The General Election Thread

[foxy]

The debate about TV debates is fast becoming boring. The BBC are pondering the decision whether to 'empty chair' Cameron if he refuses to take part. This notion would be some what petulant and confirm how today's BBC IS bias.

Cameron and his advisors should not be so fucking chicken shit then.

He is being made a laughing stock because he has no bottle.....what a fucking wimp

Perhaps so. Not sure if it's him or his advisers. But what is there to achieve from the TV debates? Only 14% of the electorate watched the TV debates in 2010. They were pretty tame and reserved.

 

[Blue Til Death]

Wasn't the precedent for PM's bottling tv debate set by Gordon Brown..?

That said, Cameron is a tit because he blasted Brown for exactly what he will now do, saying he wants the greens or whatever involved is idiotic and makes him look worse. Whats worse than him avoiding the debate is the fact that he would wipe the floor with milliband who is completely inept in every way, has no coherent funded policies and has the debating skills of my dining room table...!

 

[DelToro]

The debate about TV debates is fast becoming boring. The BBC are pondering the decision whether to 'empty chair' Cameron if he refuses to take part. This notion would be some what petulant and confirm how today's BBC IS bias.

Cameron and his advisors should not be so fucking chicken shit then.

He is being made a laughing stock because he has no bottle.....what a fucking wimp

Perhaps so. Not sure if it's him or his advisers. But what is there to achieve from the TV debates? Only 14% of the electorate watched the TV debates in 2010. They were pretty tame and reserved.

Which is pretty much 14% more than watch party political broadcasts.

 

[tidyman]

Cameron and his advisors should not be so fucking chicken shit then.

He is being made a laughing stock because he has no bottle.....what a fucking wimp

Perhaps so. Not sure if it's him or his advisers. But what is there to achieve from the TV debates? Only 14% of the electorate watched the TV debates in 2010. They were pretty tame and reserved.

Which is pretty much 14% more than watch party political broadcasts.

And I'd imagine even less than that have so much as a cursory glance at the main parties manifestos.

I've no idea if the 14% figure is accurate. But if it is I'd say it is encouragingly high and not "only."

 

[101toMR]

How many "Undecided" voters will watch these debates? I doubt anyone other than firmly decided chest beating advocates of whatever party they normally vote for will be watching. This is X factor politics and will have absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the GE.
That said it should be fun if it was allowed to flow so they all end up shouting at each other and calling their wives fat.

 

[the blue panther]

The debate about TV debates is fast becoming boring. The BBC are pondering the decision whether to 'empty chair' Cameron if he refuses to take part. This notion would be some what petulant and confirm how today's BBC IS bias.

Cameron and his advisors should not be so fucking chicken shit then.

He is being made a laughing stock because he has no bottle.....what a fucking wimp

Perhaps so. Not sure if it's him or his advisers. But what is there to achieve from the TV debates? Only 14% of the electorate watched the TV debates in 2010. They were pretty tame and reserved.

Cameron made his bed by clamouring for the debates when in opposition. He has made himself look a complete dick. He should have just got on with it - he's far more fluent than any of the others, and he usually comes up smiling anyway.
Viewing figures for the 1st debate in 2010 were estimated at 9.4M, so I think your % is understated. It's 14% of the 67M population; more like 20% of the 46M electorate. However, as less than 30M voted, maybe it's safer to say that nearly a third of those interested in voting watched it.
14%? 20? 33%? Lies, damned lies and statistics.

 

[DelToro]

How many "Undecided" voters will watch these debates? I doubt anyone other than firmly decided chest beating advocates of whatever party they normally vote for will be watching. This is X factor politics and will have absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the GE.
That said it should be fun if it was allowed to flow so they all end up shouting at each other and calling their wives fat.

Has Nicola Sturgeon got a fat wife?

 

[101toMR]

How many "Undecided" voters will watch these debates? I doubt anyone other than firmly decided chest beating advocates of whatever party they normally vote for will be watching. This is X factor politics and will have absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the GE.
That said it should be fun if it was allowed to flow so they all end up shouting at each other and calling their wives fat.

