For DUers Downunda: Who is Australia's next opposition leader?

[Jack Rabbit]

I have just noticed that Simon Crean has resigned as head of the Australian Labour Party. Here's the story from the BBC.

So far, there are at least two candidates for Crean's old post: Kim Beazley, who was Crean's predicessor as Labour leader, and Mark Latham.

Could our fellow DUers from Downunda please fill us Yanks in on these people? Which one will have the best chance of unseating Howard? Which one will be better for the Australian people and why?

Thank you.

[pipster]

1. tweedldum or tweedledee?

The general perception is that Kim Beazley will have the best chance of becoming opposition leader...This would be a monumental error. Beazley has lost 2 elections as leader and is probably as much an arse-licker of the USA as the current PM. From the right of the labor party.

The second one mentioned is Mark Latham, currently opposition treasury spokesman. Prone to being outspoken and speaking without his mind in gear. He was the one who called the PM a Bush arse-licker....true statement,but it turned a lot of voters off. Also from the right of the party.

The third one who will probably stand is Kevin Rudd, currently the opposition spokesman on Foreign Affairs. Rudd is highly intelligent,multi-lingual with a particular interest in China and Asia. He is also keen on the US alliance, but is certainly not a Bush enthusiast and expressed grave doubts about the Iraq war and Australias participation. For a party that is in urgent need of reinvigoration and a generational change at the top, he is probably the best on offer. He is a centrist.

Given the labor party's ability to shoot itself in the foot,they may go for Beazley. In that regard, they show a great similarity to the Democrats.

:+

[gemini_liberal]

2. The problem is

people tend to fear change in the labour party, and because of this, they'll take Beazley. The problem is if they lose with Coward for another term (and possibly with a higher mandate) if Beazley wins, it'll be seen as evidence that the old boys in the party are still the strength.

Latham, is untested and this is his weakness, also by making comments like the 'arse-licker' one, he may scare off the swing-voter who don't want a volatile leader. If he won the election, it would be by amazing skill and deal broking. It'd be highly doubtful that he'd win with a great mandate, and he doesn't seem like he's capable of negotiating with a divided parliament (most leaders aren't. They tend to scapegoat the Senate), if he lost, this would be a stab in the back towards the next generation who -in order to "play it safe" - may miss out for another decade.

I am not sure about Rudd, I'll have to get back to everyone on him. I know very little about him. I am a Democrat, i don't even support labour, but they're my lesser of two evils.

to make parallels with the American Democratic presidential candidates, I'd liken Kim Beazley to Joe Lieberman and Mark Latham to Howard Dean. No offense intended to those candidates or their supporters, that's just how I see it.