I’ve never liked the American political system since like all complex social contrivances built to human specifications there are serious flaws. Here in Australia, because of the organic growth of the system we have inherited through the development of the Parliamentary system in the UK, at least we have a permanent leader of the opposition and a party that collectively determines its policies and then lines up as one behind its leader.

But in the US Romney is as old news as he can possibly be. There is therefore no single person to focus the opposition to Obama, least of all the media. The media here may well turn out as poisonous for the right as they are in the US. But we do have an official opposition and they do have a single policy and their views can be made known and their views are being made known, and we have compulsory voting so many of the flawed elements of the American system don’t apply. We may have others of our own, just not those.

But it’s likely to be a close election. Gillard is not yet to be written off.