The TV Debate

[Jah Lush]

Well, if it's Nick then that's short for Nicholas is it not? Is that how he leaves the ladies?

[Marmora Man]

Yes

Yes (later on on record)

Probably not - but I'm also interested in how each party will spin their man.

A. Labour working hard to downplay expectations of Brown, to play up expectations of Cameron and to sidle up to Clegg in the hope he'll back Brown's attacks on Cameron.

B. Tories keen to stress Cameron's relaxed posture beforehand but also his fear of a gaffe - so as to play down expectations of their man.

C. Lib Dems just so excited to be on the big stage - and hoping their chap will look good and not be sidelined.

PREDICTION - a no score draw unless one of them breaks ranks and breaks one of the rules in making a great point / one liner.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

How wanky are those ties?

I'll vote for the first one to wear a decent one - something along the lines of eggs and bacon would do.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Is anyone listening to it on R4? It would be interesting to find out who comes across as the most sincere without being influenced by what they look like.

[Mick Mac]

I'm not influenced by what they look like and I'm surprised that Brown is doing best and Cameron worst IMO. This is a bit of a reverse of Prime Mimisters question time which Cameron usually does well on but then he asks the questions then, tonight is a level playing field

Cameron loses credibility for me on the use of the word "waste" time and time again - what he is referring to is public sector salaries and real peoples jobs.

Brown is the only one not to make weak personal remarks about his family using the NHS etc and I admire that he has not tried to make capital from his personal life - he has stayed professional and has not used the family card.

I thought Cameron would wipe the floor with him to be honest, but I'm pleased he has done well.

I was unsure who to vote for and am leaning towards Labour.

Clegg is reasonable but trying too hard to be the good guy among two bad guys. But also did better than I expected.

Cameron was the only one whom I expected more from.

And as for radio 4 PGC - i think they looked like politicians so no winners in the appearance front.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I said I wouldn't watch it but i did

wouldn't disagree with much of what you wrote there Mick. Good stuff

now over to itv2 to see durden-smith doing the backstage bit

[Michael Palaeologus]

I hopped between Welcome to Lagos and The First Election Debate. I settled on Lagos. It was far more uplifting, gave greater hope and showed enormous humanity.

The Chairman of the Lagos Dump Pickers should be PM, he got things done, was respected and listened to his constituents. Amazing.

[Mick Mac]

Mick Mac Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm not influenced by what they look like and I'm

> surprised that Brown is doing best and Cameron

> worst IMO. This is a bit of a reverse of Prime

> Mimisters question time which Cameron usually does

> well on but then he asks the questions then,

> tonight is a level playing field

>

> Cameron loses credibility for me on the use of the

> word "waste" time and time again - what he is

> referring to is public sector salaries and real

> peoples jobs.

>

> Brown is the only one not to make weak personal

> remarks about his family using the NHS etc and I

> admire that he has not tried to make capital from

> his personal life - he has stayed professional and

> has not used the family card.

>

> I thought Cameron would wipe the floor with him to

> be honest, but I'm pleased he has done well.

>

> I was unsure who to vote for and am leaning

> towards Labour.

>

> Clegg is reasonable but trying too hard to be the

> good guy among two bad guys. But also did better

> than I expected.

> Cameron was the only one whom I expected more

> from.

>

> And as for radio 4 PGC - i think they looked like

> politicians so no winners in the appearance front.

I have had to quote my own message - I did not write all of that just for it to disappear as Sean turned the page ::o

[Sandperson]

Come on Mick, let's cut to the chase. Who have you slapped your money on? :))

[Mick Mac]

Sandperson Wrote:

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> Come on Mick, let's cut to the chase. Who have you

> slapped your money on? :))

Labour have already taken all my money SP.

[Sandperson]

Blimey. Satire! I love it.

[woofmarkthedog]

Sheep

Sheep

Sheep

Lambs to the slaughter

W**F

[????]

I thought it was Clegg by a country mile as do the polls and pundits. Cameron was disapointing and Brown what I expected (which is not that great).

[Mick Mac]

Not sure that is what the newsnight pundits are saying quids - saying Clegg is all things to all people - They have also suggested that Cameron underperformed.

Apparently Cable was supposed to have won the Chancellor's Debate but again, I don't agree. I think its just that people have not heard sufficiently from them before and have low expectations. Hence they perform better than expected, but I'm not sure Lib Dem won either of these in real terms.

Lots being made of the China point by Cameron in relation to keeping the nuclear deterrant - did he mean Korea?

[????]

A poll for ITV showed that he'd won by miles (Cameron 2nd and Brown 3rd) and the ITN bloke and Robinson on the BBC both said they thought he was the winner.

[Mick Mac]

If there was a "value added" measure I would agree he increased his reputation most, but not sufficietly to get near the standing of the other two. I doubt he would be capable of leading either of the other parties.

Its easy to stand to one side and say the other people are fighting and pretend to rise above it. The other two were fighting to become Prime Minister, Clegg was probably not.

[????]

Mick, I didn't say he'd won the election just the debate

[Bluerevolution]

Won ?100 in the pub quiz, did I miss anything?

[Marmora Man]

I felt Cameron underperformed. Brown held his own but added nothing to what we already know about him. Clegg gave best performance but was the joker in the pack anyway as he could make promises and suggest ideas that he'd never have to implement. I would not want him as a PM.

On a minor mathematica; / economic note - Cameron wants to cancel the NI hike - saying it can be "funded" from savings. Brown wants to hit us with an NI hike criticising Cameron for quote "taking ?6 billion out of the economy".

Altho' no one seems to be making the argument I would suggest that an NI hike of ?6 billion is "taking it out of the economy", that is out of individual's pockets and out of businesses for government to spend when, usually, individuals / businesses will spend money more sensibly and efficiently, than government. It's the equivalent of roughly ?100 per person (man, woman & child) in UK. Given that ?6 billion represents less than 1% of government spending - can it be that crucial to government spending plans?

[katie1997]

I didn't get to watch or listen to it this eve so interested to read others' views on here.

IMO - I don't understand why the LibDems haven't been more machiavellian and sided with the Tories throughout the election campaign. And why the Tories haven't attempted to poach Vince Cable?

But another five years of Labour? Give me strength...

[Mick Mac]

???? Wrote:

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> Mick, I didn't say he'd won the election just the

> debate

He won because he was not in contention to be Prime Minister, hence people did not feel they had heard all his views before. Hence he got peoples votes tonight.

In hindisght it is a good forum for him as people generally don't listen to him.

[Mick Mac]

katie1997 Wrote:

> And why the

> Tories haven't attempted to poach Vince Cable?

>

He needs frying, scrambling or punching, but no one will poach him, Katie.

[Bluerevolution]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> katie1997 Wrote:

>

> > And why the

> > Tories haven't attempted to poach Vince Cable?

>

> >

>

> He needs frying, scrambling or punching, but no

> one will poach him, Katie.

Vince Cable is a honest true politician

[Mick Mac]

Bluerevolution Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

>

> Vince Cable is a honest true politician

It was a joke BR - However, he showed he had no understanding of the economics of the financial sector in proposing a limit to bankers bonuses of ?2500. That's frankly silly. Weakening the financial sector will ruin London's biggest source of employment.

[katie1997]

Well, he could always think about bringing back manufacturing to the UK, providing more jobs for people.........come on, surely its not all about London and the financial sector?

Also, it would be very unkind to fry or scramble poor old VC :)