Has Nicola Sturgeon got a fat wife?

It wouldn't surprise me.

 

[aguero93:20]

Wasn't the precedent for PM's bottling tv debate set by Gordon Brown..?

That said, Cameron is a tit because he blasted Brown for exactly what he will now do, saying he wants the greens or whatever involved is idiotic and makes him look worse. Whats worse than him avoiding the debate is the fact that he would wipe the floor with milliband who is completely inept in every way, has no coherent funded policies and has the debating skills of my dining room table...!

I thought it was set by Thatcher?

 

[bgblue]

How many "Undecided" voters will watch these debates? I doubt anyone other than firmly decided chest beating advocates of whatever party they normally vote for will be watching. This is X factor politics and will have absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the GE.
That said it should be fun if it was allowed to flow so they all end up shouting at each other and calling their wives fat.

Has Nicola Sturgeon got a fat wife?

She's probably somebody's :)

 

[101toMR]

How many "Undecided" voters will watch these debates? I doubt anyone other than firmly decided chest beating advocates of whatever party they normally vote for will be watching. This is X factor politics and will have absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the GE.
That said it should be fun if it was allowed to flow so they all end up shouting at each other and calling their wives fat.

Has Nicola Sturgeon got a fat wife?

She's probably somebody's :)

Och aye lad.
Och aye :-)

 

[cibaman]

Cameron and his advisors should not be so fucking chicken shit then.

He is being made a laughing stock because he has no bottle.....what a fucking wimp

Perhaps so. Not sure if it's him or his advisers. But what is there to achieve from the TV debates? Only 14% of the electorate watched the TV debates in 2010. They were pretty tame and reserved.

Cameron made his bed by clamouring for the debates when in opposition. He has made himself look a complete dick. He should have just got on with it - he's far more fluent than any of the others, and he usually comes up smiling anyway.
Viewing figures for the 1st debate in 2010 were estimated at 9.4M, so I think your % is understated. It's 14% of the 67M population; more like 20% of the 46M electorate. However, as less than 30M voted, maybe it's safer to say that nearly a third of those interested in voting watched it.
14%? 20? 33%? Lies, damned lies and statistics.

I didn't watch the debates. But saw snippets on the news the next day, read about it in the papers. I got a strong sense of how they'd gone (Clegg won, they all agreed with Nick).

 

[Blue Til Death]

Wasn't the precedent for PM's bottling tv debate set by Gordon Brown..?

That said, Cameron is a tit because he blasted Brown for exactly what he will now do, saying he wants the greens or whatever involved is idiotic and makes him look worse. Whats worse than him avoiding the debate is the fact that he would wipe the floor with milliband who is completely inept in every way, has no coherent funded policies and has the debating skills of my dining room table...!

I thought it was set by Thatcher?

I think even the more ardent Labour supporters would agree that Thatcher never ducked a scrap, she was in debates but decided the labour leaning BBC were not getting more than there two peneth worth..! Do you actually remember who Thatcher was up against in those days, arguably the most inept labour leaders of all time, current leader accepted who makes Michael Foot look like a political genius..! She destroyed Labour in every way, until she went a tad too far..! Still the best PM since Churchill though by a foookin billion miles..!

 

[aguero93:20]

Wasn't the precedent for PM's bottling tv debate set by Gordon Brown..?

That said, Cameron is a tit because he blasted Brown for exactly what he will now do, saying he wants the greens or whatever involved is idiotic and makes him look worse. Whats worse than him avoiding the debate is the fact that he would wipe the floor with milliband who is completely inept in every way, has no coherent funded policies and has the debating skills of my dining room table...!

I thought it was set by Thatcher?

I think even the more ardent Labour supporters would agree that Thatcher never ducked a scrap, she was in debates but decided the labour leaning BBC were not getting more than there two peneth worth..! Do you actually remember who Thatcher was up against in those days, arguably the most inept labour leaders of all time, current leader accepted who makes Michael Foot look like a political genius..! She destroyed Labour in every way, until she went a tad too far..! Still the best PM since Churchill though by a foookin billion miles..!

