Q. How can you know a politician is a liar, yet still vote for him?
A. Because you believe he is lying, but you think can outsmart him.
The “mark”, the con man’s victim, thinking he is smarter than the con man is the essence of every scam from The Nigerian Scam, to the Pea-and-Thimble Trick, to modern Coalition politics under Tony Abbott.
Tony Abbott is conning us all.
**********
Abbott is a liar. He admitted it to Kerry O’Brien on national TV, with a pissweak disclaimer that, if he put it in writing, he was telling the truth.
Go read his book or his latest pamphlet, and see whether putting it in writing makes his lies any less obvious.
No, Tony is a liar. He has to face it. It’s why he’s so unpopular. So he exploits that perception to confuse the punters.
It explains why his personal ratings are so low, but his party’s prospects are so high. The punters are betting he won’t be as bad as he seems to be. They think they’ve sussed Tony Abbott.
They know – or think they know – which thimble the pea is under.
**********
Take the NBN: it would be objectively idiotic to “destroy” the NBN (although this is precisely Abbott’s instruction to Turnbull, and his boast). It would relegate our broadband connectivity to the equivalent of a Third World country, even worse than it is today. It can’t be allowed to happen. Too many people are hanging out for it.
But Liberal politicians, up to shadow ministers, are organizing petitions to have the NBN connected to their own electorates. They know how important it is. Their constituents – Liberal voters all, most likely – tell them to get it for them, and to get it FAST.
The natural deduction from all this in the mark’s head is that the shadow ministers “know something”. They “know” that Abbott doesn’t mean it. The “smart” voter sees this, and finds it possible to vote for someone who has vowed to get rid of the NBN, because the smart voter doesn’t believe Tony Abbott will ever get rid of it.
Let them catch you out with a lie, let them think they’ve got your measure… and then screw them with the big one.
The logic goes: “A liar who says he’s going to get rid of the NBN won’t get rid of it at all. Because he’s a liar!”
Conclusion: He’s only saying that to fool the other mugs.
Ka-ching for Tony.
**********
A voter on ABC TV’s Sunday news bulletin said “We may as well vote for Abbott to give him a try. He won’t be there forever, after all.”
This simpleton was wearing a reflective shirt and was driving a forklift. A natural Labor voter (you’d have thought), and clearly selected as such.
“Westie Man” thought that if we elected the Coalition to government, with Abbott as its PM, we could always get rid of him if it all turned to shit.
Poor bastard.
I felt sorry for this twerp. Of course the ABC played it to hundreds of thousands of viewers. It’s all part of the the softening-up for the con: admit Abbott’s a loveable rogue, “Tony being Tony”, and fool yourself you can fix it up afterwards if you’re wrong.
Westie Man doesn’t see how the process of voting has been debased by constant Reality TV and opinion poll exposure, to the point where it has no consequences other than an idle exercise of the whim of the moment.
The polls, a vital part of the feed-back loop, seem to confirm and reinforce his every whim.
The Campbelltown Klutz on the telly believes that if Abbott fails, then we can get rid of him, and that this will be sufficient punishment for him.
The talented scammer makes you think the con is bigger and more complicated than it really is, then fleeces you while you wait to catch him out. But, as in the Nigerian scam, the poor sod doesn’t realize until too late that he’s been stung.
What the victims don’t cotton on to is that the scammer will be long gone by that time. What the scammer wants is the seed money, the up-front “expenses” cash he asks for at the outset.,the ante, not the pot. Anything else is a bonus.
Tony Abbott wants morons like Westie Man to think that for a small investment – his disposable vote on election day – he can get a chance to see how Tony Abbott turns out as PM. To that end Abbott and his bussed-in entourage go to Lidcombe or Rooty Hill and declare it to be “Liberal Party Heartland” (if you’ve ever been to either Western Sydney suburb you’d know how ridiculous that is as a proposition).
But Westie Man won’t see Tony Abbott for the dust after election day, if Abbott wins.
Tony will have shot through with his vote and used it to screw Westie Man good. Once Tony Abbott has walked in through the front door of The Lodge, his destiny is fulfilled. Bugger the punters.
**********
We hear a lot that Abbott isn’t a doctrinaire as he is made out to be. We hear he’s a bit cruisier than a lot of people think. I actually believe that.
I don’t think Abbott gives much of a toss about politics, PPL schemes, the National Debt or even his religion. He only cares about himself. He’s the ultimate narcissist. His obsession is with winning, not doing. His joy is to intimidate.
All that “conviction politician” guff is just that: guff. It’s there to fool people into thinking he’s serious about policy, religion, morals and so on.
He’s not.
He needs the punter to concentrate on anything else except Tony Abbott’s overwhelming self-obsession. Like the true narcissist he is, Abbott loves to hear punters arguing over him and asking themselves, discussing, fighting over what they think he might he believe in.
