Opposition leader Brendan Nelson is the preferred prime minister in the minds of only 7% of Australians, and the Coalition is the preferred government of a mere 31%.
The new poll reveals that support for the Coalition has plunged a mindblowing 25% in three months.
Have I missed something? Have Coalition shadow ministers been videod clubbing baby koalas or eating whale meat kebabs?
The truth is, of course, that John Howard really was the vote catcher of the Coalition. He was their messiah and their antichrist. Even people who hated John Howard still found reasons to vote for him, or at least agree with him. With Howard gone, we now see exactly how popular the Liberal Party is in Australia. About as popular as the Bush administration is in the United States. About as popular as a kick in the nuts.
Losing Howard and gaining Nelson as leader is like sending The Rolling Stones on the road without Mick Jagger. Sure, some people will still go to see Keith Richards play, but you won't get a fireworks show, and your wife and most of your friends probably won't want to come with you.
It must be almost embarrassing for Kevin Rudd and Labor to discover how much of the country is behind them, and so very supportive during the new government's first 100 days in office, despite interest rate rises, housing shortage horrors, a plunging stockmarket and Rudd turning out to be even more dull and droll than he was as opposition leader.
73% of Australians favour Rudd as prime minister, and 51% prefer Labor over the Coalition.
7%. Nelson isn't leadership material, but how can his ratings be so utterly apocalyptic?After all, he's not Tony Abbott.
Or Alexander Downer.
Maybe Nelson should get back on his motorbike and start popping a few monos outside Parliament House for the media. Hell, maybe he should just try and Knievel his way right over Parliament House while standing on the handlebars.
Such a stunt couldn't make him any more unpopular than he is right now.
