Re your comment; "Rud was toppled as PM when his polling numbers dropped as a result of 2 incredibely stupid decisions, mrt timing and Co2 shelving. Sure wasnt the "smartest man in the room" on those 2 occasions. ..."
Nor was Kevin Rudd the only one in the room that opted for the timing of the ETS & MRRT. It may well be that the assassination of Rudd was based on the self-perceptions of others in the room that they were great performers & that they were not the root cause of Rudd's problems.
In her interview in Adelaide this morning Julia Gillard added weight to Waynes Swan's allegations that Rudd had become dysfunctional as leaader. But they were core to Rudd's 'inner sanctum' & therefore hardly free of any such allegations. Subsequent performance has not freed them of such criticisms.
It may well be that Rudd was indeed the smartest man in the room but was being actively undermined at the highest level by those who wanted Gillard as PM. It's possible that Julia Gillard & her backers made him the absolute scapegoat for the failures early in 2010.
