JULIA Gillard may seem smart to call an election for September 14. But the Prime Minister is also desperate. There is no way Gillard would have called an unprecedented eight-month election campaign if she'd thought Labor could win a snap election before then. Talk - fed by Gillard's spinners - of a Labor recovery over the past few months is plainly false. Two polls this week confirmed Labor was still mired in the death zone. Essential Media says Labor is 46 to 54 per cent behind, two-party preferred. A mega poll by JSW Research of marginal seats says it's even worse, with Labor at risk of losing 18 seats. Gillard is in awful strife, and has little to hope for with Parliament resuming next week. Subscribe to read full article.