The Sketch: Election stink permeates as politicians overstay welcome

GUESTS, similar to fish, tend to smell after three days in the house. So it is with politicians, who should be counselled not to overstay their welcome in the Sunshine State.

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GUESTS, similar to fish, tend to smell after three days in the house. So it is with politicians, who should be counselled not to overstay their welcome in the Sunshine State.

Flattered as we are that they chose us for their first election visit, we hope to be waving a cheerful farewell as they back the rent-a-car down the driveway on Thursday arvo.

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While they always promise to bring a basket of expensive groceries, they seldom deliver so much as a box of Roses chocolates to brighten up the fridge and give us a little treat after tea.

But we should as least try to temper any hostility at the house guests with some old-fashioned Queensland hospitality while they are here.

Then we can breathe a sigh of relief and go back inside to talk about how we never much liked them in the first place.

Politicians as house guests tend to be overly familiar, assuming an emotional intimacy that does not exist.

These house guests laugh loudly at only mildly amusing jokes, control the entire television agenda and often ignite internal household conflicts that may have remained dormant had they stayed in their own homes.

Research conducted by Stanford University found that US voters were so angry at politicians who did not reflect their views that relationships were beginning to reflect party allegiance.

“Marriage across party lines are becoming rare,’’ said political scientist Shanto Iyengar.

We do not need election-­inspired domestic strife, so perhaps we should heed the wise words of Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, who yesterday delivered a gentle warning that a degree of emotional trauma will accompany the eight-week campaign.

“It will absolutely knock the stuffing out of all of us,’’ Joyce said.

“It is going to infuriate, bore, send people crazy.’’

Originally published as The Sketch: Election stink permeates as politicians overstay welcome