- Forums
- Cross Site
- The Asylum
- Can Clegg Deliver?
Can Clegg Deliver?Follow
I can't begin to gauge public opinion in the land of effeminate men with bad teeth, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up about the Lib Dems really having any chance to pass legislation in a hung Parliament, but I'd LIKE it to be true. Tell me I'm wrong about the novelty inevitably wearing off before election day and the Tories winning enough seats to run a minority government reasonably effectively.
Disclaimer:
To make a long story short, I don't take any responsibility for anything I post here. It's not news, it's not truth, it's not serious. It's parody. It's satire. It's bitter. It's angsty. Your mother's a *****. You like to jack off dogs. That's right, you heard me. You like to grab that dog by the bone and rub it like a ski pole. Your dad? Gay. Your priest? Straight. **** off and let me post. It's not true, it's all in good fun. Now go away.
To make a long story short, I don't take any responsibility for anything I post here. It's not news, it's not truth, it's not serious. It's parody. It's satire. It's bitter. It's angsty. Your mother's a *****. You like to jack off dogs. That's right, you heard me. You like to grab that dog by the bone and rub it like a ski pole. Your dad? Gay. Your priest? Straight. **** off and let me post. It's not true, it's all in good fun. Now go away.
Because of our "first past the post" system, he'll become Prime Minister when Greece lends China $500 trillion.
That said, he's made a massive impact on the 'undecided' and those of us who believe Gordon is shagging up the LaboUr Party's chances.
We only have a vote for our Member of Parliament, not for a Party or Party Leader, so it's possible (likely) that a party could come third in terms of votes, but (because of the number of local elections they win) be in power.
My own prediction is that neither LaboUr or the Tories will have an overall majority of MPs and we'll be forced into a coalition.
Because LaboUr or Tories will have a majority (but not 50%) they'll have to form an alliance with the Lib-Dems.
This will lead to an indecisive Government of compromise-blight. I predict another General Election later this year, or more likely, in a year's time.
The big difference this time is that thanks to Rupert (SKY/FOX/The Sun) has forced a US-Style Leaders debate, forcing the focus away from party policy or local representatives and purely onto personality.
In personality terms, Brown is a spazz, Cameron is an Upper Class School Bully (Flashman from Tom Brown's Schooldays) and Clegg's a bloody nice bloke.
A very entertaining election.
That said, he's made a massive impact on the 'undecided' and those of us who believe Gordon is shagging up the LaboUr Party's chances.
We only have a vote for our Member of Parliament, not for a Party or Party Leader, so it's possible (likely) that a party could come third in terms of votes, but (because of the number of local elections they win) be in power.
My own prediction is that neither LaboUr or the Tories will have an overall majority of MPs and we'll be forced into a coalition.
Because LaboUr or Tories will have a majority (but not 50%) they'll have to form an alliance with the Lib-Dems.
This will lead to an indecisive Government of compromise-blight. I predict another General Election later this year, or more likely, in a year's time.
The big difference this time is that thanks to Rupert (SKY/FOX/The Sun) has forced a US-Style Leaders debate, forcing the focus away from party policy or local representatives and purely onto personality.
In personality terms, Brown is a spazz, Cameron is an Upper Class School Bully (Flashman from Tom Brown's Schooldays) and Clegg's a bloody nice bloke.
A very entertaining election.
"I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left" - Seasick Steve
How can I think about politics when goddamn Brian Wilson gave up three runs in the 9th to tie the game?
It's what we get for having a closer with a Beach Boys' name.
It's what we get for having a closer with a Beach Boys' name.
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.
Samira wrote:
It's what we get for having a closer with a Beach Boys' name.
"I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left" - Seasick Steve
I doubt we'll see a more representational system, because neither Labour or the Conservatives are short-sighted enough to remove the bear trap the liberals walked into over a century ago - especially now people have remembered there's anyone besides Vince Cable in the party. It's massively against both parties' long term interests to do so, for obvious reasons.
The only way it could happen, I think, is if the Liberals receive the largest portion of the vote (a strong talking point/mandate, for what they want to do) and everyone starts caring about the first past the post system enormously. It could happen, I suppose, seeing as everyone started spontaneously caring about lobbyists a while back, but it seems unlikely it'll be enough to force change.
It's a shame, because a first past the post system works especially poorly with whips as strong as we presently have.
(Rereading what you said I realise you didn't actually say anything about changing the electoral system and I'm projecting massively, but I'm going to leave this up anyway).
It's more than personality. Clegg knows how to field questions (remembers names etc) and debate publicly, both learnable skills. Aside from that, I'd say the debates have done much more than shift focus to personality, firstly because personal attacks on the PM candidates have been a massive part of the election already, and secondly because it's done more than that. For a long time, the only publicity the lib dems have had is people ridiculing them for not having any publicity (or power), the debate changes this by putting Clegg on par with the other two party leaders. Additionally, it gives a platform for debate undisturbed by the constant warbling and heckling of the demented masses of Parliament - and, furthermore, one which most people actually pay attention to.
I think Clegg's scored points through his ability to debate and throw the myriad hypocrisies of both major parties (on, for example, promising to enact a piece of legislation they had both blocked less than a week earlier) into relief. Which is not to say Clegg's ability to look incredibly earnest isn't doing him a lot of good, it's just not the end and be all you seem to be making it out to be.
Edited, Apr 28th 2010 11:55pm by Kavekk
The only way it could happen, I think, is if the Liberals receive the largest portion of the vote (a strong talking point/mandate, for what they want to do) and everyone starts caring about the first past the post system enormously. It could happen, I suppose, seeing as everyone started spontaneously caring about lobbyists a while back, but it seems unlikely it'll be enough to force change.
