The ALP enigma: is more real really less false?

JULIA Gillard's net satisfaction rating explains why she declared she wasn't going to let herself continue to be stage-managed.

JULIA Gillard's net satisfaction rating explains why she declared she wasn't going to let herself continue to be stage-managed.

Since that approach began, the Prime Minister's performance rating has been quickly trending downwards.

Gillard's first net satisfaction rating since replacing Kevin Rudd as Labor leader was plus-19; a fortnight later it is just plus-2. If she doesn't re-engage with the public, which was initially prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt, it won't be long before she becomes a drag on Labor's vote.

The tactic to avoid that happening isn't without risk, of course. The obvious responses to her pronouncements that she is going to become more real than she has been up until now are: why did she initially try to sell herself falsely after becoming Prime Minister? And is there really any change about to happen or were the public statements about her getting real just a stage-managed attempt to look more genuine?

The irony is that Tony Abbott's net satisfaction rating keeps improving the more he controls his natural style.

Since Gillard became Labor leader, the Opposition Leader's net satisfaction rating has shot up from minus-15 to just minus-2.

If current trends continue, by this time next week Abbott could be back in positive territory.

In his interview with Laurie Oakes last Sunday, Abbott sounded like a man who couldn't wait to get to polling day so that he could stop with the on-message antics and go back to letting his instincts guide his performance.

Abbott has always been a genuine politician but his advisers have finally convinced him that if he wants to be PM, a certain amount of false imaging is necessary.

That's a point you can bet will feature prominently in Labor's final fortnight ad blitz.