So Thatcher didn't refuse to take part in any debates then?

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

I thought it was set by Thatcher?

I think even the more ardent Labour supporters would agree that Thatcher never ducked a scrap, she was in debates but decided the labour leaning BBC were not getting more than there two peneth worth..! Do you actually remember who Thatcher was up against in those days, arguably the most inept labour leaders of all time, current leader accepted who makes Michael Foot look like a political genius..! She destroyed Labour in every way, until she went a tad too far..! Still the best PM since Churchill though by a foookin billion miles..!

So Thatcher didn't refuse to take part in any debates then?

She repeatedly did, but from a position of strength where she had everything to lose. Cameron does not share that luxury.

 

[blue cigar]

I think even the more ardent Labour supporters would agree that Thatcher never ducked a scrap, she was in debates but decided the labour leaning BBC were not getting more than there two peneth worth..! Do you actually remember who Thatcher was up against in those days, arguably the most inept labour leaders of all time, current leader accepted who makes Michael Foot look like a political genius..! She destroyed Labour in every way, until she went a tad too far..! Still the best PM since Churchill though by a foookin billion miles..!

So Thatcher didn't refuse to take part in any debates then?

She repeatedly did, but from a position of strength where she had everything to lose. Cameron does not share that luxury.

Spot on. Cameron must be sure he can win the election without thw debates,either very clever or suicidal. Whilst im a long way from supporting tory i cannot see why he would duck miliband i na one to one....david fukin beckham could outwit miliband. Genuinely interested what tory voters make of this,why wont he do the debates?

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

,why wont he do the debates?

He will. Without question imo.

 

[Paulpowersleftfoot]

Wasn't the precedent for PM's bottling tv debate set by Gordon Brown..?

That said, Cameron is a tit because he blasted Brown for exactly what he will now do, saying he wants the greens or whatever involved is idiotic and makes him look worse. Whats worse than him avoiding the debate is the fact that he would wipe the floor with milliband who is completely inept in every way, has no coherent funded policies and has the debating skills of my dining room table...!

I thought it was set by Thatcher?

I think even the more ardent Labour supporters would agree that Thatcher never ducked a scrap, she was in debates but decided the labour leaning BBC were not getting more than there two peneth worth..! Do you actually remember who Thatcher was up against in those days, arguably the most inept labour leaders of all time, current leader accepted who makes Michael Foot look like a political genius..! She destroyed Labour in every way, until she went a tad too far..! Still the best PM since Churchill though by a foookin billion miles..!

Indeed she was,not that she's had much to beat since then

 

[Chancy Termites]

I thought it was set by Thatcher?

I think even the more ardent Labour supporters would agree that Thatcher never ducked a scrap, she was in debates but decided the labour leaning BBC were not getting more than there two peneth worth..! Do you actually remember who Thatcher was up against in those days, arguably the most inept labour leaders of all time, current leader accepted who makes Michael Foot look like a political genius..! She destroyed Labour in every way, until she went a tad too far..! Still the best PM since Churchill though by a foookin billion miles..!

So Thatcher didn't refuse to take part in any debates then?

Thatcher insisted on only being interviewed live and unedited by the BBC, so she would refuse anything that was prerecorded.

 

[cibaman]

So Thatcher didn't refuse to take part in any debates then?

She repeatedly did, but from a position of strength where she had everything to lose. Cameron does not share that luxury.

Spot on. Cameron must be sure he can win the election without thw debates,either very clever or suicidal. Whilst im a long way from supporting tory i cannot see why he would duck miliband i na one to one....david fukin beckham could outwit miliband. Genuinely interested what tory voters make of this,why wont he do the debates?

The Tory campaign strategy is being directed by the bloke who ran John Howard's campaign in Aus.

The Labour campaign strategy is being directed by the bloke who ran Obamah's campaign in the US.

They're both assuming that what worked in their country (including Howard refusing to debate) will work over here