TV Debates

[Chie]

Very consistent opinion poll results following last night's TV debate:

Angus Reid:
Brown: 19%
Cameron: 21%
Clegg: 46%
None: 11%

YouGov:
Brown: 19%
Cameron: 29%
Clegg: 51%
Don't know: 2%

ComRes:
Brown: 20%
Cameron: 26%
Clegg: 46%
None: 8%

Populus:
Brown: 17%
Cameron: 22%
Clegg: 61%

I think Cameron looked too well groomed and overdid it with the anecdotes and the passion. Clegg not only strikes me as an unpredictable person who internalises a lot of moral anger, but I predict he'll perform too smugly in the following debate and that will cost him some percentage points. I thought Brown was quite distant, maybe he took something to calm his nerves before the debate because he's normally a quaking wreck at PMQs.

[Dr Lobster*]

it's strange i thought brown came off rather well, i know his presentational style isn't to everybody's taste but i thought his delivery had passion and substance. david cameron was more like an automaton.

cameron really only came off best on the law and order and anti-social behaviour because that is one area where labour have unequivocally failed and they are now only now thinking about doing something about it. i think most fair minded people wince at some of the lenient sentences given out to perpetrators of violent crime.

there is some mileage in the argument that if you get in early with some community rehabilitation programmes they can steer young people away from crime, we shouldn't give up on these programmes. but there are also some crimes, whatever their reasons for being committed where the perpetrators should never, ever be released back into society.

individuals who commit violet and/or sexual crimes, particularly against vulnerable adults and children should probably never be released. there was a case recently, david gillen who raped a women of nearly 80 in her own home. he got 12 years. a sickening crime, i think if the sentence was doubled and he actually had to serve it in full, we'd probably be getting somewhere.

but i do agree that nick clegg came off best and i hope it translates to some real gains at the ballot box for them.

[Gavin Scott]

Clegg won on style, Gordon on substance, I thought.

Cameron was surprisingly poor. Really, really poor.

[martindtanderson]

Clegg won on style, Gordon on substance, I thought.

Cameron was surprisingly poor. Really, really poor.

My sentiments exactly. The more I hear Cameron talking about Big Society and Broken Britain, the more disgust I seem to have for him and his grubby Tory party.

[madmusician]

I did feel that Clegg did very well, and Cameron disappointed. I also felt that Gordan reverted to some pre-prepared one-liners whenever he had run out of anything to say, such as "You can airbrush your posters, but you can't airbrush your policies" and "Thank you for putting up the posters about me". He also completely wasted his closing spiel with trying to prove that his knowledge of pop culture is good by name-checking The X factor and Britain's Got Talent. I actually felt that Cameron's summing up was the best, as Clegg just repeated a lot of what he had already said.

Also, a lot of the questions just reverted to the same old ground being covered by all three. Clegg is going to be different to the old two parties, Cameron is going to cut back like a business or a family has to and Brown is going to protect the police force and schools as well as the NHS.

It was certainly very interesting to watch, and I wait with interest to see how the other two debates take shape.

[barcode]

Here the thing Nick could convince people to vote for him in the South west, meaning If lib dem picks up more seat there, then tories are well.....

[Finn]

Clegg not only strikes me as an unpredictable person who internalises a lot of moral anger, but I predict he'll perform too smugly in the following debate and that will cost him some percentage points.

I'm impressed by your expertise in both psychology and psychic predictions.

[martindtanderson]

You can't really blame Gordon Brown for his performance. He is not a personality. He is uncomfortable on television. He does well one to one with the public, and when doing the job. And so he feels the need to "connect" with the audience and the viewers.

[James H]

You can't really blame Gordon Brown for his performance.

He's had 13 years to train up for this election - he should be fucking better than this.

[Gavin Scott]

You can't really blame Gordon Brown for his performance.

He's had 13 years to train up for this election - he should be fucking better than this.

Any fucking reason why you fucking need to swear whilst making a fucking point?

hmmm?

So - were you disappointed in Cameron, James?

[Sput]

Maybe It's a judgement of his sexual prowess