7am Why Howard’s battlers are turning to Hanson
Feb 20, 2026
Kos Samaras, Director of Strategy and Analytics at RedBridge Group and political analyst, outlines who today’s Howard-era battlers are and why they feel politically abandoned. He discusses why some are shifting to One Nation. He explores the Coalition’s regional versus urban dilemma, identity rhetoric’s impact on younger and diaspora voters, and the democratic risks if Hanson-style politics persists.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Gen X Economic Disillusionment Fuels Shift
- Gen X regional workers feel betrayed by the promise that hard work guarantees prosperity and face heavy mortgage and family care pressures.
- Kos Samaras argues this economic disillusionment drives them toward anti-establishment politics like One Nation.
Protest Trumps Policy For These Voters
- Voters backing One Nation seek to 'burn the place down' as a protest rather than policy solutions.
- Kos Samaras says they reward disruption to signal they no longer tolerate existing political institutions.
Tribal Values Stabilise Labor's Base
- Labour's base remains stable because many are economic populists blaming the wealthy, not minorities, for issues.
- Kos Samaras explains that tribal values keep Labor's voters from fragmenting like the Coalition's.