I’m more powerful than you & don’t you forget it Julie
There’s a point in just about any desirable human characteristic when it can tip over into pathology, and self-confidence is no exception.
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s Chief of Staff, Peta Credlin (otherwise known as the Horsewoman of the Apocalypse) has spoken publicly for the first time since the powerful couple were ousted by their party a few days ago.
The ousting was, Ms Credlin insisted at a Women’s Weekly woman of the future event, caused by the “tripe and bile” of a media fed anonymous commentary by despicable persons who leaked.
The double ousting can be seen, I suppose, as evidence that the voice of Murdoch’s Newscorpse, otherwise known as the LNP Weekly, was drowned out by other voices to a degree sufficient enough to persuade the Liberal party to dump its leader. These other voices are, no doubt, the “tripe and bile” to which Ms Credlin refers.
Let us take a moment to reflect on the Murdoch rags and their global standard of journalism, shall we? Just for perspective.
As examples of individuals promoted beyond their merit (defined as not up to dealing with her) Ms Credlin cites Cabinet Minsters and journalists, who should not, she states, be in their jobs at all if they are intimidated by a Chief of Staff.
Ms Credlin also stated that she had got the opposition into government:
If I was a guy I wouldn’t be bossy, I would be strong. If I was a guy I wouldn’t be a micro-manager, I would be across the detail,” she said.
“If I wasn’t strong, determined, controlling – and got them into Government from Opposition, I might add – I would be weak and not up to it and would have to go and be replaced.
As in all the best spin, there’s elements of truth in Credlin’s assessment of herself, and only the most naive would deny she is as subject to sexist character analysis as are the rest of our gender. Be that as it may, like her former boss Credlin’s strongest message is that she is beyond criticism, indeed she cannot and will not take criticism. In other words, I’m totally OK, you most certainly are not.
Being unable to take criticism isn’t a marker of self-confidence and strength. It’s a marker of delusion and weakness. It’s an indicator that self-confidence has reached its tipping point, and has begun its descent into pathology.
How fortunate we are to have escaped Ms Credlin’s anointing as the most powerful woman in Australia.
But did they ask her if she’s a feminist? That’s what I want to know.
PS: My bestest canine Twitter pal @missbaileywoof just sent me this video of a horse with brilliant instincts:
No Place For Sheep 
“Hooray for Tony, he’s a horse’s arse” Epitaph to credulity.
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Speaking of things reincarnate, Evita strikes back:
https://twitter.com/LiamGeslaf/status/646444036207710209
Too good to let it ephemerate away in an ever-expanding twitterverse.
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That is very good, I agree.
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I see Van Badham is leaping to Credlin’s defence, despite calling Credlin “an evil Tory”. Last time I checked, Credlin was an adult who appeared quite capable of self defence. Anyway, moving right along… It must be time for the fish-slapping dance.
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Astonishing how some media feminists have defended her and said how warm she is. I don’t think Van is one of those, btw.
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The horse has a lot in common with Kelly O’Dwyer (see pic in the margin alongside!)
But it clearly is a sensible beast.
Credlin can surely get a job as a female Darth Vader – she won’t even need the helmet.
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Interesting analysis, that could perhaps be taken a step further if you grant that people whose self confidence borders upon delusional are commonly victims of a very singular kind of martyr to the cause complex. It’s been so prevalent in political history that I think the question begs asking whether the only aspect of their zealotry that’s not immediately evident could be that which was deliberately concealed. The fact that religious devotion has also been overrepresented among luminaries and despots alike only seems to further fuel those suspicions. But if true then they certainly manifest themselves in an odd kind of duplicity.
Why would her charge appear so stuck on the horns of a popularity crisis if believing himself and his followers righteous he nevertheless failed completely to lead with any conviction? He who may want to be remembered as the proverbial “riddle wrapped in mystery inside an enigma”, turned out more like a reject wracked with misery given an enima.
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He’s stuck on the horns because he doesn’t understand why everyone doesn’t admire him as much as he does. Cognitive dissonance
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A good line, and perhaps a more emotionally incisive one, but I also think his cognitive bias is against everyone who doesn’t agree with him. In a job where in myriad ways people had been trying to tell him he needed to be a better listener he remained steadfastly incapable of identifying with others outside his own circle of approval. Dissonance at the end perhaps but bias all the way.
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