EDITORIAL: Election spoiler alert

Editorial & Letters|Tuesday, Aug 17 2010 | Free article|Subscribe for full access

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TEXT THE EDITOR3

By Paul Mitchell

There comes a point in most election campaigns when the media suddenly talks up the likelihood of the result being 'too close to call'.

Regardless of what has happened in the preceding weeks, sayings like 'on a knife edge' and ‘down to the wire’ are rolled out, and we are unexpectedly told the election ‘could be decided in the final days of the campaign’.
The apparent phenomenon bobs up every election because the media needs a contest to sell its product. Talking up a nail-biter attracts much more attention than matter-of-factly stating that the incumbent government (or even the heavily favoured opposition, like the 2007 federal election, for example) is likely to win easily.
And, right on cue, the unexpected cliff-hanger scenario has seemingly sprung from nowhere over the past couple of days. Suddenly the Tony Abbott-led Coalition has enjoyed surges of support across crucial seats and Labor might be in trouble.
But bear this in mind: Labor has been hot favourite since winning the 2007 election and barring an unforeseen slip-up (of Mark Latham’s handshake with John Howard proportions) Labor will win comfortably on Saturday and Julia Gillard - not Tony Abbott – will wake up on Sunday morning as the Prime Minister of Australia.