Using the phrase "is what he says he is" to describe a politician who admitted to lying during an interview on a major nightly news program strikes me as a rather creative interpretation of reality.
Luckily for him actually being honest and consistent is an absolute irrelevance, all he needs to do is give the appearance of being a straight up guy.
Admitted to lying! Yep, the ones who don't admit it are far preferable :)
He admitted explicitly to doing what every politician does, what everyone knows they do, and what Lindsay Tanner did only hours later on the ABC.
It was an unfortunate, clumsy thing to say, but the "gotcha" triumphalism should be reserved for people who don't admit to their failings, not the ones who do.
Charismatic is the wrong word. Australians, thankfully, have a distaste of charismatic leaders. Any Australian politician who tried to make grand Obama-style orations would find himself unable to finish due to the giggles coming from the audience.