It's a shame, because a first past the post system works especially poorly with whips as strong as we presently have.
(Rereading what you said I realise you didn't actually say anything about changing the electoral system and I'm projecting massively, but I'm going to leave this up anyway).
Quote:
The big difference this time is that thanks to Rupert (SKY/FOX/The Sun) has forced a US-Style Leaders debate, forcing the focus away from party policy or local representatives and purely onto personality.
It's more than personality. Clegg knows how to field questions (remembers names etc) and debate publicly, both learnable skills. Aside from that, I'd say the debates have done much more than shift focus to personality, firstly because personal attacks on the PM candidates have been a massive part of the election already, and secondly because it's done more than that. For a long time, the only publicity the lib dems have had is people ridiculing them for not having any publicity (or power), the debate changes this by putting Clegg on par with the other two party leaders. Additionally, it gives a platform for debate undisturbed by the constant warbling and heckling of the demented masses of Parliament - and, furthermore, one which most people actually pay attention to.
I think Clegg's scored points through his ability to debate and throw the myriad hypocrisies of both major parties (on, for example, promising to enact a piece of legislation they had both blocked less than a week earlier) into relief. Which is not to say Clegg's ability to look incredibly earnest isn't doing him a lot of good, it's just not the end and be all you seem to be making it out to be.
Edited, Apr 28th 2010 11:55pm by Kavekk
kavekk
Paragraphs please.
I was getting interested but hit my head on a wall of words and gave up.
Paragraphs please.
I was getting interested but hit my head on a wall of words and gave up.
"I started out with nothin' and I still got most of it left" - Seasick Steve
Lord Nobby wrote:
kavekk
Paragraphs please.
I was getting interested but hit my head on a wall of words and gave up.
Paragraphs please.
I was getting interested but hit my head on a wall of words and gave up.
It's hard to paragraph when talking about Parliamentary reform. It's just such an exciting topic.
I mostly agree with Kavekk and the Nobster.
Here's what I think is going to happen: The third debate (tonight) is a bit of a non-event. Clegg and Cameron do well, Gordon not so much. Clegg keeps his good form going until GE, when he comes second in the polls behind the Tories. After a bit of wrangling, the Lib-dems form a coalition with labour but force them to appoint someone else than Gordon as leader. Meaning Alan Johnson or David Milliband as next PM. The Tories would be properly pissed off that they came first in the votes but aren't part of government. The Lib-dems manage to pass through some electoral reform, though it obviously won't be pure PR. AV, probably.
So to answer Smash's question, yes. I think the lib-dems is more than a passing fad, that they will form part of government in a hung parliament, and get some legislation through.
The only real alternative is the Tories managing to form a minority government, and calling new elections in 6 months time, in which they would win enough seats to have a proper majority. That was the predicted scenario a few months ago, and it could still hold true. Less likely than the first scenario, but possible.
Without a doubt. The Lib-Dems have always had good policies, but were never taken seriously by the media. Because of the debate, the media take them slightly more seriously, and their policies get more airtime. As a relatively neutral observer, I personally think the lib-dems are the only party in the UK proposing serious but innovative left-wing policies. They are the only real progressive party at the moment. And many Labour voters are realising this: that the lib-dems are basically what new labour should've been if they hadn't cocked it up so much.
It's quite amusing because their policies haven't changed. The only thing that really happened was that Clegg handled the first debate very well, and the other two did not. And eventhough they pretty much caught-up by the second debate, it was already kinda too late.
Some of the stuff that made it to my inbox recently:
An amusing little clip
The Daily Mail is loving Clegg
My boss campaigning with Eddie Izzard
Here's what I think is going to happen: The third debate (tonight) is a bit of a non-event. Clegg and Cameron do well, Gordon not so much. Clegg keeps his good form going until GE, when he comes second in the polls behind the Tories. After a bit of wrangling, the Lib-dems form a coalition with labour but force them to appoint someone else than Gordon as leader. Meaning Alan Johnson or David Milliband as next PM. The Tories would be properly pissed off that they came first in the votes but aren't part of government. The Lib-dems manage to pass through some electoral reform, though it obviously won't be pure PR. AV, probably.
So to answer Smash's question, yes. I think the lib-dems is more than a passing fad, that they will form part of government in a hung parliament, and get some legislation through.
The only real alternative is the Tories managing to form a minority government, and calling new elections in 6 months time, in which they would win enough seats to have a proper majority. That was the predicted scenario a few months ago, and it could still hold true. Less likely than the first scenario, but possible.
Quote:
It's more than personality
Without a doubt. The Lib-Dems have always had good policies, but were never taken seriously by the media. Because of the debate, the media take them slightly more seriously, and their policies get more airtime. As a relatively neutral observer, I personally think the lib-dems are the only party in the UK proposing serious but innovative left-wing policies. They are the only real progressive party at the moment. And many Labour voters are realising this: that the lib-dems are basically what new labour should've been if they hadn't cocked it up so much.
It's quite amusing because their policies haven't changed. The only thing that really happened was that Clegg handled the first debate very well, and the other two did not. And eventhough they pretty much caught-up by the second debate, it was already kinda too late.
Some of the stuff that made it to my inbox recently:
An amusing little clip
The Daily Mail is loving Clegg
My boss campaigning with Eddie Izzard
Recent Visitors: 227
All times are in CST
Anonymous Guests (227)
- Forums
- Cross Site
- The Asylum
- Can Clegg Deliver?
© 2024 Fanbyte LLC