Jasin wrote on Jan 15
th, 2024 at 1:45am:
He must be like Trump.
OK, maybe not just like Trump... But he was a lot like Trump.
Whitlam was 6 foot 4... Trump is 6 foot 2.
Both were uber populists.
Both had a massive personal presence (although most leading politicians do).
Both were gifted with truckloads of natural charisma.
Both promised radical social change.
Both had an imperious style of governing... preferring to rule by decree.
Both initiated a radical and idiosyncratic political agenda.
Both triggered constitutional crises towards the end of their tenures.
Both left office under a cloud.
Both radically changed the way their respective nations think of themselves - as Keating said of Whitlam, 'There was an Australia before Whitlam and a different Australia after' - the same could be said of Trump.