He believes in nothing!
The main prize for Abbott is not governing. It’s power.
And Abbott needs useful idiots to provide it to him by plonking down their ante – their devalued vote – on the table in the hope of good cards to come. Then Abbott steals the ante.
**********
The term “Useful Idiot” doesn’t just apply to voters. It applies to Tony’s own colleagues, some of whom (I’m prepared to concede) DO give a shit about governance and Australia’s destiny. Poor fellas them!
They probably see Abbott as their useful idiot. They think they’re smarter than him too, just like the forklift driver does. They think they can get rid of him easily if he doesn’t perform (which he won’t).
I’d go so far as to say Joe Hockey has a few reasonable ideas about where he’d like the country to go, how it should be governed, what priorities are important and so on.
Water off a duck’s back as far as Abbott is concerned. Joe and Andrew Robb can ferret away in the “Liberal Policy Unit” or the “Transition to Government” committee all they like. This just gives Tony more opportunity to put one over them.
They won’t know what hits them when – IF – Abbott becomes PM. Policy? Governance? Decency? A “kinder, gentler polity”? Go whistle, boys! Abbott is not their useful idiot. They are his.
**********
Abbott will fail if he becomes Prime Minister. But it’ll be too late. The damage will have been done the day, they very day the keys to The Lodge are handed over to him.
The biggest mistake his supporters will have made is to have believed they could outsmart him, like you can outsmart a rat or a Nigerian scamster.
By the time they realize they’ve been had, Abbott will be in charge and dishing it out to anyone who gets in his way. Revenge and thuggery have been his lifelong trademark. Nothing’s changed.
In the meantime the nation will have to pick up the pieces and try to put them back together.
**********
A wise man once said, “In confusion is profit.”
Ask yourself a question: can you, with certainty list even one policy position that Abbott has been consistent about? I bet you can’t.
The the layer upon layer of lies, half-truths, contradictions and falsehoods that Abbott, through a toadying media, has spread to make his position on any one issue completely opaque have created the confusion.
The resulting profit will be all his, not the nation’s.
We will have only the mess to clean up and the derisive laughter of other countries to endure: the laughter that we could have been so easily fooled by the oldest con trick in the book, and the derision because we had it so good and threw it all away.
Don’t waste your time trying to make sense of Abbott. There isn’t any sense to be made. While you’re trying to work him out, to provide rational responses to his crazy ways, he’s ripping you off blind.
The only thing the punters need to realize is that you don’t get something for nothing. Don’t try to outsmart a con man. That’s what he wants you to do, while he rips you off.
THE PUB 
‘earlyopener
why don’t you like lavazza coffee?
You Latvians have such a mean streak.’
Joe we are entitled to – we haven’t spent all our life worrying about the beach break and whether the moon will be full enough for prawning.
Our concerns were the communists, then the Nazi’s followed by the return of the communists.
You will see how mean as I have booked a table at the Burmese restaurant. Don’t worry about the 6 foot nine guy, worry more about the two short bald guys with Zapata moustaches.
leonetwo @ 7.35
All of it magnificently unreported by the nightly news. I kept my vow not to watch 7.30 but apparently it was pretty crook.
Am about to ring a friend in Sydney & will ask him how it feels to be 38 years younger. Suddenly it’s 1975.
I have to confess to becoming morbidly curious as to how far the opp’ can go with their hubris. I don’t think I have ever seen so much arrogance as we have now…and that A. Robb threatening companies with default on payments, it just about takes the cake!
Surely this is subversion of the principles of governance?
Who are these people, the Opposition?…are they complete traitors?…are they complete idiots, or just a gaggle of overconfident con-men?
I say give them enough rope and they must hang themselves.
legally with no training you are allowed to work 12hrs a day up to a maximum 60 hr week.
Online crap course 14 hrs a day
bullshit coles wollies govt. cert course 16 hrs with restrictions
well now i read wtte
that if turnbull turned up windsor would change
wtte
is that what i am reading surley not
that is disgusting if that s so
rmember how he said that if we changed leaders all over
i think he has done very well out of the arrangeent whats he on about
of course it may not be so but thats how its being talked about over there
now if mt hears this what then
IN CASE I AM CONFUSED MAY BE SOME ONE WOULD LIKE TO CHECK
earlyopener
WE have moved
How did nellie look to you?
Denese,
Windsor simply tossed a grenade in the middle of the coalition by saying if Turnbull was their leader it’d be ‘all over red rover’.
what does he mean,
what would be over,
sorry Denese, I hit send a bit prematurely – ‘all over red rover’ (for a win to Labor at the election).
‘February 5, 2013 at 7:32 pm
earlyopener
It might comfort you a bit to know that hardly anyone bothers with 7.30 and 99% of the population of this fair land would respond with ‘Who?’ if you asked them what they thought of Leigh Sales.’
