The questions are now being asked, and it’s not pretty:
[...] Leadership adviser Graham Winter is a three-time chief psychologist for the Australian Olympic team:
The second thing that Rudd can’t change is temperament. It would be unfair to deeply analyse this in the media, however you be the judge of how many of six common signs of narcissistic leadership could apply to our Prime Minister:
- Prone to grandiose visions and to over-estimating their own capabilities (remember “the greatest moral challenge of our time”).- Hyper-sensitive to criticism and liable to fly into anger (be careful when serving him on a plane).- Pursue power at all costs leading to infighting and suspicion which ultimately brings them down (enough said).
- Easily bored, change course often (swing to the left, swing to the right on boats).
- Lack empathy and trust but say the socially acceptable thing when in public (Is there a better example than saying he won’t accept anyone criticising former PM Gillard).
- Gather only those who agree around them (was that eight cabinet ministers who have gone?)
Pressure exposes default behaviours and tends to amplify strengths until they become weaknesses. If even half of these narcissistic characteristics apply to PM Rudd then he’d best call the election as early as possible.
(Andrew Bolt) Go and read it all.
650 x 366 · 33 kB · jpeg·screen grab of Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd shows his agitation in a … (theaustralian.com)
Update, From Catallaxy Files:
The 2013 Election Date
Kevin A380 loves to travel (I understand Qantas is already preparing the Prime Ministerial A380 with the deco “Kevin Rudd. World PM” – click on photo below).
He also loves the G20, which he claims to have founded.
The G20 is being held this year in St Petersburg from 5 to 6 September 2013. Rudd cannot, and will not, miss this – he is desperate to attend and have the other world leaders fawn over his every utterance.
His Government cannot be in caretaker mode either – that would limit his ability to prognosticate (under the Caretaker Conventions he would effectively be an observer if he chose to attend during a campaign). So the Parliament must be dissolved after his return from Russia.
The Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 provides that the election be held on a Saturday a minimum of 33 days after the issuing of writs for election. Writs may be issued between zero and ten days after the dissolution of Parliament.
If Rudd visited the Governor-General shortly after he returned to Australia from the G20 meeting, the earliest election date would be Saturday 12 October 2013. The other possible dates are: 19 and 26 October, and 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 November.
Since Rudd would not wish to wait too long, and would probably go for a short campaign, I expect the election will be held on 12 October.
