Has Abbott spent his political capital already?

The Abbott gov came to power only a few months ago with a large majority. Now the opinion poll trend is decidedly away from the gov, with some of those polls having the gov now 6 points behind. Pretty much the reversal of the election result.

Lenore Taylor makes the point in her article, asking the question like WTF is Abbott doing? He appears to be out to give everyone the shits:

A quick whip around draws up a long list of groups this government has deeply upset in recent weeks. 

There are migrant groups, the Jewish lobby, many indigenous Australians and countless others more concerned about the freedom of Australian citizens to go about their daily lives without suffering racial abuse or intimidation than they are about Andrew Bolt’s freedom of speech. 

There are republicans and, well, pretty much everyone, really, except maybe David Flint and George Brandis, who think the idea of reintroducing knights and dames is anachronistic and a whacky indulgence for a monarchist prime minister who should really have more important things on his plate. 

There are seniors’ organisations, financial planners and consumer groups who have protested so loudly about the proposed winding back of consumer protection laws for financial advisers that the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, has had to put them on “pause”. 

And there are more than 50 charities, including World Vision, the RSPCA, Lifeline, Wesley Mission Victoria and the RSPCA, that are pleading with the government to retain the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. 

Are these the fights upon which Tony Abbott really wants to expend his political capital? 

The changes to the Racial Discrimination Act are opposed even by some on his own side and leave the impression the government somehow condones bigotry. more

And for what? What landmark policy might Abbott be remembered for that advanced Australia to a better society? Instead he's frittered away his lead, or his political capital, on bits and pieces of gung ho bullshit that everyone can see through. Taylor finishes her article by asking this question:

Are these the changes upon which a leader should expend capital if he has just spent five years trying to overcome the impression he is a bit of a zealot and supplant it with the assurance that he “governs for all Australians”?

And, in particular, are these the changes upon which a new government wants to expend capital if it is already trailing in the opinion polls, and before it has even begun to implement the truly difficult parts of its election agenda, such as spending cuts to reshape the budget and eventually return it to surplus? more

So then, will Abbott ever get to implement any of his so called signature policies at all? Even if the WA senate re-run election goes OK for Abbott, he's still going to have to negotiate with independents in the senate to get any legislation through (Abbott? Negotiating?). How likely are those independents to vote with a gov that is deeply unpopular with the electorate?  Hence another senate stalemate. 

Maybe, just maybe, it'll force Abbott into a corner where the only way forward is to go to the polls......