Gary,

Race horse analysis is largely what the punters want in this "Election of the Stars" but how do you feel about that this election is the first without the Packer influence. Kerry I think delivered up the Leaping Numbats to the highest bidder and he did it for both sides. Some of the uncertainty out there could be attributed to the De-Packerization of this election.

Might there be a pattern to this thing wth Pryor. A good conspiracy theorist would also note the "disappearing" of Kostakidis from SBS and changes to Dateline. ABC seems also dumbed down since bite; no bark Mark Scott arrived with "bells and whistles" news service often devoid of content. Less content as to 4 Corners, Media Watch the purloined Lateline and other current affairs. Their doco section has been shut down, with it's former boss ( Dionne Gilmour? ) talking of a death of "excellence".
The Australian on-line changed its format, making it difficult to recover writers like Errol Simper and Emma Tom who are less dumbed down than others, whilst there is now direct access to tabloid content elsewhere, like a link to the Telegraph running something mucky on Britney's sex life, for example.
Equally disastrous parallel format changes at Ron Walker's Age and SMH (on line). Far less serious news, more Paris Hilton junk and an endless bowl movement of "lifestyle".
You'd think just one of these at a time individually, as in terms of bad taste?
But the lot, simultaneously?
Winston finally got his way with media, although it took a LONG time. Unless the condition of australian media and press is just a conspiracy theory. Even then, it's moot who is responsible for the "conspiracy", though.

The whole election is dumbed down. Like Les says, it's an election of the stars, celebrity politics. There's not really anything weighty enough for intelligent analysts to analyse.

I think the biggest issue of this election is John Howard. Not whether he's been good or bad for the country or whether he believes in climate change, but whether his era is over.

Lyn
the issues are there to discuss since many of Howard's economic policies have been more about entrenching conservative power than about improving the economy.

Thus industrial relations is about greater flexibility in labour markets, hurting Labor by crippling its financial backers in the union movement, and destroying union power vis-a-vis employers.

The Canberra Press Gallery rarely focuses on this as they are concerned with the current state of the horse race.

Andrew Charlton points out more examples in The Age of Howard usign policies to entrench conservative power and marginalise the opposition to his Government.

Lyn,
re your comment that its an

election of the stars, celebrity politics. There's not really anything weighty enough for intelligent analysts to analyse.

The analysts could analyze the use of the media--eg., the negative advertsing as Jason Koutsoukis in his op-ed in The Age.

Gary,

I can't remember where I saw it now, but somebody's focus group research said it's pointless criticising Howard because people who've supported him until now feel he's done a good job, best PM we've ever had.

I'm re-reading McKenzie Wark's Celebrities, Culture and Cyberspace. Howard was right when he said the times would suit him. He did what people wanted at the time and they still like him for it. Trouble is, everything was invested in Howard himself rather than the Liberal Party, and the times no longer suit him. Howard can't do climate change and he can't back off Workchoices. He's already being talked about in the past tense.

You have to wonder whether the gallery are capable of doing anything more than the two horse race thing. Half of them are celebrities themselves. Incredibly lazy ones. Maybe the race is the only way they can make sense of their own predicament.

Nan,

Thanks. Interesting article. It will be interesting to see this ad campaign and just how low it actually goes.

I knew Luke Dunkerley, one of the Labor ad men, years ago. Very clever and very funny. I didn't know what had happened to him. Somehow I doubt the election ads will provide a creative outlet for humour.

Pryor is no doubt one of the best political cartoonists in the country. And he's not partisan - I lived in Canberra during the Keating years and for the last few years up to 1996, Keating was portrayed as Napoleon XIV with outrageous wigs, robes, etc.

Phil,
I agree with you about Pryor---he has a very good grasp of how politics is actually played in Canberra. It is a pity more of his work is not online so that people can appreciate his brillance.