Shorten, the ALP , and losing the election
Back to the ALP self-examination on why we lost the election. Am I nuts or something? The ALP is giving into Joel Fitzgibbon and the burn coal group.
—
What beat the ALP is the $60 million dollar gift to the Liberal Party campaign by Clive Palmer. And the money was well spent on the fear of Shorten being “shifty”. In current discussions it is not even getting a mention. Clive’s advertisements landed on fear. Fear, the psychologists tell us, is the best motivator. The Fear of “Shifty Shorten” message was far more effective than, $60million saying, “Vote Liberal Party”.
—
The loss in the last election of May 2019 had little to do with “policies” – it was a $60 million dollar political donation to the Coaltion by Clive Palmer to save his coal mines. This was a huge amount even by USA Coke Brothers standard
—
If $60million would have been donated to the ALP we would have won the election easily.
Clive only had to sway 3% – but in my opinion his advertisements swayed many more.
$60 million dollars, effectively spent, has a big effect.
—
And it was so cleverly donated.
—
So you pretend you are starting a new political party without policies and spend the guts of the advertising on attacking the person of “Shifty” Shorten. And this was not any kind of advertising. Clive let loose the full catastrophe — radio, television, print newspapers, robo calls – the works. All of it was in piercing McDonalds yellow Coca Cola repetition, and shades of “Crooked” Hillary – plus a really ugly photo of Bill Shorten.
We didn’t lose, comrades. We had wonderful policies. We were beaten by capitalist money.
Dally Messenger III 
I agree that Palmer had that effect, and it was likely a motivation of his, since any political operator should also consider their impact on the wider election. But saying it was his sole plan overlooks his parliamentary history, his own somewhat idiosyncratic agenda, and his massive ego.
Having tasted life as the leader of a parliamentary party, he wanted to regain that. If swinging the election back to the Coalition had been his sole aim, then yes it was money well spent, but if he had also wanted personal political success, then it shows that there’s much more to campaigning than what money can buy.