Australians tuning into Friday night political forum the biggest ask of the election campaign

OPINION: It’s still more than a month to the federal election, but Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and rival Bill Shorten may tonight just strike their biggest challenge.

IT’S probably going to be the biggest ask of this election campaign, trying to get Australians to tune into a community forum being held at 6pm on Friday night.

Sky News has some of the hardest working of any of the journalists and others covering this marathon campaign slaving away day in, day out talking to each other and every person they can lasso who might have an opinion or some news.

Tonight they’re hosting one of their famous People’s Forums in the western Sydney seat of Macquarie with Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten delivering a pitch to 100 selected “swinging” voters some of whom will ask questions and all of whom will offer a judgment on the performance of these men who want to be prime minister.

So while Sky will struggle to get a big audience - getting ready for a night of sport, a night out with the guys or girls or just catching up with the latest episode of Fear the Walking Dead (this is interchangable with the election campaign) might take precedence.

However, the “people who matter” will be watching, including the eagle eyed “oppo research” teams from the Coalition and Labor, looking for that word out of place, that not quite accurate factoid and any doufus moment in mannerism or facial expression.

This will be an internet meme by bedtime and could feature in an ad by breakfast.

Turnbull, who has had a couple of “is he out of touch” moments this week will need to be most on guard, keeping himself in check and making sure he comes across with at least the appearance of the common touch.

This week he looked like his presence had been made to measure by a visiting Saville Row needle worker.

Shorten has been harder at getting his authenticity down pat - causing one of his usually harshly critical colleagues to observe he had managed to “fake authenticity” (akin to finding gold in politics).

So, you might miss seeing it live but if you switch on to any political coverage over the weekend, you’ll hear all about it.