You had me at 'Malcolm'

BY KATE HUNTER

‘Why is US politics so much sexier than ours?’

That’s what I thought as I watched coverage of the US Presidential debate this week. And I don’t mean the Ryan Gosling kind of sexy , I mean sexy in a cooler, bigger, more inspiring kind of way.

Compared to Barack and Mitt (even the names are like movie characters), our Julia and Tony seem like Year 11 students battling it out for School Captain.

I’m ho-hum about the pair of them. In fact, I’m blah about most politicians.

Except Malcolm Turnbull.

I bloody love him. Yes, I do. Let me count the ways (and the whys):

1. In the face of the past few weeks’ shit-storm, Turnbull remained calm. He can make an eloquent speech when required, and say nothing when it’s not. Maybe he’s toeing a party line … perhaps he’s giving others rope. Whatever – I admire his restraint.

2. He’s over 50 but with a young mindset. He’s interested in gay marriage, global warming, an Australian republic. His ideas mightn’t be workable (rain manufacture was never going to be a goer) but I love a big idea and Malcolm is open to them.

3. He’s rich. I figure Turnbull’s not in parliament for the pension plan. And heck, if he can keep himself out of debt and cashed up, he can do it for Australia.

4. He’s married to person arguably more remarkable than himself.

5. He doesn’t appear to be THAT DESPERATE to be PM. There are plenty of other things he could do. I think we’d be lucky to have him.

To summarise. If Turnbull was leader of the Libs, voting in the next federal election would be easy. I’d be done in two minutes. Then I’d enjoy a sausage in bread; confident our country’s future is in the hands of a statesman, not a run-of-the-mill pollie.

[poll id=”117″]

Do you think Malcolm Turnbull should be the Opposition leader? Prime Minister? If he were the leader of the coalition, would it change your vote at the next election?