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| Campaigning for the Australian prime ministership runs in the family | Campaigning for the Australian prime ministership runs in the family |
| (2 months later) | |
| It’s part of the relentless creep of personality politics: in Australia, voters are presented with not only a political candidate, but his or her family. | It’s part of the relentless creep of personality politics: in Australia, voters are presented with not only a political candidate, but his or her family. |
| Professional politics is deliberately redrawing the boundaries of private life in an effort to connect with voters. If the battle of ideas doesn’t cut it any more, perhaps an empathy offensive might. It’s a phenomenon British social scientist James Stanyer calls “intimisation”. | Professional politics is deliberately redrawing the boundaries of private life in an effort to connect with voters. If the battle of ideas doesn’t cut it any more, perhaps an empathy offensive might. It’s a phenomenon British social scientist James Stanyer calls “intimisation”. |
| With the return of Kevin Rudd to the Labor leadership, not only has the man resumed centre stage, but the Rudd family too. The opposition leader, Tony Abbott, is also accompanied regularly by his wife, Margie, and his three daughters, confident and engaging young adults. | With the return of Kevin Rudd to the Labor leadership, not only has the man resumed centre stage, but the Rudd family too. The opposition leader, Tony Abbott, is also accompanied regularly by his wife, Margie, and his three daughters, confident and engaging young adults. |
| It’s tempting to be entirely cynical about this; to see the personal becoming political as just a new iteration of spin and the dark arts. But that ignores an obvious point: families are an important shock absorber and stabiliser in the brutality and hyper-partisanship of contemporary politics. | It’s tempting to be entirely cynical about this; to see the personal becoming political as just a new iteration of spin and the dark arts. But that ignores an obvious point: families are an important shock absorber and stabiliser in the brutality and hyper-partisanship of contemporary politics. |
| Significant others sustain politicians in their chosen vocation. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that political families are moving front and centre at a time when public life in most democracies is aggressively presidential in posture – and polarised – and punishing and unrelenting in practice. | Significant others sustain politicians in their chosen vocation. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that political families are moving front and centre at a time when public life in most democracies is aggressively presidential in posture – and polarised – and punishing and unrelenting in practice. |
| But the family also has practical currency for a professional politician. Increasingly, spouses and children are consenting to becoming public figures, courting and cultivating their own profiles, a development that creates both opportunity and risk. As journalist James Panichi put it in a fascinating article for Inside Story called The Privatisation of Political Life, “Politicians are happy to pay the price of the mediated visibility – after all, your family will usually pose for a photo to make you happy. But when their personal story goes off message, they have to count the cost.” | But the family also has practical currency for a professional politician. Increasingly, spouses and children are consenting to becoming public figures, courting and cultivating their own profiles, a development that creates both opportunity and risk. As journalist James Panichi put it in a fascinating article for Inside Story called The Privatisation of Political Life, “Politicians are happy to pay the price of the mediated visibility – after all, your family will usually pose for a photo to make you happy. But when their personal story goes off message, they have to count the cost.” |
| In Australia, as we close in on a federal election, we can see two case studies of political communication – one offensive, one more defensive. | In Australia, as we close in on a federal election, we can see two case studies of political communication – one offensive, one more defensive. |
| The Rudd family is deployed offensively. The Rudds transcend the normal rules of engagement, they are a step beyond mediated access through designated spin doctors. They speak on their own terms. They are frontline communicators, self-publishers, Twitterati. They have personal brands and a collective one – and they present as deliberate foils to Kevin Rudd’s nerdiness and wonkishness, the pursed lips and robotic hands. The Rudd ladies are personable and charming. | The Rudd family is deployed offensively. The Rudds transcend the normal rules of engagement, they are a step beyond mediated access through designated spin doctors. They speak on their own terms. They are frontline communicators, self-publishers, Twitterati. They have personal brands and a collective one – and they present as deliberate foils to Kevin Rudd’s nerdiness and wonkishness, the pursed lips and robotic hands. The Rudd ladies are personable and charming. |
| Rudd has an articulate and professionally successful wife in Therese Rein, daughter Jessica is a novelist and columnist with a top-selling women’s magazine. As she proved this week, Jess Rudd is fully capable of generating her own headlines. (She apologised for offending political staffers after she compared the milieu of Parliament House to the movie Mean Girls – a reference which proved too arch for several shattered Labor staff still collecting themselves and consoling their bosses after enduring yet another leadership coup.) | Rudd has an articulate and professionally successful wife in Therese Rein, daughter Jessica is a novelist and columnist with a top-selling women’s magazine. As she proved this week, Jess Rudd is fully capable of generating her own headlines. (She apologised for offending political staffers after she compared the milieu of Parliament House to the movie Mean Girls – a reference which proved too arch for several shattered Labor staff still collecting themselves and consoling their bosses after enduring yet another leadership coup.) |
| The Rudd women have public profiles because of their own professional accomplishments, as a consequence of their own talents and carefully cultivated networks. But in the disciplined familial battle formation they also present as a formidable tableau of modernity, in step and on song with Rudd’s political messaging, communicating directly to key electoral demographics: in this case, professional women and youth. | The Rudd women have public profiles because of their own professional accomplishments, as a consequence of their own talents and carefully cultivated networks. But in the disciplined familial battle formation they also present as a formidable tableau of modernity, in step and on song with Rudd’s political messaging, communicating directly to key electoral demographics: in this case, professional women and youth. |
