The re-emergence of Barnaby Joyce this week along with a Covid outbreak in Sydney proves some things are hard to shake.
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For a moment there it was hard knowing what was more disconcerting.
Covid obviously. But images of the newly reinstated deputy prime minister being sworn in, with Scott Morrison watching on via quarantine video link, did trigger a double take.
I guess it reminds us that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
And what more meritorious time to organise a leadership coup than when the PM is locked down and the country struggling with a pandemic?
Hardly a word has been spoken about the man Barnaby rolled, Michael McCormack, and perhaps that's best moving forward.
But how long can Barnaby keep his mouth shut?
Recently deposed former NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay might relate to Mr McCormack's position.
Their shared demise illustrates again that politics is a numbers game where the you're main concern is not necessarily looking after your constituents, but avoiding someone doing a number on you.
The spate of recent leadership changes is reminiscent of when ScoMo took down Turnbull denying Dutton after Shorten de-railed Rudd who short-changed Gillard who toppled Rudd etc etc.
Which gets us back to what, last week?
Always a long time in Australian politics.
All this blood-letting might give Federal Labor ideas. They probably need some.
Why domestic political leaders can't simply weather their incompetencies and scandals as unflappably as NSW Liberal Gladys Berejiklian, it's hard to say.
Probably because it's not humanly possible, unless you're Gladys.
She's proved hard to shift despite boyfriend issues at ICAC, and Covid has probably had something to do with that.
It's well documented the more you're seen to protect voters from it, the more immune you are to being voted out. Or forced to resign.
It will be interesting to see what happens this time around. But managing risk is always the key and there's no political vaccine against appearing hesitant.
Which gets us back to Barnaby.
Powerbrokers obviously think he brings more grunt to the table than Michael McCormack.
And looking at photographs of Barnaby getting round in his shorts and ugg boots, few would argue.
They're hoping voters have forgiven him his human foibles, and if foibles were votes, Barnaby would probably be PM by now.
The feeling is he's a straight shooter, but the problem is he tends to fire straight into the foot, which more often than not is in his mouth. A tricky game of Twister.
Still, they've gone for the throat, and the country now has to swallow it. So excuse me a moment while I take a gulp.