Leonetwo
What you say does not comfort me. I am usually glass 95% full. I am no mug and gauge a situation after research. I expend $millions pa based on my detailed research.
After 2.5 years I am becoming fearful Labor wise. The media becomes more and more un-complimentary.
I’ll tell you how serious I am – I am prepared to picket ABC Melbourne whether Southbank or Ripponlea.
so he does think if mt was opp leader
we would not win’
Joe
Nellie was fatter than me and bigger than one of your Macks.
denese
Both Windsor and Oakeshott have said many times that if Turnbull had been leader in 2010 they might have gone with him rather than Julia Gillard. The key word is ‘might’. Both of them wanted the NBN and a price on carbon, if Turnbull had followed the Coailtion line and opposed both those things they would not have gone with him. It’s all just idle talk anyway. Both the indies are conservatives at heart, Oakeshott maybe a bit less than Windsor.
Don’t worry about Turnbull. I think Windsor was just saying that if Turnbull becomes leader Labor will lose, but it won;t happen, Turnbull is not going to be leader again.
Windsor and Oakeshott have always said that any change of Labor leader could – not would – bring on an early election because their agreement was with Julia Gillard, not with Labor. They have both said many times that a new leader would have to renegotiate an agreement and if that could not be done they might not give their support to form a government. I think it has always been more of an idle threat to encourage Labor to stay with Julia Gillard. I doubt they would ever have deliberately brought on a change of government, they are both very happy with the way the minority government has worked.
denese,
I don’t know what he thinks really, but I thought he was deliberately having a whack at Abbott’s knees and possibly add a sprinkling of destabiity within coalition ranks.
so u can bet now there will be a move to get m t in
i am very disgusted with t w for saying that
how must julia feel she has bent over backwards for the independents
and what if there was a 50/ 50 again and mt was there
the headlines he has cauced i am
very very dissapointed in t w
he know what mt thinks of the nbn
no idont think so i think he was serious
other wise why say it,
and now of course he has cauced the most dreadful head lines
i really wonder now.
as if we have nt got enough on our plate
well they say dont they once a liberal alway really a liberal
so was t w once a national or was he always a ind.
no quite upset , juilia has bent over backward for him
over him completley/
so if the libs had another leader ,, nothing would of been discussed or debated then
well well well
dont be so sure about turnbull
especially now windsor has said that
Earlyopener,
I will join you, walking frame/crutches and all.
earlyopener
I remember feeling the same way back in 1975, when the media slanted everything to show Labor in the worst possible light and none of Whitlam’s reforms got the publicity they deserved. All the reporting was about alleged extravagance and over-spending and Jim Cairns’ affair with Juni Morosi. I was a young mum and politically naive, I thought the media could be trusted. I learnt quickly that I was very much mistaken.
The only way to get the word out now is by word of mouth. Labor supporters have to door knock and talk to everyone they know about Abbott’s plans to send everyone to the poor house. Abbott is on record saying he will cut pensions, axe teh schoolkids bonus and take away the superannuation tax break for low income earners. Those hits to family budgets and oldies should be reason enough for people to vote against the Coalition but they won’t hear about it from the OM. If you want to do something forget the demonstrating and start chatting people up.
Fiona
Great!
You are articulate and I am certainly loud.
{ earlyopener
I remember feeling the same way back in 1975, when the media slanted
..}
leonetwo
I have the computer,
ABC radio and TV on all day. I have not heard one stand alone item positive towards Labor in memory.
What the media does these days and not the 70’s is phrase everything about Labor in terms of an Opposition and/or ABC journalist sarcastic criticism.
Will you join Fiona? I will arrange for the chicken, lettuce and mayo sandwiches.
Fiona, earlyopener
I hope either one of you know a decent place in melb .for a feed come late april
Joe
Not hard in the food capital of the world!
Love the word ‘feed’!!!
Joe6pack,
A person who is tired of food in Melbourne is tired of life 😆
Re abc bias……BB has hinted that there are disgruntled employees there . Maybe if the public , us , bombarded the ABC Board with complaints , it would give those employees the courage to strike or similar action . Probably clutching at straws I know…………..nonetheless , I find it hard to believe the Opps can keep their charade up for 8 months without something giving way .
Denese, relax. Turnbull is the Libs version of Rudd: allegedly vastly more popular with the electorate than his leader, yet despised within his party.
It seems to me that Windsor was reminding the Libs that, with someone other than the loathsome Abbott, they would be certs to win the election. I don’t agree, remembering that Turnbull was never particularly popular as leader.
