Celebrating with a Powerpoint

In the aftermath of 'Ute-gate', sections of the media and the blogosphere have enthusiastically taken to psychoanalysing Malcolm Turnbull (see here and here), focusing in particular on the relationship between an absent mother-figure in his childhood, poor political judgement, and a failure to check the source of emails before using them as evidence.

Its good to see the tradition of undertaking amateur psychoanalysis of key Liberal party figures has not disappeared with the departure of Peter Costello, perhaps the most psychoanalysed figure in Australian political history.

Nontheless, why does the Labor Party escape scrutiny in all this, or why is it confined to the likes of Mark Latham? Annabel Crabb offers a corrective to this, with her observation that Kevin Rudd celebrates political victory over his foe Turnbull with ... a Powerpoint presentation.

DIFFERENT people celebrate victory in different ways.

Formula one drivers tip champagne all over their heads. Football players smother each other in hugs. And Kevin Rudd, when he's riding high on a week of political triumph, indulges himself by putting on a PowerPoint presentation.

That's what he did yesterday when he faced his colleagues at the regular caucus meeting, after the bizarre and turbulent fizzing cocktail of events that was Monday.

Such was his excitement about the previous day's vanquishing of Malcolm Turnbull that Rudd allowed himself 20 minutes and many, many transparencies, dealing with bank bond issuances, household consumption, employment patterns calculated with and without the effects of the stimulus package and so on.

A comparison of major country credit spreads showed Australia's position to be very competitive, he explained to his comrades, as their congratulatory cries died upon their lips.

Call this "nerd hubris", I guess.