If the truth be known it's probably a combination of the two.

People who are rusted on LNP voters will probably run with the former. Those who are committed to Albo, the ALP, and a rerun of "it's time" will definitely go the other way.

That doesn't matter; these aren't the people Mr Morrison was speaking to on Friday morning. The most rudimentary examination of his travel schedule over the last five weeks makes it clear he is not interested in "hail Mary" attempts to win back known lost causes or to preach to the already converted.

The Prime Minister has been targeting key marginal seats with a large proportion of undecided voters in the hope he can drum up enough support in the right places to get across the line.

His mea culpa, which turns his previous "you don't have to like me but you need me" strategy on its head, is an obvious response to polling which suggests Labor is in a position to govern in its own right with 80 seats, and that a teal independent is on track to terminate Josh Frydenberg's career. That would be a real coup given Mr Frydenberg is not only the Treasurer but has also been the deputy leader of the Liberal party for the past four years.

The most important takeaway from the polling is that after an epic five weeks of campaigning between 12 and 14 per cent of voters are still undecided. Right now the real contest between the parties is to get the people who have yet to engage with the election process into their respective corners.

It has been apparent for quite some time that Mr Morrison's personal unpopularity has been a real issue in the seats - including Kooyong - being targeted by the teal independents. It has been the unacknowledged elephant in the room that nobody, especially the PM himself, has been willing to address.

That failure, coupled with the "it won't be easy under Albanese" ads, has played badly for the government. Many voters may well respond to that particular line with, "it hasn't been easy under you lot either".

Mr Morrison's decision to address the issue of his unpopularity, coupled with his promise to change, and that better times were coming, is an obvious attempt to create some clear air given the election is now only a week away. Tens of thousands of people have already cast pre-poll votes. Make no mistake. This campaign is going to be won and lost in the next seven days.

So will this change of tack make a difference? It's hard to say but one thing is clear; the political aficionados who are talking about "real Julia" moments and who say the PM is putting his own character "front and centre" in the last week opine about the likely public response at their own risk.

Labor has been campaigning on Mr Morrison's character, alleging he is a liar and a bully, for years. He is finally, and very belatedly, responding to those ad hominem attacks.

Australians are openhearted and generous. Few would argue that the PM has not been working hard day-in and day-out to deal with a succession of crises since the pandemic began.

What they haven't liked has been his perceived arrogance and hubris.

If Mr Morrison can persuade swinging voters he has had a genuine moment of personal insight and that his pride has been his Achilles heel then the response could be surprising.

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