Anyone can sail a ship through calm waters and Howard was fortunate to be given such a chance. Bringing down National Debt by flogging the people's asset to the private sector (more efficient? Remains to be seen) at the top of the market was a realtively easy thing to do as well.
Rudd will either sink or swim and personally I think he would be relishing (while probably sh*tting himself as well) the opportunity to prove his worth and gain a second term.
But of course, any person in any electorate will blame any effect on their lifestyle on the current government. Most have no concept that things could have been different now, if, when times where great in JH's reign, the Australian government had of spent and planned knowing that the tune would not last forever.It is the lagging effect.
However, that would be asking a pollie to be visionary.....something that JH imho was not and could never be.
