What chance Abbott returning after the election?

It seems unlikely, unthinkable, and even impossible. The most erratic, dysfunctional, and accident-prone prime minister we have ever had making a stunning comeback? No, not this time. Rudd did it. Even Menzies did it, although he had to form a new party first.

Most will dismiss the notion as mischievous. The relief the entire nation felt when he was deposed was palpable. Driving to work in heavy traffic seemed a breeze.

Listening to talk-back radio there was a sense of light-heartedness in the air, voices were relaxed, even joyous. Finally the nightmare was over.

Yet, lurking in the background, hiding in the dark, sinister corridors of revenge and retribution, there is a hope, an expectation that the disaffected will yet have their day. They have retreated for now, beaten this time, but not defeated.

They have been thwarted by members of their own faction who saw the inevitability of what had to happen. But these dogmatists do not accept it.

This motley collection of religious zealots, hard right fanatics and neo liberal purists never accepted the loss of their champion. They still don’t. They coagulate like blood around a wound, the 44 odd who voted to keep Abbott in the job and lost.

They want him back in the job, keeping the nation pure, fending off the challenges that would see equality for all and egalitarianism prosper. They see these reforms as a blight on their concept of a world order that must be hierarchical.

They are mostly Catholic, their minds still cemented in the pre-Vatican 2 constituency before the reforms that gave the Church a new direction. And just as the conservatives in the Vatican eventually reversed or suppressed most of those reforms, this cult will, if they can, reverse this reform within the party, a reform they see as anathema to their beliefs and objectives.

For these people see themselves as the saviours of the nation’s conscience. For them, the moral issues of the day, gay pride, same sex marriage, drug law reform, abortion, in short the social revolution that began in the 1960s, must be opposed.

This man Turnbull, who was chosen to replace their man does not support their agenda and cannot be allowed to wield his influence beyond lip service. They have him in check for the time being, but he is not one of them and cannot be allowed to stay.

So yes, Abbott could return if the circumstances and opportunity were to present themselves. And this angry little mob will be working to ensure such an opportunity will arise. They are already firing off broadsides to keep their party alert. The safe schools brouhaha was a classic.

We need to realise these things when we come to vote in July.