What do you think?
Rate this book
Poll Dancing: The Story of the 2007 Election
The story of the 2007 Australian Federal election - Howard's End
298 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
2 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Mungo MacCallum
32 books5 followersMungo Wentworth MacCallum (21 December 1941 – 9 December 2020) was an Australian political journalist and commentator.
From the 1970s to the 1990s he covered Australian federal politics from the Canberra Press Gallery for The Australian, The National Times, The Sydney Morning Herald, Nation Review and radio stations 2JJ / Triple J and 2SER. He wrote political commentary for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) current affairs and news analysis program The Drum, frequently wrote for the magazine The Monthly, and contributed political commentary to Australia's national Community Radio Network, columns for the Byron Shire Echo and The Northern Star, and a weekly cryptic crossword for The Saturday Paper.
He also authored several books, including Run, Johnny, Run, written after the 2004 Australian federal election. His autobiographical narrative of the Australian political scene, Mungo: the man who laughs – has been reprinted four times. How To Be A Megalomaniac or, Advice to a Young Politician was published in 2002, and Political Anecdotes was published in 2003. In December 2004, Duffy & Snellgrove published War and Pieces: John Howard's last election.
From the 1970s to the 1990s he covered Australian federal politics from the Canberra Press Gallery for The Australian, The National Times, The Sydney Morning Herald, Nation Review and radio stations 2JJ / Triple J and 2SER. He wrote political commentary for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) current affairs and news analysis program The Drum, frequently wrote for the magazine The Monthly, and contributed political commentary to Australia's national Community Radio Network, columns for the Byron Shire Echo and The Northern Star, and a weekly cryptic crossword for The Saturday Paper.
He also authored several books, including Run, Johnny, Run, written after the 2004 Australian federal election. His autobiographical narrative of the Australian political scene, Mungo: the man who laughs – has been reprinted four times. How To Be A Megalomaniac or, Advice to a Young Politician was published in 2002, and Political Anecdotes was published in 2003. In December 2004, Duffy & Snellgrove published War and Pieces: John Howard's last election.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 30, 2008
I've waited a long time to read this. It is afterwll some 8 months since Kevin Rudd replaced John Howard as the Australian Prime Minister. In many ways, though, the passage of time has rendered this book more enjoyable.
For those specifically interested in contemporary Australian politics and political personalities or in the art, science and manipulation of politics more generally – this is well worth reading. Written in Mungo MacCallum’s inimitable style, it is both insightful and humorous. For those of us still seeking to understand what happened and why: Mr MacCallum’s account may help. Or it may not.
For myself, the thought of Janette Howard as Hyacinth Bucket is the stuff of nightmares. And one really should be careful about one’s references to Alexander Downer. Throughout the book, political reality is lightened with acerbic wit, with cruel (but often accurate) observations and with recognisable character sketches of many of the key players.
I think this book is best enjoyed by those with some knowledge of the events (and people) described. Perhaps Australian expatriates who’ve missed out on living in Australia through the Howard Years might like to acquaint themselves of what they’ve missed. I definitely recommend this to those who’ve enjoyed Mr MacCallum’s earlier books. Commenting on politics may be serious, but it can also be funny.
For those specifically interested in contemporary Australian politics and political personalities or in the art, science and manipulation of politics more generally – this is well worth reading. Written in Mungo MacCallum’s inimitable style, it is both insightful and humorous. For those of us still seeking to understand what happened and why: Mr MacCallum’s account may help. Or it may not.
For myself, the thought of Janette Howard as Hyacinth Bucket is the stuff of nightmares. And one really should be careful about one’s references to Alexander Downer. Throughout the book, political reality is lightened with acerbic wit, with cruel (but often accurate) observations and with recognisable character sketches of many of the key players.
I think this book is best enjoyed by those with some knowledge of the events (and people) described. Perhaps Australian expatriates who’ve missed out on living in Australia through the Howard Years might like to acquaint themselves of what they’ve missed. I definitely recommend this to those who’ve enjoyed Mr MacCallum’s earlier books. Commenting on politics may be serious, but it can also be funny.
July 13, 2008
A rapid, easy read, and fascinating to read about the election through the eyes of a member of the Labor faithful. Because of McCallum's Old Guard status, there were of course a lot of things I didn't agree with him on, but one doesn't necessarily read books only when one agrees wholeheartedly. (I'm starting to think I may finally be able to read Marion Maddox's book God Under Howard - I think that title's right - now that Howard is out of power. It might depress me just a little less now.)
Poll Dancing suprised (but pleased) me by being more about the "phony campaign" - the interminable time we all suffered between Rudd's rise to Leader of the ALP, and the election actually being called. And to go back and look at that time was fabulous. When McCallum finished writing, the overall result was known, but individual seats - like Howard's own - were still undecided. It's one of those "time capsule" books, which can be really enjoyable. And this is.
(Now to borrow Judith Brett's Quarterly Essay on the election...)
Poll Dancing suprised (but pleased) me by being more about the "phony campaign" - the interminable time we all suffered between Rudd's rise to Leader of the ALP, and the election actually being called. And to go back and look at that time was fabulous. When McCallum finished writing, the overall result was known, but individual seats - like Howard's own - were still undecided. It's one of those "time capsule" books, which can be really enjoyable. And this is.
(Now to borrow Judith Brett's Quarterly Essay on the election...)
April 1, 2015
Easy and humorous read. Reminds one of the Howard ways and also hints at what was to come during Rudd's PMship. Names pop up that that are even more relevant today, including then Tony Abbott who like he is as a PM was also incompetent as the then Health Minister
March 7, 2010
Funny, acerbic account of the 2007 Australian Federal Election.
May 15, 2013
Hilarious.
August 10, 2016
Hilarious! Mungo McCallum is an entertaining, gifted writer.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews