Unappealing party leaders

[Harty]

Talking to another 40 something this morning, and ahead of tonights debate he said no one of the three actually made him want to go out and vote.

Is the current leadership of all three major parties poor or do we expect too much of our UK politicians?

My Dad said to me last week after the ITV debate that had Churchill and Atlee had been able to have a TV debate in 1945, Churchill would have wiped the floor with him, but as it turned out Atlee won the poll and was a great peace time primeminister.

 

[Dave the OAP]

I havent the faintest idea who to vote for for the first time in 30 years of general elections!

I am half tempted as no-one is coming out of this particularily well ( the Libs are very anti car and I drive 600 miles a week) to vote for the "devil you know"

 

[porkypie]

I havent the faintest idea who to vote for for the first time in 30 years of general elections!

I am half tempted as no-one is coming out of this particularily well ( the Libs are very anti car and I drive 600 miles a week) to vote for the "devil you know"

You sat there anti car granny, what are there plans on that front?

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Caroline 'lentils' Lucas end of thread.

 

[Dave the OAP]

You sat there anti car granny, what are there plans on that front?

On question time some time ago, they were pressed on this and their policies involved more public transport and increase in duty on fuel to pay for it. Stop road building and improvements, windfall tax on new cars ....there were others but I was shouting at the telly at that point

 

[Pantani]

Caroline 'lentils' Lucas end of thread.

How is that end of thread? What are you even replying to?

 

[porkypie]

On question time some time ago, they were pressed on this and their policies involved more public transport and increase in duty on fuel to pay for it. Stop road building and improvements, windfall tax on new cars ....there were others but I was shouting at the telly at that point

Fukc sake, i wont be voting for them then, i drive all around the country 4 work! Aint excatly cheap now!

 

[Deleted User X18H]

How is that end of thread? What are you even replying to?

I find her an unappealing party leader, but you're right in a way, her party shouldn't be considered in the thread starters original intention for this thread.

 

[Harty]

I find her an unappealing party leader, but you're right in a way, her party shouldn't be considered in the thread starters original intention for this thread.

Its the lentils Tim, they've addled your brain.

 

[drew]

Talking to another 40 something this morning, and ahead of tonights debate he said no one of the three actually made him want to go out and vote.

Is the current leadership of all three major parties poor or do we expect too much of our UK politicians?

My Dad said to me last week after the ITV debate that had Churchill and Atlee had been able to have a TV debate in 1945, Churchill would have wiped the floor with him, but as it turned out Atlee won the poll and was a great peace time primeminister.

I very much doubt that in todays 'media' friendly society, Churchill would never be elected as leader of the Tories.

 

[Hunting 784561]

Caroline 'lentils' Lucas end of thread.

Its more like Caroline "Watermelon" Lucas, ie, green outside with a red core.

 

[Gwylan]

I very much doubt that in todays 'media' friendly society, Churchill would never be elected as leader of the Tories.

Remember Churchill changed parties ... twice. He was widely disliked by many sections of his own party. And had been deselected twice by his constituencies.

His political career had been dotted by failure prior to 1939 (the return to the Gold Standard, the General Strike, the action at Gallipoli) and he was out of step with the Tory party on many issues.

He was elected leader because he was virtually the only voice in the Conservative party who had warned of the dangers of Hitler and German aggression and partly because Halifax, Chamberlain's supposed successor felt that he couldn't govern from the Commons. But it's notable that Churchill was supported by Labour and Liberal members of the House.

It's interesting to speculate what would have happened if we had the same media process in the 30s as we do now. Churchill would certainly have not got elected leader and I suspect Atlee wouldn't have been either.

 

[Acker79]

Most experts say the TV debate helped good looking, JFK beat blotchy unappealing Nixon in the US elections that year.

 

[Storer68]

Talking to another 40 something this morning, and ahead of tonights debate he said no one of the three actually made him want to go out and vote.

Is the current leadership of all three major parties poor or do we expect too much of our UK politicians?

My Dad said to me last week after the ITV debate that had Churchill and Atlee had been able to have a TV debate in 1945, Churchill would have wiped the floor with him, but as it turned out Atlee won the poll and was a great peace time primeminister.

Churchill was rejected in 1945 becasue he misjudged the mood of the British people at the time ( they were looking forward to a brave new world of peace and optomism) and Churchill was advocating a return to the world of the 1930 s _depression, class warfare, came out with some speculakarly crass comments about the Labour Party........

Some quotes from WSC - don't get me worong - right man in the right place in 1940. Wrong man in the wrong place in 1946

On Aneurin Bevan: "He will be a great curse to this country in peace as he was a squalid nuisance in time of war." and "I can think of no better step to signal the inaugauration of the National Health Service than that a person who so obviously needs psychiatric attention should be among the first of its patients."

On his friend, Lord Beaverbrook: "He is a foul weather friend." (Beaverbrook was one of the most powerful media figures of his time)

On the deeply religious, teetotal, austere and clean living socialist Chancellor of the Exchequer,Stafford Cripps, after being told of Cripps's decision to give up smoking: "Too bad - that was his last contact with humanity." and on another occasion: "He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire."

On US Secretary of State J.F. Dulles: "He is the only bull I know who carries his own china closet with him." and "Dull, Duller, Dulles."

 

[Brighton Breezy]

You should really be voting for the PARTY and not the LEADER.

After all, it is not a presidential election.

 

[Dave the OAP]

You should really be voting for the PARTY and not the LEADER.

After all, it is not a presidential election.

ah but it is!

That is the sad reality since Blair

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Probably since Thatcher really...

Although Blair was among the first to really use presidential style posturing while in office.

 

[Storer68]

Probably since Thatcher really...

Although Blair was among the first to really use presidential style posturing while in office.

Probab;ly since Gladstone

 

[Dandyman]

I very much doubt that in todays 'media' friendly society, Churchill would never be elected as leader of the Tories.

He also had a stroke in the late 1940's which was hushed up at the time and was almost gaga as PM after 1951. I doubt he would have got away with either of those things now nor would Eden and his pill addiction for that matter.

 

[Knotty]

You should really be voting for the PARTY and not the LEADER.

After all, it is not a presidential election.

Absolutely right.

For one party's share of the polls to go up by 10 points based on a 90-minute political X-factor TV show is laughable, especially when its policies were the same before as after the programme.

He looks good and puts his hands in his pockets so he'll be a good prime minister and we don't care what his policies are...

Unbelievable.