The rusted-on supporters of the ALP must wonder how it came to this. Six years ago, the ALP was on top of the world, looking as if it was entrenched in power for a generation, if not forever. Since then, it has been a long slide towards oblivion, with the only possible path to survival being the dumping of a leader in favour of one who, according to many of his colleagues, is a half-nuts incompetent.