NY scores a hit downunder

While the guesswork continues over the date of the looming Australian general election the big boys have started playing rough. The government have allegedly leaked details of poll frontrunner, Kevin Rudd, in a sordid attempt to dent his popularity.

Rudd blames a drunken blackout for a wild night watching lap dancing girls in a strip club in New York City. Mr Rudd yesterday confessed he had been a "goose" that night.

He was in New York as the alternative foreign affairs minister during important United Nations' proceedings, a regular trip available to all shadow foreign ministers.

The story broke just a week after both Howard and Rudd pitched for the Christian vote. Bear in mind, the Christian lobby has never been particularly strong in this country, but desperation calls.

So while the righteous might be foaming at the mouth there is a strong sentiment that the bookish Rudd might actually be a real bloke after all; a preferred look to the average voter.

We haven’t seen any polling fallout yet and talk back and vox pops tend to draw the fringes rather than real public opinion. My guess is that Howard has given Rudd a free kick on this one, as he has been doing throughout the pre-campaign period on a number of attacks.

Sadly these attacks continue to focus interest on the two leaders. It is too soon to expect local media to become too serious over our independent campaign, but gaining traction in what is becoming a two horse race is certainly going to take some creativity.

Perhaps I should start sending my candidate to do the rounds of the local strip clubs. On second thoughts, I think maybe not…