Poll results bode well for Rudd

You wouldn\u27t think it, given recent commentary, but a look at history suggests the government has no reason to panic, writes John Watson in the AgeANYONE who takes opinion polls and media coverage of them at face value would think the Coalition is an even chance of winning this year\u27s federal election. \u27\u27Rudd takes a battering\u27\u27, \u27\u27Rudd in free fall\u27\u27, \u27\u27Election-losing result\u27\u27: the headlines paint a picture of terminal decline. Yes, the Coalition has drawn level, and even edged ahead in two recent polls, and Kevin Rudd\u27s approval rating of 45 per cent is a personal low. Think that\u27s bad within six months of an election? Time for a historical reality check. The polls for Tony Abbott and the Coalition are the worst in 20 years for any opposition at this point in the election cycle. Of seven elections in that time, only two changed the government. Six months before John Howard\u27s 1996 triumph... Read the full article Illustration: Andrew Dyson/ The Ag