that the Nationals are strong in the most conservative states. My impression of the Nationals is not as more conservative than the Liberals, just more rural. They'd probably win some of the Plains and Mountains (The Dakotas, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho) and be nonexistent elsewhere, except Alaska and Montana (though I agree with Gully on those being ALP). I suppose Hugh takes a similar view of this but expands where he thinks is rural enough for the Nationals to be competitive.

Yes; but for this election they have pretty been confined to the very conservative areas; though I toyed with the idea of them being competitive in Kentucky.

Still, The south really doesn't fit into the Australian System. (Does it fit into any system?)

[Tetro Kornbluth]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/dow-chief-andrew-liveris-australian-politics-an-embarrassment-on-world-stage/story-fn59niix-1227024928077

Australian politics is terrible because - er, Labor won't back their opponents, the coalition, in the Senate; Liberals and Labor use nasty words against each other; apparently as Labor have more Senate votes than Palmer the coalition should hook up with Labor not rely on Palmer & Co......

I don't know really. The criticism appears to be that Australian politics isn't dumbly bi-partisan after the American model, basically. This may have something to do with party members pre-select party candidates in the standard Anglosphere way rather than have anyone who cares to do it as in the US.

Australian politics have been like this for approx 90 years. British politics isn't that far off. Needless to say I don't care two straws for Liveris' stupid position.

Ah I see this isn't just the wish of the UK and Irish media (although I can't say I'm surprised).

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Xenephon's starting his own party apparently. Cause he saw how that went so well for Bob Katter...

I think Xenophon's niche won't be gagged by a Clive Palmer type though

Plus also, he's in the Upper House so the issues that harmed Katter won't really affect him as much.

But the key question is...

Will he be so egotistical to name it after himself?

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Many, many keks