Should Rudd fulfil his promises on asylum (that's possible), education (probable), the economy (yep) and crucially, party reform (good starts but needs to do more), he will have an impressive mandate. The right knows Rudd plans to redefine what Labor represents, just as Tony Blair did with New Labour which denied the British conservatives power for almost a generation. Here, Rudd threatens to destroy the business model of the anti-Labor rhetoricians and their Coalition heroes. If Rudd succeeds and Abbott loses the unloseable election, issues will have to be assessed on their merits, not through the distorted left-right, elite-egalitarian prism so popular in some circles. Shifting discourse into the middle where most Australians reside would disenfranchise the vested interests and their cheer squads. The right commentariat celebrations about Julia Gillard's demise had barely subsided when it dawned on them: Rudd poses a much greater threat.

The self-declared politically incorrect have been forced to jump into bed with ''inner city latte drinkers'' they despise as they try to derail Rudd. He's ''Wreck-it Rudd'', according to the news pages of The Daily Telegraph. An opinion article in The Australian reminisces fondly about the ''olde worlde'' left-right divide. ''Why waste ammunition on a politician on the left when it could be far more pleasurably deployed on one from the right?'' it asked in a swipe at Fairfax Media columnists. With the online blurb deriding ''bleeding hearts'', the article reminds readers how unforgiving the progressives are on the asylum issue and takes aim at esteemed former Fairfax writer David Marr.

''A government that wishes to remain holy in the sight of Fairfax cannot afford to ignore the hallelujahs emanating from inner-city coffee shops, as beret-wearing patrons read the latest encyclical,'' the comment piece says. That stereotype might convince the converted but it offends any Australian who has a brain to think for themselves. And, it's wrong. Like the electorate, the Fairfax press comprises those for and against Rudd, from right to left. ''The policy of turning back the boats is humane compared with this policy,'' was columnist Paul Sheehan's view in attacking Rudd for trashing principles. Sheehan appeared a few pages from the Herald's editorial column, which by contrast argued the PNG plan was humane and offered more refugees a ''fair go''.

Days earlier The Age had attacked the PNG solution but The Australian backed it. Granted, Marr emerged in The Guardian with cries of shame and xenophobia. But such is Rudd's impact that it seems Marr agrees with Sheehan, The Australian agrees with the Herald which in turn disagrees with Fairfax stablemate The Age. It's difficult for purveyors of the ideological media business model to accept, but most people treat issues in a non-ideological, pragmatic and principled manner. Most have seen the good in political philosophies and politicians across the spectrum. Potential Labor supporters are not just elites and they do not reside only in inner-city cafes, either. Most of all, Australians are compassionate while recognising compassion comes in various ways. Rudd's PNG solution appeals to that.

''Don't tell me that I'm not a bleeding heart if I'm trying to stop people from drowning in rough seas trying to get to Australia,'' Labor MP Daryl Melham complained when fronted by leftist protesters against Rudd's PNG solution. ''I think that's being someone of compassion, trying to stop someone from taking that journey. Don't tell me that I'm not being compassionate if I'm saying we should have a refugee policy that allows people that are in camps in Asia to come through the system and not to be clogged by people who are being manipulated by others to come to Australia.'' Don't tell me, either, that people see their lives or the nation's future as the sort of confected, left-right, elite-egalitarian battle that most in the commentariat call reality. If Rudd succeeds, the business model of the ideological commentariat is busted and so is that of the Liberals. Then Malcolm Turnbull will rise again. Such is life … astokes@fairfaxmedia.com.au