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Australian Federal opposition leader, Tony Abbott - Source: Reuters
The battle to win Australian voters hearts and minds ahead of this year's federal election has begun in earnest with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott going head to head in a live televised debate.
Ever since Abbott took the reins of opposition leader, he's enjoyed a steady climb in the polls and impressively carved into the once healthy lead enjoyed by Rudd.
Could this be partly down to the opposition leader's choice of swimwear?
Abbott is a fitness fanatic and can often be found giving comments to the press corps before a triathlon or after competitive ocean swim proudly wearing a bright pair of speedos.
Abbott is everything Rudd is not.
The bare-chested leader comes across as macho and straight talking while Kevin Rudd is the geek at the front of the class. It appeared voters were sick to death of the "nerdy" Rudd and were warming to the "authenticity" of Abbott.
But recently Abbott found the budgie smugglers tighten to new level of awkwardness when he went head-to-head with Rudd in the first debate between the two. The subject was "Australia's health system" and given the poor state of health services in Australia, it should have been a win for Abbott hands down.
Instead, The Opposition Leader's argument lacked substance, while Rudd offered a plan. One media commentator described the victory for Rudd like this:
Rudd reached in (figuratively speaking!) and removed the socks from the front of Abbott's speedos. Sure, the leader of the Opposition made a few telling points on matters of detail, showing up some holes in the PM's plan, but that alone isn't going to win him anything, except maybe a few cheers from sections of the media.
This debate took place in front of a live studio audience which was in control of the 'worm technology'. A worm like graphic at the bottom of the TV screen that moves either up or down depending on what the audience likes or dislikes what its being told.
The worm told the following story: Rudd looked like a Prime Minister and without his own health plan to promote, Abbott did not.
Out of his speedos and in a suit and tie, Abbott came across as a whinger and a moaner. Jokes that might have worked for a bloke wrapped in red cling film on Bondi beach fell flat. The worm nosedived and never recovered.
Rudd on the other hand, kept it simple and the audience ate it up. The worm went up and stayed up.
The defeat wasn't crushing but the message was as loud as Abbott's choice of swimmers.
Australian punters want substance, and I'm not just talking about Abbott's speedos!
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