It is Bligh however who has become the embodiment of a whole state's resilience. To understand why, you only had to see her joint presser with Julia Gillard yesterday. The PM, while no doubt being sincere in wanting to help, and in her horror of the toll, nonetheless contrived to present as a poor actor playing at stateswoman. The cliched lines, seeming stale and overdone before they were halfway out of her mouth, contrasted poorly with Bligh's untutored but comprehensive delivery and unpolished appearance. Even the Premier seemed to be a million miles away while her senior colleague droned on and on. Go find the press conference on YouTube or ABC's iView if possible. You can almost see Bligh switch off as Gillard starts bloviating. She is far away, toting up casualties. Making lists of priorities. Assigning people and resources.
It is that sense of being 'real' that's lifted her up, I think. So often with politicians we know we are seeing only the performance, hearing only the 'line'. But Bligh with her bloodshot eyes, her exhaustion, and her unbroken will is no longer performing. She is not trying. She is doing. Her kung fu is strong.