P.s. Just felt my second child kick for the first time. This little person, and for that matter his/her big sister, deserve better than an Abbott Government.
aquire
if you are about would you give your take on windsor
i dont see how the poster mr wood sees it on pb
i worry windsor was encouraging mt to think about it
and if the polls turn nasty for the libs i still think mt would but now t w has said that
it would encourage
i truly hope i have miss heard t w and you have a different thought
would you mind giving me your view pls
but i fear the head lines tomorrow,
AJ
how wonderful congratulations
do you know i still remember that all these years ago,
do you know what you are expecting,
i have a friend who worked in canberra for some time and he told me that about turnbull as well,
but well i was struck with fear, so glad you came on and the other s had a word in my ear as well
we have three grandchidren i fear there will be no more,
o well have to be happy with that,
aj yes the labor gov, have given so much the other just take away
my 7 year old grandson said out of the blue a few weeks ago
i love ms gillard, but mr rabbitt no way,
my daughter said she thinks that he thinks that his name
aj saw your post after mine to aquire
why dont the party member like turnbull
or is it best not to ask or be discussed
understand fully if that is so
AJ Canberra,
A moment to be treasured.
Neither of your children deserves an Abbott government, or the aftermath of one – and nor do we!
levin
i think the best place is twitter re the abc
i sent emails and slow mail letters to the board, all they did was refer my question on to some head of a department in the abc
i was less than impressed and i also see no difference in the abc since the new board was put in place,
so support on twitter but so far it seems they are quite
ulman and few other a few nights about tweeted support for Faine
P. Reith on The Drum…no bullsh!t…Reith always looks like he’s had his face shoved into Tabbotts spread bum-cheeks five or six times in succession and the withdrawll suction has sucked all the blood to the surface of his face!
Denese:
I don’t think there’s much in it. I don’t see the point of 7.30 any more, so I don’t watch it. But from what I can gather, Windsor is planning to run again, he thinks that the Coalition would win easily with Turnbull as leader, and he’s not so sure the same applies with the ALP and Rudd. I don’t know of anything else coming out of it. I’m not even sure why they had him on.
My general feeling is that the Coalition can’t go back to Turnbull, because their entire strategy is an Abbott one, and they’re about a year late if they want to change it. Turnbull can’t sell the Abbott BS as well as Abbott, and he hasn’t got time to develop his own BS.
I’m not going to comment here about what’s going on at the other place. I don’t think it’s fair to do that . If I’ve got anything to say about it I’ll say it over there. I will say that in general the MSM are pushing a few buttons. And it’s easy to over-react after one disappointing poll. Most of the polls are recording no change since December, and I agree with that.
There’s a level of hysteria in the media that is not being reflected in the political sphere itself. They’re throwing everything at the ALP at the moment, It can’t last. People would just tune out. The ALP makes its gains in those periods between the crazy-media times.
Apart from everything else attracting interest at the moment there is one interesting event happening at the NPC tomorrow.
Doug Oliver will be giving a speech that will not impress Abbott and co.
The union moment has just entered the 2013 election campaign.
Marginal seats in particular.
Detail tomorrow.
Doug Oliver = Dave Oliver
doyleym,
Dave Oliver. 😉
L-NP 51.5% (UP 1%) INCREASES SMALL LEAD OVER ALP 48.5% (DOWN 1%)
AFTER PRIME MINISTER GILLARD CALLS ELECTION FOR SEPTEMBER
i noticed this on pb and prof bonham mentioned it
so instead of posting what he was saying i went to the morgan site
but have read what he says about this and the other polls
thank you aquire,
so i wonder what mr newspoll has to say about the above
how are u t comma noted you seemed a bit tired this after noon.
Goodnight, everyone.
does abbott think he is american
just watched late new re a war memorial
he placed his hand over his heart like the american do
or is he a republican in disquise
at least we saw a bit of parliement on late line
but as soon as the lady presenter came on we left their abc
fiona!!!! I am about to put up my post!!! Hold on a moment!!!
denese,
Not tired, just frustrated after spending the morning doing 600 words for my new post and then Word Press borked itself and lost them all. So I had to do it all over again. 😦
Anyway, hope you like it, I’m putting it up now for the morning.
earlyopener
I would join you if I was in Melbourne, but I’m too far away. Although those chicken, lettuce and mao angers do sound tempting.
denese
Howard used to dop that hand on heart thing too, he copied it from the Americans. It looks fake to Aussies no matter who does it. Abbott is just copying his mentor.
fiona,
I appear to have lost your instructions for Adding a New Thread.
Also, I won’t be online for most of the day tomorrow as I am having the power turned off for the day so that Ausgrid can put in a fire trail to the power lines down the road. 8am-4pm. Sigh.
Might go down to the Local Library to catch up at some stage. 🙂
When the 7:30 report recast itself as 7.5 they said that their main focus would be on doing “background”. I assume that included politics.
A great big F, I think.
leonetwo,
I saw Abbott do the hand on heart thing, but he looked around and knew he couldn’t influence anyone else to copy him so he took it off again. 🙂