Is the current Abbott slur fatal to his leadership

[mantra]

Pardon me while I go and throw up.

Not that I agree with Aussie very often - but if the situation was reversed and Gillard's boyfriend made an appearance to disprove the claims that she was a lesbian and fantastic in bed - you lot would throw stones at him. He is constantly being accused of being gay himself - yet he has a family. If Gillard can tolerate the negative comments about her personal life - then wimpy Abbott can cop it too.

[Bart]

Pardon me while I go and throw up.

Not that I agree with Aussie very often - but if the situation was reversed and Gillard's boyfriend made an appearance to disprove the claims that she was a lesbian and fantastic in bed - you lot would throw stones at him. He is constantly being accused of being gay himself - yet he has a family. If Gillard can tolerate the negative comments about her personal life - then wimpy Abbott can cop it too.

Aaah but Mantra, it seems that you forget that Gillard blasted the media for not portraying her in a positive light and even labelled the media as sexist simply for commentating on her bad performance!!

[Rorschach]

It's called credibility mantra.
Only rusted-ons can't tell what it is.

[mantra]

You need to be honest about the issue. The fact is Abbott is not liked generally by women - with the exception of his family and staff.

But today's carpet bombing of the public about what a gentle and sensitive soul the Opposition Leader really is takes things to a new level, at least in contemporary Australian politics.

The couple were featured prominently in News Ltd tabloids and appeared together on Channel Nine this morning before Mrs Abbott gave an afternoon speech to a Liberal Party women's group in Penrith that was televised live on Sky.

It is a clear admission, albeit indirect, that the perception that female voters have a problem with Mr Abbott is a stark reality.

There is no other reason why the tightly controlled media management that surrounds the Abbott camp would permit such an exercise.

Margie Abbott, a dignified and intensely private woman, has not been entirely in the background since her husband became leader in December 2009.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/ ... z28SqJzPA1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[AnimalMother]

The fact is Abbott is not liked generally by women - with the exception of his family and staff.

In other words, he's mostly liked by the women who actually know him.

That says something about the validity of the anti-Abbott hate campaign.

[Bart]

The fact is tt is liked by more women voters than what Gillard is liked by male voters
Male voters despise Gillard.

[Rorschach]

Dear XXXX
During Tony’s 18 years as a Member of Parliament, I have never sought to make speeches or give public comment. There’s one politician in our family and that’s Tony.

However, today at a lunch in Western Sydney, I spoke for the first time about our lives together and the type of man Tony is.

Tony and I have been married 24 years. In that time, we’ve raised three daughters, been paying off a mortgage, juggled work and family, and experienced our share of laughter and tears like most families. He is the most optimistic person I know. So I feel it’s important to address the Labor Party’s very deliberate campaign to personally attack Tony.

As the woman who knows him best and who has lived with Tony Abbott for 24 years, I want you to know more about the Tony Abbott I know. He grew up with three sisters, he has three daughters, he is supported by a female Deputy in Julie Bishop and he has always had a female chief of staff. Labor’s campaign should stick to the issues rather than engage in personal attacks.

I am, along with our daughters Bridget, Louise and Frances, very proud of Tony. Together, we know that he has what it takes to be a good Prime Minister for all Australians.

Regards

Margie Abbott

P.S. - you can also watch a video of my speech here.

[Rorschach]

Looks like Labor have bitten off more than they can chew with the Abbott women.

Margie Abbott said Tony does not have a problem with women
* by: GEMMA JONES - POLITICAL REPORTER
* From: News Limited Network
* October 06, 2012 12:00AM

HOW does Tony Abbott become a feminist, his wife asked an audience of Liberal women yesterday.

God gave him three daughters, she answered in a speech in which she also admitted to once having been a member of the NZ Labour Party prior to meeting her husband of 24 years.

In her first day campaigning against critics who claim Mr Abbott has a problem with women, a nervous Mrs Abbott gave a speech about their family life.

The community child care centre director said she would ease her nerves by imagining the audience at the international regatta centre were her usual charges, unruly five-year-olds.

"Do you want to know how God turns a man into a feminist?" she said.

"He gives him three daughters.

"I'm not a politician and I'm not political, but don't ever try and tell me that my husband of 24 years and the father of three daughters is on some anti-women crusade. It's simply not true."

Mrs Abbott had a clear dig at Attorney-General Nicola Roxon, who had claimed her husband was not comfortable around capable women.

"I say to the people who claim that Tony Abbott doesn't `get' women: `You get this. Tony Abbott is surrounded by strong women. In fact, not only strong but capable women.

"He grew up in a household with three sisters. He has encouraged me and supported me in whatever I have chosen to do."

Mrs Abbott signalled her foray into politics to stand by her husband was only just beginning and that she and their daughters, Louise, Bridget and Frances, who as children were shielded from their father's campaign brochures, were committed to get out on the hustings.

