Every politician seems to develop a public persona over time. Sometimes it corresponds strongly to his actual personality. But at other times it's very distant. 

Take the nerdy uncle persona of Kevin Rudd. He was always seen as a bit of a dag, but a brainy guy who sincerely had the nations's best interests at heart. He was astonishingly popular for quite some time. Remember how often he was mobbed at shopping centres by people desperate to take selfies with him? 

But slowly his true character emerged. Not only was he completely out of his depth when it came to making crucial decisions -- he was clever, but not wise -- he was also duplicitous, vindictive and a borderline narcissist.

As always, the media has a lot to do with how these perceptions arise. Being overwhelmingly of the Left and generally a pretty lazy, gutless bunch, hacks are often happy to mouth the hateful lies peddled by the Greens and various unionist thugs, as well those sanctimonious handwringers in the "compassion" industry. 

This has clearly happened with Colin Barnett. The claim that he is arrogant is articulated -- or rather, shrieked -- at numerous bolshie demos and pretty much any other event that has a mic these ghastly blowhards can grab and use to express their idiotic views. 

So now this perception is often alluded to in articles like this one

It's just so inaccurate. I heard Barnett speak to Geoff Hutchinson this morning. While the word humble didn't spring immediately to mind, he was certainly respectful to callers -- even those who didn't return the favour. 

There was even one idiot shark hugger, for example, who called up to bleat about the fact that a couple of guppies and a flathead (or some other negligible quantity of marine lowlife) had been murdered by drum lines meant for sharks. If I were in his position, I would have been tempted to tell her sod off and not waste my time. But he was polite to her. 

Colin Barnett is no more arrogant than Tony Abbott is misogynous. These are just hateful lies peddled by vindictive haters who have lost every big argument and know it.