In "The Best Australian Political Writing 2008", Lateline's Tony Jones selects the most illuminating, provocative and incisive analysis of the past year in politics. Here some of our leading commentators and writers dissect Kevin Rudd's march to the Lodge and John Howard's historic defeat; travel to Afghanistan and a drought-stricken Mallee town; weigh in on the culture wars; and investigate the bungled cases of David Hicks and Mohamed Haneef. This collection brings together the names, events and ideas that shaped a remarkable year. Noel Pearson delivers his most forceful argument to date on Indigenous policy; Pamela Williams chronicles the unravelling of the Liberal Party; Guy Rundle argues what's wrong with the Left; and Simon Mann charts the rise of a young technocrat in 'The making of Kevin Rudd'.