She said she would also take any opportunity "to be a champion for children at risk in our country".

She spoke of a time early in Mr Abbott's career when her wage supplemented the family income, even as critics labelled her husband a traditionalist.

"I recall when Tony first entered politics, he was painted as a `traditionalist', white picket fence, long suffering wife at home raising the kids," she said.

"I recall laughing to myself as I read this particular article, having just brushed the remains of Bridget's Weetbix off my shirt, dropped the girls off to school and daycare before I raced off to work."

Mr Abbott described his wife as a "remarkable woman" and thanked her along with the other women in his family who joined him yesterday, including Frances, his mother Fay and his sisters Pip and Christine Foster, who recently won a seat on Sydney City Council.

Ms Foster said her sister-in-law had "got to the point where she thought she has got to say something".

She said Mr Abbott had been very supportive during recent years, when her marriage broke down and, following that, when she found a same-sex partner.

"Tony was unbelievably supportive," she said.

"Tony is a terrific man ... and he loves his family."

Mr Abbott also gave credit to his female staff yesterday, quipping that chief-of-staff Peta Credlin was "de facto deputy leader of the opposition."

The speeches had little effect on Labor Minister for the Status of Women Julie Collins, who stood by the claims Mr Abbott was sexist in public life. Go Labor

"I'm not in a position to comment on Tony Abbott's behaviour in his private life," Ms Collins said. "What we do know is the way Tony Abbott has behaved towards women and the comments he has made about women in his public career. It's a long list, which leaves a clear pattern of sexism."

She said the public would form its own view on Mr Abbott's behavior.

Attorney General Nicola Roxon and Health Minister Tanya Plibersek, who have both criticised Mr Abbott over his dealings with women, were not available for comment. Ms Plibersek was overseas.

Treasurer Wayne Swan weighed in however, saying: "No amount of fuzzy photo ops can airbrush away Mr Abbott's record of aggressive negativity or the huge risk he poses to the economy and jobs."

Victorian Liberal backbencher Kelly O'Dwyer, who labelled the Labor women attacking Mr Abbott the "handbag hit squad", took to Twitter to congratulate Mrs Abbott.

"Great speech Margie. Pity about Labor's personality politics," she wrote. It is sad indeed that Margie, a very private person has been forced to come out and defend the lies labor has been telling about her husband. Have they no shame?

Mr Abbott tweeted: "I'm so proud of my wife Margie. A wonderful speech from a remarkable woman."

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/n ... 6489192404" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Bart]

Margie Abbott said Tony does not have a problem with women
Treasurer Wayne Swan weighed in however, saying: "No amount of fuzzy photo ops can airbrush away Mr Abbott's record of aggressive negativity or the huge risk he poses to the economy and jobs."

Oh Swan, you mean like how unemployment has risen, and how the economy has gone done the gurgler since the ALP took over. Yes you're right the Liberals could never be as bad as the ALP.

Oh Swan and what about blatantly lying to the elctorate about the surplus, so when will you include the $40billion NBN into the budget!!!!

[Rorschach]

Wifely response to mud-slinging
* From: The Daily Telegraph
* October 06, 2012 12:00AM

THE decision by Tony Abbott and his wife for her to come forward to defend her husband's honour was a politically astute and probably effective one.

However, it is an unfortunate development that political discourse in this country has become so debased that an opposition leader feels he needs to wheel out his notoriously publicity-shy wife to defend him from accusations that he is a woman-hater. Yet it wasn't his decision, but something his wife felt she needed to do.

Has it really come to this? You mean how low can Labor go?

Ever since Labor took the seismically brutal decision to kill off its own prime minister in his first term, the rules of engagement have changed in this country. Indeed it often seems like the rule book has been torn up altogether.

Both Labor and the Coalition - not to mention the Greens - have reduced political discourse to base personal mud-slinging, and the viciousness has escalated to the point where this week we saw Alan Jones make the most disgracefully personal and hurtful comments about the Prime Minister and her father.

Labor has sought to attribute this to Mr Abbott and his bare-bones style of political combat, yet in painting him as a misogynist they commit the very sin of which they accuse him.

The astuteness of the decision for Mrs Abbott to defend her man publicly is that Labor can no longer pursue this line of attack on Mr Abbott without effectively attacking her as well. Are they going to call his wife a liar? That is a bridge too far, even in today's heated political climate. Not beyond ignorant Labor rusted-ons though.

Instead we can only hope that Labor will now realise it has been playing the man and not the ball too hard and too long.
I doubt it.

Likewise, perhaps the Coalition and its supporters will rein in some of its more personal attacks on the Prime Minister.

Australia is facing a dangerously uncertain time and there are major problems that need to be solved in the economy, education, health and disability, just to name a handful of areas.

It's about time both parties stopped attacking people and started advancing policy.