OPINION

WHO cycles, sulks and used to be big in government?

Actually it’s a trick question with two answers, but for the moment we will ignore Kevin Andrews and concentrate on his Pollie Pedal colleague Tony Abbott.

That’s because a Newspoll published by The Australian today confirms a substantial public view the former Prime Minister is doing himself no favours by prolonging his ‘Abbott-the-Martyr’ campaign.

The survey found 57 per cent of all voters — and the same proportion of Coalition supporters — believe the right decision was made when Mr Abbott was ousted as Liberal leader last September.

Some 31 per cent of all voters and 34 per cent of those who vote Coalition disagreed with the removal. Further, 35 per cent of those surveyed believe Malcolm Turnbull is best of a small field to be Liberal leader.

And a higher proportion, 48 per cent, of Coalition voters believe he is best for the job. Mr Abbott was the selection of 14 per cent of all voters, 20 per cent of Coalition backers.

This kicked the tripe out of the eight per cent support recorded for Treasurer Scott Morrison. But to be fair, Mr Morrison is not running for leader, Mr Abbott still is.

However, the findings reinforce a view Mr Abbott and his own party are on different tracks.

And they follow the results of a recent Australia Instituter online survey which found 63.4 per cent of those asked thought Mr Abbott should retire from Parliament.

A quick scan of politics of the past two years would establish Mr Abbott has little interest in opinion polls and prefers to follow his own star.

That guiding light currently is leading him to tacitly present a claim he was unfairly removed as Prime Minister. Further, he takes a less subtle position that the Liberal Party is resoundingly ungrateful for what he did as opposition leader and prime minister.

And his defiance of broad opinion indicates a faith that a residual, unswayed core of Abbotteers in the party, in the electorate, and among a bunch of right-wing media commentators, will see him vindicated.

It is not pleasant to watch this paraded as Mr Abbott clearly is operating out of anger and no doubt pain. And of course it would be difficult for him to defend his record robustly without being accused of undermining Malcolm Turnbull.

The Prime Minister’s own opinion poll performance won’t encourage him to temper that robustness.

The Abbott tragedy could be that all his quest for a high profile, his global wandering, pictures with national leaders, and obliging reports of respectful receptions from those global leaders, all his “we wuz robbed” aggression will overwhelm his record as PM.

Mr Abbott’s self promotion, while in a form of self-imposed exile, risks becoming tedious and might have already cross the line into farcical.

Like Kevin Andrews’ suggestion he himself might challenge for the prime ministership, the public response to Mr Abbott’s continued, self-absorbed posturing might attract only jeers.

No fair voter wants to kick someone when they are down. But if he keep throwing himself into the path of the public boot, that is likely to happen.