Last year, it seemed the pundits couldn’t speak highly enough of Kevin “Mr 70%” Rudd and his popular appeal with the Australian public.

But this is a new election year with a new Opposition leader, and the pundits’ tone has taken a decidedly more critical turn.

KRudd’s appearance on the ABC’s Q&A on Monday has come under particular scrutiny this morning (the ever on-the-ball mainstream media is only about two days behind Twitter and the blogosphere on this one — The Punch‘s Penbo called it a good 48 hours ago):

The Australian

Peter van Onselen: Tetchy PM fails to satisfy young audience

The performance of Kevin Rudd on Monday night’s ABC TV program Q&A was nothing short of embarrassing.

Dennis Atkins: Tony Abbott buoys Coalition as Rudd loses mojo

Whether or not Abbott and his team have their — or anyone else’s — mojo working is an open question but it certainly looks like Rudd’s mojo is not what it used to be.

Christian Kerr, House Rules blog: Rudd in media whore mode

The PM has already begun his new Sunrise segment. He pops up in this week’s New Idea magazine and Therese is on Better Homes and Gardens this Friday taking Johanna Griggs through the Lodge.

All this and it’s only February.

Sydney Morning Herald

Erik Jensen: How teens took Rudd to the cleaners in question time

The Prime Minster was trounced by an alleged wife beater and former coke addict with a cigarette dispenser tattooed to his arm. It says a lot about his loss of resonance.

David Marr: Question time, but PM’s sense of gravity is stuck in top gear

… there is an odd disjunct in Rudd between tone and subject. He is grave so often. The engine is running but there aren’t many gears.