The debate - part 2

[gingerjedi]

I didn't watch it but I did see the highlights.

I was warming to Clegg until he brought up climate change as the major issue, he then went on to describe people who dared to question it as 'nutters'.

Oh well, I thought we had something there Nick.

[Doggy Styles]

Why haven't either of the other two brought up Brown's track record - his masterly destruction of the economy?

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Why haven't either of the other two brought up Brown's track record - his masterly destruction of the economy?

Because they realise that anyone except blind Tory automata realise that their party wouldn't have done much better. Since there's no need to impress dyed in the wool voters in safe seats, they prefer to stick to issues where there can't be any argument rather than those where their own record has been sub-optimal at times to anyone except their blind supporters.

[Gonzo]

Because they realise that anyone except blind Tory automata realise that their party wouldn't have done much better. Since there's no need to impress dyed in the wool voters in safe seats, they prefer to stick to issues where there can't be any argument rather than those where their own record has been sub-optimal at times to anyone except their blind supporters.

I completely disagree on this point.

One of the first things that Brown did as Chancellor was to rewrite the financial regulatory system as a civil service box ticking exercise which is inextricably linked with the current mess.

The previous financial regulatory system, introduced by the tories in 1986 IIRC, did a perfectly good job and had survived bank collapses (BCCI, Barings) without wrecking the economy.

I do not understand why this isn't a point that the tories are making, and indeed I think it was Ken Clark on the radio this morning who completely missed it.

I can only assume that because Brown got a lot of credit for making the Bank of England's interest rate setting decision independent of government interference, which was a good move, that the regulatory system change was allowed to slide in on the back of it. Or maybe because it would expose the tories' lack of opposition to the change at the time.

[d000hg]

I didn't watch it but I did see the highlights.

I was warming to Clegg until he brought up climate change as the major issue, he then went on to describe people who dared to question it as 'nutters'.

Oh well, I thought we had something there Nick.

Although I am open-minded on the GW thing, even I didn't like the way all 3 parties talked about 'GW sceptics' the same way they did the Pope's anti-gay feelings. GW is not settled (EITHER WAY).


Anyhow, this one was much closer than the last one. Gordon managed to get a couple of jokes on-target this time, Norman was just saying the same thing as before, and I'm not sure if Dave's EU policy was damaged by the others.

I did notice Dave looked knackered, even under makeup, but then that should be expected. Gordon's '£6bn' spiel is wearing very thin but will the general population buy it? I think even the dumb people realise you can't just ignore the problem... even those on benefits know you have to budget to afford the HP on your plasma.

[Platypus]

I completely disagree on this point.

One of the first things that Brown did as Chancellor was to rewrite the financial regulatory system as a civil service box ticking exercise which is inextricably linked with the current mess.

I think most people don't give a tulip about 'technical' stuff like this. Which I also think is why he got away with 'robbing pensions' and 'selling the gold cheap' - because people say 'so what, doesn't affect me'. If Dave takes the time to try to patiently explain it all, people will just yawn, get bored and vote for someone else. Still thinking that it's not their problem.

Technical economic arguments don't win elections, pizazz and sound bites do.

[Scary]

Technical economic arguments don't win elections, pizazz and sound bites do.

The Scary party of Great Britain offers free bite of pizza to every voter!

[The Wikir Man]

Sky bias shone through.

Twice the camera panned straight from a Cameron scripted joke to laughing audience.

Cameron gave his final plea straight to camera; Clegg had thee different camera angles during his, including the back of his head!

Adam the Hutt insisted on mentioning the Telegraph article about Clegg needlessly.

Cameron got more air time than the other 2.

Sky chose the questions, repeated some from last week which Cameron polled strongly on and reworded the one about a coalition as it is one where LD are the main beneficiaries.

Let's see if Dimblebore is any better next week.

Oh, the YouGov poll showing Cameron won took place before / during Clegg summing up at the end, as well...

[Drewster]

......... am I being stupid?

That has just got to be a rhetorical question!

[Doggy Styles]

Because they realise that anyone except blind Tory automata realise that their party wouldn't have done much better.

I disagree. Most of the things Brown increased spending on during the past 10 years were not Tory policy (not sure about LibDems).

Running a deficit during the boom times is a known "silly thing to do", as Vincent Cable among many others pointed out to Brown during that time. Brown told them they were wrong.

And as someone else has said on here, Brown's new financial regulatory system was lax compared with what it replaced.