| They are players, part of the enterprise – and a rising tide lifts all boats. The Rudd family, in a sense, exemplifies the Australia of Kevin Rudd’s talking points: a bit feisty, a bit outspoken, a bit thrusting, a bit parochial and a bit international, and a lot aspirational. | They are players, part of the enterprise – and a rising tide lifts all boats. The Rudd family, in a sense, exemplifies the Australia of Kevin Rudd’s talking points: a bit feisty, a bit outspoken, a bit thrusting, a bit parochial and a bit international, and a lot aspirational. |
| In the case of Abbott, the currency of family has been principally a defensive strategy. Margie Abbott has not sought the limelight for her own reasons; she appears a reluctant convert to the hustings, a loyal and diligent conscript in Tony’s grand adventure, a contained and gracious presence. | In the case of Abbott, the currency of family has been principally a defensive strategy. Margie Abbott has not sought the limelight for her own reasons; she appears a reluctant convert to the hustings, a loyal and diligent conscript in Tony’s grand adventure, a contained and gracious presence. |
| The Abbott ladies not only support the opposition leader on his long campaign for The Lodge – providing company for the travel, talking to people at events, affirming his decision to try and be prime minister – they tell the voters something. Their steadfast presence conveys a powerful shorthand: Abbott is a family man with an intelligent, loyal, practical and down-to-earth spouse and confident, well-adjusted daughters. | The Abbott ladies not only support the opposition leader on his long campaign for The Lodge – providing company for the travel, talking to people at events, affirming his decision to try and be prime minister – they tell the voters something. Their steadfast presence conveys a powerful shorthand: Abbott is a family man with an intelligent, loyal, practical and down-to-earth spouse and confident, well-adjusted daughters. |
| Team Abbott softens and humanises a candidate perceived by voters as aggressive. The Abbott ladies have been a key component of the strategy to shift public perceptions about Abbott since his ascension to the opposition leadership. In this effort, silent affirmation is as effective as periodic public utterance – but in this case, both have been deployed as circumstances dictate. | Team Abbott softens and humanises a candidate perceived by voters as aggressive. The Abbott ladies have been a key component of the strategy to shift public perceptions about Abbott since his ascension to the opposition leadership. In this effort, silent affirmation is as effective as periodic public utterance – but in this case, both have been deployed as circumstances dictate. |
| This defensive posture was particularly important when the political contest was Abbott versus Julia Gillard. Gillard increasingly framed that battle as a struggle between reflexive, conservative, misogyny and progressive modernity. Abbott’s consistent presentation as “modern family man” was an important counterweight to Gillard’s contention that his attitudes towards women harked back to another era. | This defensive posture was particularly important when the political contest was Abbott versus Julia Gillard. Gillard increasingly framed that battle as a struggle between reflexive, conservative, misogyny and progressive modernity. Abbott’s consistent presentation as “modern family man” was an important counterweight to Gillard’s contention that his attitudes towards women harked back to another era. |
| Margie Abbott addressed Gillard’s critique directly in a speech in October, 2012, which not only sought to reframe public perceptions of her husband but plotted her own journey from private to public figure. | Margie Abbott addressed Gillard’s critique directly in a speech in October, 2012, which not only sought to reframe public perceptions of her husband but plotted her own journey from private to public figure. |
| It was a landmark speech in the Australian context, underscoring the fact that politics has willingly opened the door on its private self. | It was a landmark speech in the Australian context, underscoring the fact that politics has willingly opened the door on its private self. |
| It has removed its own place of refuge. | It has removed its own place of refuge. |
| “I don’t pretend that public life is easy for my family. It’s not just the absences and the scrutiny, which of course comes with the territory, but in our home, it’s just been another ball in the air to juggle,” Margie Abbott said. | “I don’t pretend that public life is easy for my family. It’s not just the absences and the scrutiny, which of course comes with the territory, but in our home, it’s just been another ball in the air to juggle,” Margie Abbott said. |
| “I must admit, I’m not an active follower of politics. In part, it’s easier and less stressful simply to leave the politics to the politician in the family, and to make our home a refuge from the battle rather than a place where there is no respite. | “I must admit, I’m not an active follower of politics. In part, it’s easier and less stressful simply to leave the politics to the politician in the family, and to make our home a refuge from the battle rather than a place where there is no respite. |
| “Having said that, I do want to respond to this idea that somehow Tony doesn’t ‘get’ women and that he is somehow immune to the influences of the women in his life. I believe a disservice is being done to women when the gender card is played to shut down debate about policy.” | “Having said that, I do want to respond to this idea that somehow Tony doesn’t ‘get’ women and that he is somehow immune to the influences of the women in his life. I believe a disservice is being done to women when the gender card is played to shut down debate about policy.” |
| The consequences of this resetting of the rules of engagement can only be known in the fullness of time. Perhaps we are past the point where any public figure can claim any reasonable expectation of privacy. | The consequences of this resetting of the rules of engagement can only be known in the fullness of time. Perhaps we are past the point where any public figure can claim any reasonable expectation of privacy. |
| But it does raise significant issues. Does inviting the public into the home and hearth provide a short-term sense of connection between voter and representative – but create circumstances where it is difficult to shut the door? | But it does raise significant issues. Does inviting the public into the home and hearth provide a short-term sense of connection between voter and representative – but create circumstances where it is difficult to shut the door? |
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