Barry Soper: Only ego not enough for Kevin Rudd to run the world

All politicians, like the rest of us, have have their faults although Rudd would seem to have more than most. Photo / Getty Images

Opinion

For such a wily campaigner Kevin Rudd (he beat the long serving Howard Government in a landslide ending Labour's decade in the wilderness) has left his run late for the world's top diplomatic post.

The former Australian Prime Minister who played musical chairs with Julia Gillard a few years back, doing to her what she did to him, and making Australia look like a banana republic, since confirmed by Malcolm Turnbull doing to Tony Abbott what he did to him, is running for the United Nations top job.

This man who's been described as vengeful, unstable, and a megalomaniac is now looking for the endorsement of his old foes, the Turnbull led Cabinet. You'd have to say he's got nerve given it would seem even his own countrymen are favouring Helen Clark, at 45 percent in an April poll to Rudd's 21 percent when they were asked who'd do a better job.

At the same time he was dismissing Clark's chances saying it was Eastern Europe's turn, adding that his name's wasn't Ruddovich, which to most observers would indicate he wasn't going to have a crack at the job.

And that was reinforced in the following months when the declared candidates had their first outing before the UN General Assembly, and then ten of the 12 who've put up their hand, taking part in a debate in the same hall last week.

Those who know Rudd say he has two critical weaknesses, managing people and running a Government, which by contrast are Helen Clark's two strengths. She managed her detractors, who once called on her to step down as Labour leader, promoting them in Government to her front bench where they essentially remained for the next nine years.

All politicians, like the rest of us, have have their faults although Rudd would seem to have more than most.

The hard line Aussie Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, who is a member of the Cabinet which will decide whether Rudd should be endorsed for the UN job, said he's never been happy just running Australia, he believed he was always destined to run the world. And he reckons Rudd's ego makes Donald Trump's look like a rounding error.

So perhaps Kevin Rudd should have another chew on his earwax and hear what they're saying. But then going gracefully, if at all, isn't one of this man's strongest traits.