The man tipped to become Australia's next prime minister has not escaped the sharp-tongued wit of the purple-haired housewife from Moonee Ponds. 'Do we want a prime minister who looks like a dentist?' Dame Edna Everage, otherwise known as comedian Barry Humphries, asked of the Labor Party leader in a recent stage show. 'Is Australia ready for a leader named Kevin?' Australians delight in mocking politicians and they have had a field day with Kevin Rudd.
His youthful appearance, spectacles and blond quiff have earned him the nicknames Tintin, Harry Potter and the Milkybar Kid.
For his deep Christian faith and devotion to family values, the father of three has been dubbed St Kevin.
He is seen as a bit of a nerd, a schoolboy swot. He claims to have got drunk just twice in his life - once on his 35th birthday, and the second time during a boozy boys' night out in New York four years ago, when he was lured into a strip club.
It was a revelation that surprised the nation, disclosing an unexpectedly racy streak in the church-going family man.
Mr Rudd appears to take the nicknames in good humour. The jokes are lost, however, on the ruling coalition government.
He looks set to succeed in toppling Prime Minister John Howard where his three predecessors - Kim Beazley, Simon Crean and Mark Latham - failed.