Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Well.. we all survived the great debate. I say all, but the initial readout suggests that only 6 million looked in, despite the massive publicity generated beforehand. This indicates the great turnoff in politics amongst the great unwashed.
It went very well for all three of them. No one slipped on the proverbial bananaskin. However there can be no doubt who emerged as the clear winner...yes you know already, none other than the LibDems Nick Clegg...the supreme underdog. It terms of these things he was brilliant. Right from the word go he came out fighting, but in pleasant terms, with one eye always cleverly on his PR. He spoke directly into the camera, engaging with the tv audience at home...which of course was the reason for the whole thing.
Gordon Browne on the other hand made a bad start. Instead of talking to the audience at home, where all the votes are, he talked to the audience in the studio. There was no eye contact with us at home. To my mind this was an awful mistake and I hope his pundits will advise him on that point. Directing your opening salvo to the audience of 100 in the studio was almost useless, especially when there are millions behind that camera lens. He made a nervous start but as the programme wore on he came more into his own and even made the best joke of the night.
David Cameron was a strangely subdued beast. He did everything right in that he didnt put a foot wrong, but he seemed to lack impact and it was noticeable that he was outshone by the equally youthful Mr Clegg. Everyone was expecting more from Cameron.. but although he was efficient, he lacked the required spark to ignite the jaded voter.
Cameron and Clegg looked younger and fitter than Gordon Browne. Gordon looked weighty in comparison but perhaps this weightiness and gravitas will stand him in good stead. Will Clegg be able to keep this level of performance up in the upcoming debates??...well who knows, the other guys will be more than ready for him next time.
All and all it was a triumph for the LibDems and they must be licking their chops this morning.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
yes paulb,apart from the itn poll 4 other indiependant polls plus several papers this morning have put lib/dem as the winner of last nights show.a big
to nick clegg.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i only caught the last half hour and was impressed by all three.
much better than a debate on the commons with all the animal noises involved.
i expected the winner to be either nick clegg or david cameron, rather surprised to see the polls this morning showing gordon brown coming second in some.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
I will be posting a piece on this in my Blog tonight/tomorrow so wont say very much here. Viewing figures announced were around 9m at the peak.
This was no game changer and I suspect it would not do much more than entrench existing opinions though in a 'style over substance' analysis I expect a short term boost to Clegg in the polls. I suspect though that it will only be short term due to increased attention being paid to policies and that is the weak spot for Clegg. Cameron may well even have wanted such an outcome for that reason. This is the first of three and I would expect the format to settle down a bit for the next two.
Interesting to see the usual party stooges on tv today, all claiming "their man" did well. I suspect if the LibDems keep half a pace away from the other two we may find ourselves with a Yellow coloured government. On current showing, that may be no bad thing.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
I see the viewing figures have been re-assessed and put officially at 9.9million. So thats a good bit better than the initial estimate of the 6million mentioned at the top if page. A new star is born in shape of Nick Clegg, as we will all have seen the media adulation today. Good luck to him, he caught them all by surprise. Gordon was threading water in the debate but at least stayed the same, it was what people expected, but the disappointment was David Cameron. As one wag put it today..."Cameron was out Cameron'd by Clegg!!"
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
It's still the policies that count PaulB (or rather, it should be) and the Lib-Dems seem more left-wing than Labour and that can't be good for Britain.
Roger
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
A major worry for the Tories should be that if Clegg continues to perform well the Lid/Dems could take seats and votes from the Tories allowing Labour to get back into power.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
See my blog.... the next two debates will be very different. Clegg was let off scot free and had the easiest task this week. The next debate will have Foreign Affairs at its topic and this will expose the LibDem Europhile policies. I also wonder if the publicity around this debate might actually increase the viewing figures for the next one.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Interesting point, I was reminded of this. Ross Perot, the independent candidate in the 1992 US Presidential elections soarded in the polls after his first debate with George Bush and Bill Clinton. But by the time of the election he was down to 19%.
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
Watched it again last night, Clegg really did shine.
Brown exposed himself as someone with good intentions that has failed to implement policy. Cameron did a good job of actually saying nothing, the other two answered some questions. Cameron talked a lot but said very little. He spent a huge amount of time discrediting Labour but also explaing how he was going to do more...by making cuts. This is a common theme in the Conservative campaign, their posters just running down Gordon Brown rather than presenting a plan for this 'change'. At present it would seem their plan for change is just one of removing Labour from power. At least they got rid of the other posters and I don't have to endure DC's airbrushed mug looking down on me in Bridge Street.
The reform of the house of Lords (althought yet another Labour failing) really exposed DC for what he is, a privileged Etonian with little regard for the general public or true democracy. How anyone can can talk about fair democratic representation and still support this outdated undemocratic model? It flies in the face of all logic.
DC had a face liked a spoilt child getting told off everytime someone said something he didn't like, or made him look a fool. He is clearly used to getting his own way and not worried about anyone elses view...but hey it's OK because he was "talking to a black person only last week" It's as lame as when homophobes start a conversation by saying "I've got a gay mate"...or for that fact they may as well be saying "we may have made mistakes, including Section 28".
He acknowledges the party having had the 'nasty party' label through public perception, yet this is the party he chose to join, a clear supporter of Thatcher (much like Blair).
For those who missed it here's the highlights. All in fifteen seconds!
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People are just fed up with mr Brown and mr Cameron , it will be interesting how the next two debates go .