Trying to keep up with a speedy news cycle and focussing too much on polls are two of the reasons the Labor party can't seem to unify behind one leader, according to Canberra analyst Bernard Keane, who writes for the political commentary website Crikey.
One reason is that the party's current leaders didn't mature in an environment where debate over fundamental issues was common, Mr Keane says.
The policy platforms of both current Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her predecessor Kevin Rudd are very similar, so the party puts more emphasis on public polling to choose which of the two would make a more successful leader, Mr Keane told SBS.
A much faster, 24-hour news cycle means journalists are constantly seeking to fill air time and newspaper pages with political commentary, and the toppling of Kevin Rudd last year created a fertile and ongoing saga with which to do so.
Former PM John Howard (1996-2007) didn't face the same threat of being toppled because the news cycle was slower, so there was less pressure to replace him despite worse polls than Julia Gillard's.
That's why Mr Howard's party room had the patience to stand by him, Mr Keane says.
In addition, this government is more concerned with presenting a unified front while satiating the media's appetite rather than exposing its divisions, according to Mr Keane.
It needs to return to its grass roots and find its ideological direction, he says.
Incidents like the latest row - over a video of Kevin Rudd heartily swearing during his time as PM that emerged on the weekend - detract from Labor's ability to govern by forcing it to focus on yet another media frenzy, says Mr Keane.
