ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Opposition leader Peter Dutton brushed off recent and historic comparisons to a potato and unpopular fictional wizard Voldemort, calling out “leftie elites” for missing what he believes is the real story.
“They think calling me a potato is clever, but it just shows how out of touch they are with half the people who vote in this country,” he remarked.
“I’d rather be a potato than something pretentious like a blood orange or whatever. Potatoes are reliable, they’re part of every meal. They’re what this country runs on.”
As the corners of the media, including this masthead, perpetuate this theme that the Opposition leader is a harmless vegetable, Dutton is beginning relish the role of the spud, and the latest Newspoll suggests he might have a point.
Dutton is still trailing 41 to 45 as preferred PM, while the Coalition has maintained a one-point lead of Labor in the two-party preferred.
While the poached egg eaters chuckle, Dutton has quietly amassed support among Aussies who fry their eggs and see the mockery as a classic example of university-educated office-dwelling ‘socialists’ talking down to them.
“They ask, how can anyone with a brain even consider voting for me? That’s pretty condescending and sanctimonious if you ask me,” he laughed..
“They’re not impressed with someone like Dr Jim Chalmers, who isn’t even a real doctor. He’s a doctor in Paul Keating studies, which is very [redacted by legal] if you ask me.”
“Not as [redacted by legal] as Harry Potter. If you’re an adult who still gets off on that rubbish, good luck to you.”
Meanwhile, Labor’s Anthony Albanese may struggle with his own image.
While the “Not Scott Morrison” strategy worked once, Albanese may find it’s worn thin because life has somehow gotten worse for most people in these last three years, especially as voters face a choice between two leaders with the collective charisma and presence of a festival portaloo. Especially if they’re willing to dump a good honest Labor Premier in Queensland with good policy for a glorified mining lobbyist.
Both Albo and Stupid Potato Man may find themselves propped up not by their own popularity but by the lack of a viable alternative.
“We should start seeing him for what half the country does,” said one Labor insider.
“A better Prime Minister than Anthony Albanese. We ignore that at our peril.”
More to come.
