changes in the future. Many traditional and pragmatic monarchists perceived a weight of inevitability and voted "Yes" to the minimalist republic to avoid a more radical republic. Many sentimental republicans voted "no" in the hope of a more radical or populist proposal winning a future referendum. The uncommitted. As in all elections, a proportion of the electorate remained unattached to either side. Uncommitted 'swinging voters' can be a decisive force in shaping election and referendum results, especially in countries where voting is compulsory. Alternative methods for selecting a president The process for change is seen as an important factor for the eventual outcome in a referendum. There were several other proposals for selecting a president: Election by the federal Parliament alone by federal and state Parliaments (as in India) by a popular vote (as in Ireland) Selection by the Prime Minister by consensus among the Government and Opposition by a constitutional council (known as the McGarvie Model) Different groups within the republican cause expressed views as to which model was preferable. Some were committed to one option exclusively. The two sides The "Yes" side The "Yes" campaign was headed by Malcolm Turnbull. It was divided in detail but nevertheless managed to present a fairly united and coherent message and was notable for unlikely alliances between traditional opponentsfor example, former Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and former Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser gave joint statements. Many other prominent Australians also endorsed the "Yes" vote, which led to claims that the movement was "elitist" in sentiment and supported by politicians rather than the public at large. Viewing the case for a republic as fairly self-evident and broadly supported by the Australian populace, their advertising concentrated mainly on the positive symbolism of the republican case. The "Yes" campaign was also viewed as having the support of the popular Australian media by British politician and journalist Bill Deedes who said in The Daily Telegraph in 1999: "I have rarely attended elections in any country, certainly not a democratic one, in which the newspapers have displayed more shameless bias. One and all, they determined that Australians should have a republic and they used every device towards that end." The "No" side The organised "No" campaign was a mixture of monarchist groups. Additionally it included some republican groups who did not feel that the proposed model was satisfactory; in particular, they thought that the people should