Yet popularity plays a massive part in elections and the rise of people into political offices.

What has been noticeable, by its absence, is the lack of political signs around Wollongong.

Doing the daily drives between Wollongong and Shellharbour, you notice only a handful of signs.

It is a sign itself of the disengagement with Federal politics here and the general acceptance by the political parties a Labor result is a fait accompli. Certainly the bookies think so.

Sportsbet has Labor’s Sharon Bird $1.01 to win the seat of Cunningham and Stephen Jones the same to win Whitlam.

Yet drive a little south and it’s a different story altogether. Work this week required a trip to Fairfax’s Nowra offices.

Driving into the city, traffic slowed to a snarl near the bridge crossing the Shoalhaven River _ an election issue in itself.

Sitting in the row of traffic a man could be seen standing on the sidewalk near the entrance to the bridge waving a placard.

“Oh you’ve seen the Gonski man,’’ a Nowra local said later in the day.

Behind “Gonski Man”  was a sea of election signs seemingly stretching all the way into the city, many bearing the name of Coalition sitting member Ann Sudmalis.

The election signage was everywhere – it looked like a road train full to the brim of election signage had rolled into town and suddenly exploded.

The key difference in Nowra is the political parties are engaged in this electorate, fighting over a marginal seat of Gilmore which still could go either way to Ms Sudmalis or Labor's Fiona Phillips.

While it’s a Labor stronghold Wollongong has not cited Bill Shorten and it’s increasingly unlikely as the time frame shortens and the travelling sideshow around marginal seats continues.