UK General Election- May 6th

[kittenOFchaos]

Not long till the first debate.

Watching via Justin.tv in sunny Ontario.

[MOBIUS]

In my estimation, he's come a long way.

Specifically, from being an unknown quantity to being an annoying git. I'd quite like to punch his thick, petulant face, and that's despite being a regular Lib/Dem voter.

He wiped the floor with the other two - do you still want to punch him in the face...?

Clegg, in effect introduced to the nation for the first time, said: "Don't let them tell you that the only choice is between two old parties that have been playing pass the parcel with your government for 65 years now making the same old promises, breaking the same old promises."

The charge reprised his opening claim when he pointed to the other two leaders, saying: "Now, they are going to tell you tonight that the only choice you have is between the two old parties who've been taking it in turns to run things for years."

In the first substantial poll conducted after the debate, YouGov for the Times found Clegg the overwhelming winner with 61% and Cameron and Brown trailing on 22% and 17% respectively.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle7099159.ece [Owned by the guy who also owns Fox News]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2...-nick-clegg-tv [lefty anti-semitic rag]

OMFG even the Daily Mail agrees!!! [almost as right wing as the BNP]

Still won't make any difference though, because your average human being is a dumb sack of **** who probably didn't even tune in and won't be bothering reading a paper in the morning anyway...

[Dinner]

First leaders debate tonight.

The news reports here were that it was pretty boring and uneventful without any good lines like "I knew Jack Kennedy and you, sir, are no Jack Kennedy" or even Reagan's "There you go again".

Supposedly, the Liberal Dems had the most to gain mainly because their candidate was the least well known so sharing the same stage with the two larger parties helps boost his street cred a bit.

[kittenOFchaos]

It was an interesting debate and I think it is a useful exercise.

It meant we got to know the leaders abit more and hear them explain, attack and defend their record and their manifestos. I think it'll make politicians more accountable.

For me, I think it has moved my vote towards Liberal-Democrat. I liked the details he provided, that he would protect spending in education, pragmatism over immigration (my g/f is Canadian), costed spending and tax raising and cancelling Trident would help balance the books. He also came over as intelligent and genuine, all good.

Cameron is a toff who just told stories about common people and Brown has the appeal of not worrying too much about debt and just borrowing more to pay my wage, but it is time for a change, Britain is tired of New Labour and they've grown corrupt.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

He wiped the floor with the other two - do you still want to punch him in the face...?

There are many strong speakers who I find objectionable. Hitler, for example.

[lefty anti-semitic rag]

This is a Lib/Dem voter here, pointing out that you're being a pillock with that smear.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

There was one part toward the end where Cameron totally lost the plot. He said the Tories would drop the National Insurance rise and use the money to fund cancer drugs.

How does that work, Dave? You abandon a tax rise, and then use the money you didn't get from it to buy drugs? Or are you suggesting we all use our subsequent personal NI savings to buy some chemo drugs just in case they come in handy?

[MikeH]

I thought Clegg was great. He said the things I wanted to hear from a Liberal leader, and he actually seemed to contrast well with the bickering of the other two. Well practiced/genuine exasperation with their bickering went down well with me.

As a floating lab/lib dem voter I'm probably leaning Lib Dem at this time. 5000 behind in Reading east, lib dems gained 5.7% last time and let the tories in... would need another big swing this time to remove Rob Wilson who is objectionable... but dunno. Even if Libs don't win this time a further swing could make it a 3 way fight next time. And there are lots of Lib Dem voters who vote labour in Reading East 'cause they don't think the Lib Dems can win... Hmm. Tricky.

[C0ckney]

clegg was expected to struggle to make an impact but gave a really assured performance, although neither of the other leaders really went after dems (no doubt with a hung parliament in mind), which made his job easier. cameron was expected to do well but was really disappointing and seemed to lack substance. brown was expected to be rubbish and lived up to those expectations, although in fairness he probably had the hardest job of the three.

hasn't changed the way i'll vote (lib dem if i'm still in swansea, tory if i'm in somerset), but it has made me think a lot better of nick clegg.

[C0ckney]

i saw an interview done on the a welsh politics show yesterday with plaid cyrmu (welsh nationalists) which was classic. the interviewer didn't pull any punches, i especially enjoyed the exchnage which went something like this.

i: i noticed that you pledge to introduce a maximum wage in your manifesto, could you tell me of a country with a successful economy that has a maximum wage?
p: there are some countries around the world which have a maximum wage...
i: a successful economy?
p: well, i'm sure there are some which...
i: such as?
p: errr...well i'm sure that there are some countries..a european country even, which has a maximum wage
i: but you can't name it?
p: errr [silence]...well why shouldn't we have..a...err. british policy about...wages...[trails off]

[MOBIUS]

This is a Lib/Dem voter here, pointing out that you're being a pillock with that smear.

I can't believe you actually took me seriously on that - basically I tend to find that whatever is called 'anti-semitic' by a right winger on this site is usually a quality source of balanced and well researched information (the Guardian, the BBC, moderate Jews etc...).

[MOBIUS]

I seem to remember that the most often used sentence by Brown and Cameron was "I agree with Nick Clegg".

[C0ckney]

yeah, or just "i agree with nick", to try to sound really matey

although i think brown did manage to edge out cameron in the arse kissing stakes.

[MOBIUS]

i saw an interview done on the a welsh politics show yesterday with plaid cyrmu (welsh nationalists) which was classic. the interviewer didn't pull any punches, i especially enjoyed the exchnage which went something like this.

i: i noticed that you pledge to introduce a maximum wage in your manifesto, could you tell me of a country with a successful economy that has a maximum wage?
p: there are some countries around the world which have a maximum wage...
i: a successful economy?
p: well, i'm sure there are some which...
i: such as?
p: errr...well i'm sure that there are some countries..a european country even, which has a maximum wage
i: but you can't name it?
p: errr [silence]...well why shouldn't we have..a...err. british policy about...wages...[trails off]

The sooner Plaid gets unmasked for the bunch of commies they are, the sooner all those voters can vote Lib Dem instead...

[MOBIUS]

yeah, or just "i agree with nick", to try to sound really matey

although i think brown did manage to edge out cameron in the arse kissing stakes.

Well it did seem like a self-fulfilling prophecy: The more they say they agree with him, the more likely there might be a hung parliament and the more each of them will need to arse kiss to get in his good books...

[C0ckney]

i wonder what will happen if there is a hung parliament. obviously it depends on which is the largest party, but there are a few scenarios. after nick clegg's rant at brown on the last day of parliament ("you're finished brown, it's time to go"), and clegg's well know dislike of the man, i find it hard to see the liberals working with the current labour leadership. however i think a lib-lab coalition without brown as leader is feasible, but then who gets to be prime minister (david milliband, ed balls, alan johnson, harriet harmen)? i often get the feeling that clegg would prefer to work with the tories, but that he would struggle to take the party with him. tory-liberal coalitions have worked at a local level but i’m not sure how they would fit together on a national one.