Wentworth loss is all Turnbull’s fault because everything is his fault

Kerryn Phelps delivers her victory speech. Picture: AAP.

Let me provide some hard right logic for everyone — the kind of “analysis” reactionaries offer to self justify, as the Liberal Party surveys the carnage it created in Wentworth.

Malcolm Turnbull was such a bad campaigner, unable to win over voters that he had to go as PM. But he’s an awful human being for not campaigning in Wentworth for Dave Sharma.

Work that one out. The bad campaigner didn’t help campaign so it’s his fault Wentworth was lost.

Here is another piece of reactionary logic: Losing Wentworth doesn’t matter because its voters are out of touch. The same commentators and MPs who say this endlessly bang on about the so-called Liberal Party “base” and how important it is.

Wentworth has always been a Liberal held seat. More members of parliament have been born in and lived in Wentworth than any other electorate anywhere in the country. Its party membership numbers have been higher than any other electorate.

More dollars are raised for the Liberal Party in Wentworth than anywhere else. Wentworth volunteers within party ranks get sent far and wide because there are too many of them, and other seats need their help.

But losing Wentworth doesn’t matter, only protecting “the base” matters apparently. Work that one out.

If Turnbull had campaigned he would have been accused of causing a distraction. Because he didn’t, the loss is all his fault.

Never mind that he didn’t knife himself. Never mind that Turnbull made clear he’d leave parliament if he lost the prime ministership.

Never mind that polling showed that if the Liberals had preselected a woman they would have won. Even preselecting a local probably would have gotten them over the line.

Never mind the stupidity of the right in Liberal ranks pushing for a change of policy on Israel or supporting Pauline Hanson’s crazy motion, and the impact that would have had on the vote in Wentworth.

None of that matters, it’s all Turnbull’s fault. Why? Because for the Liberal Party it is always all Turnbull’s fault.

These reactionaries who masquerade as conservatives won’t learn the lesson of their own narrow appeal until one of their own finally becomes leader, doesn’t stray from their hare brained ideas, and takes those policy scripts to an election.

Peter Dutton could have been that person but he narrowly lost the party room vote to Morrison. What a shame.

Peter van Onselen is a professor at The University of Western Australia and Griffith University.