The news that US President, Donald Trump, has been infected by one of his staff with COVID-19 has inspired a deep emotional response from tens of millions of people around the world.
Indeed, perhaps even hundreds of millions of people.
It’s a deep and powerful emotion but, nevertheless, an emotion which can be encapsulated in one word – schadenfreude.
Whatever anyone thought of the first Presidential debate it doesn’t seem to have yet halted Joe Biden’s gradual increases in support as measured by a variety of US polls.
His current position, in historical context, is further ahead of Trump than Hilary Clinton was at the same stage of the race and Trump is further behind Biden than any Republican candidate has been since 1996 when Bob Dole lost to Bill Clinton.
Among the many memorial plaques in the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral is a small plaque and bust honouring Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse, VC & Bar, MC (9 November 1884 – 4 August 1917).
Chavasse was a medico, an Olympian and one of only three people to be awarded a Victoria Cross twice. There are many other memorial plaques in the Cathedral including for soldiers, civilians, nurses, dock workers and others killed in the relentless German bombing of the port city.
If trends are significant the latest averages of quality US Presidential and Senate race polls are shifting – and not in the direction The Australian’s Greg Sheridan has forecast.
Looking at the latest FiveThirtyEight (538) average of polls over the last month or so there had been a very gradual move away from Biden towards Trump with the average Biden lead dropping from more than 7% down to as low as 6.5 and then steady for a while at 6.6%. This now seems to be in reverse with the Biden lead now inching up each day to 6.8%.
The Bracks-Macklin Victorian ALP review released its first recommendations in July 2020 – no brainer rules amendments for immediate action to end bulk membership sign ups and ensure individual members pay for their own membership.
Meanwhile rank and file ALP members and a variety of groups are developing far-reaching proposals of their own including: individuals within branches; coalitions of branches within electorates; members of long-standing Labor-aligned groups such as the Fabians; Jamie Button’s Open Labor group; and, the long-standing indefatigable reform advocate, former Whitlam advisor and Victorian Cabinet Minister, Race Mathews.
Whether it was ever a myth or not there has been – until recently – an ingrained belief that Australians value fairness and the fair go, as the concept was often characterised.
If it was still a powerful message it would be an appropriate campaign framing for the ALP to use in an ongoing campaign leading to the 2022 election. Instead of the mish-mash of policies it took to the 2019 election – all of which would have promoted a more equitable society but lacking a cohesive narrative – such a message may have been effective.
As the days count down to October 11 Donald Trump is probably hoping for an October surprise – the term used by US commentators to describe last minute events which might shape or be used to shape the Presidential election. Sadly for him the surprise might be both delayed and not the one he is hoping for.
There are almost too many myths about Australia’s Vietnam War involvement to keep track. But one of them – that all National Service conscripts had the option of volunteering or not when about to be posted to Vietnam – is possibly the most persistent.
Unfortunately, the myth gets more attention than the very real mental health problems veterans suffer.
What has Greg Sheridan of The Australian been smoking or taking, or is it just common or garden cherry picking?
He feverishly wrote (1 September 2020): “Donald Trump has roared back into polling contention after the Republican and Democratic conventions, according to a slew of polls and analytical work in the US. The RealClearPolitics betting odds now have the contest at almost level, whereas 10 days ago they strongly favoured the President’s Democratic challenger, Joe Biden.”
Sometimes PR campaigns to address problems cause even bigger PR problems.
For instance the aged care industry is planning a major campaign to ‘change the conversation’ and ‘win the hearts and minds of middle Australia’ according to The Age (2 September 2020).
To do so the industry has employed a PR company run by a former Murdoch reporter and Howard staffer and an ad man who worked on the Kevin07 campaign.