A blast from Daily Red's past

Wasn’t it Professor Lockhart from Harry Potter that said that “fame is a fickle thing”? This statement is perhaps true north when it comes to the political realm.

I might be young and that might limit my scope but never in my time so far have I seen so much scrutiny on the leadership.

The day that our current Prime Minister Julia Gillard defeated then Prime Minister Kevin 

Rudd in a leadership challenge, I was sitting at the table in class, having just finished an assessment, filling my hand relieved of the pen it had gripped so tightly, and nervously, my mind crossed to the challenge that had been confirmed only the night before.

That morning, as I had got off the bus, I practically ran to the study room and ferociously grabbed a computer; from there I wrote a brief article (which I proudly still have to this day) about the challenge, and the following implications.

I am not sure if she had won at the point, the timing to that extent is very fuzzy.

But I do recall sending the article around to all the newspapers.

With two minutes until class (the one with the mini exam) the pressure was on, to email all these places. i had a virtual sweat covering my pumped up body.

Done, and then I rushed off to class.

My feelings at the time were unprecedented to what I had experiences to when it came to politics. In an instant, without a person’s single vote, we could very well have our first female PM.

Just considering the concept was momentous. I had never experienced a leadership spill and especially when the leadership of the nation was at stake.

So getting back to where I was, sitting in the class and having put the pen down. I walked off to the next class, ironically one that had studied politics for the first part of the year, and another test was coming my way.

But before the assessment could take place, a good friend of mine had come in, shrill of course over the fact that one Ms Gillard had beaten Rudd.

Was I gobsmacked? A little, well, okay... yes!

In the beginning, and upon reflection, whether I was influenced by the papers, it seemed so sensational, but at the same disappointing, the first female PM (and first redhead!!) was not necessarily voted in by the people but by her caucus.

I know, I know, we don’t vote for the PM because this is not America, but we do vote for our local reps with their leader, do we not? Beg to differ if you want.

Then everyone else began to file in, perhaps a little grudgingly because that would have been the harder of the tests for that subject that I had experienced.  All of which talked, and talked of the matter... it seemed that it was “out with the young looking Howard, and in with the flame haired she-Politician”.

It was an intriguing day, so when I got home, seeing Rudd cry on National telly, made my lip tremble more than a plate of red jelly and in comparison was like the time when John Howard (the guy who led before Rudd) lost the election... and his seat of Bennelong, it seemed utterly sensational (sorry to repeat the word)but also depressing.

But I guess that is the cycle of politics.

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