The Leaders Debate Megathread

[spindrift]

Within minutes of last night's debate we had goodness how many polls. We had worms. We had word clouds. We had blogs and tweets.

 

But one thing was sorely missing. Where were the viewing figures? Not even a rough estimate of how many people watched.

 

Come on TV industry. Get your act together.

 

It can't be that difficult to work out within minutes - or even live - how many people watched. We're living in the 2010s, not the 1960s.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/michaelcrick/2010/04/but_how_many_people_were_watch.html

 

6. At 07:27am on 16 Apr 2010, Konnolsky wrote:

 

Michael, if it is help you count numbers, we are watch online in butcher’s shop in Smolensk. In room was me, wife Irina, boys Pyotr, Lev and Pavel, Yuri assistant, and Old Alexei (local eccentric who dress like 19th Century hussar, who came into shop for glass of goat milk and stay all day). Also dog, Maxim, who is scare into hiding by Brown growl. We are put on dark glasses when Cameron shiny chinless head is on screen. Clogg is win debate for us. He look like our handsome milkman Dmitri, though is speak like geography teacher.

[PC Brigade]

you know I've spent the morning reading through this thread, and from what I understand of the majority of posts, the consensus is that Clegg should come out of the GE with his head held high.

 

BUT.

 

People are too scared to vote for him. Why?

 

Often I read in these posts the words "Clegg came across well but they are never going to get enough votes"

If all the people trusted themselves enough, they would vote, and it would be fair.

 

 

But ...even if votes were split 30/30/30 with 10% to 'others', then the seats wouldn't be split equally anyway. In that situation you'd end up with Labour winning far more seats than the other two, despite having the same share of votes.

 

Until we have a proportional system (STV, not the bogus Alternative Vote Gordon is trying to introduce), then its almost impossible for anyone other than Lab or Conservative to win.

 

Edit- have a play with this to see how it might turn out

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8609989.stm

 

30/30/30 would give

 

Lab 314

Con 217

Lib 100

Others 29

[sccsux]

has the first debate actually changed how anyone will vote ?

 

Nope.

 

I was going to vote for the GlibDims before, nothing I saw last night has changed that:thumbsup:.

 

I listened to the debate on the radio.

 

Hope you've got a licence:hihi:.

 

I thought both Brown & Clegg were far better than Cameron.

 

And Clegg was far superior to Brown:thumbsup:.

What surprised me was just how poorly Cammo came across. I was delighted because I really thought he'd walk it when, in fact, he was red faced, smarmy and vacuous.

 

I'm glad someone else noticed:thumbsup:.

[Paul2412]

Within minutes of last night's debate we had goodness how many polls. We had worms. We had word clouds. We had blogs and tweets.

 

But one thing was sorely missing. Where were the viewing figures? Not even a rough estimate of how many people watched.

 

Come on TV industry. Get your act together.

 

It can't be that difficult to work out within minutes - or even live - how many people watched. We're living in the 2010s, not the 1960s.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/michaelcrick/2010/04/but_how_many_people_were_watch.html

 

6. At 07:27am on 16 Apr 2010, Konnolsky wrote:

 

Michael, if it is help you count numbers, we are watch online in butcher’s shop in Smolensk. In room was me, wife Irina, boys Pyotr, Lev and Pavel, Yuri assistant, and Old Alexei (local eccentric who dress like 19th Century hussar, who came into shop for glass of goat milk and stay all day). Also dog, Maxim, who is scare into hiding by Brown growl. We are put on dark glasses when Cameron shiny chinless head is on screen. Clogg is win debate for us. He look like our handsome milkman Dmitri, though is speak like geography teacher.

 

9.4M average

 

Peaked at 9.9M just after 9pm.

[ksheff2]

Did anyone else notice that whenever something didn't go Brown's way he kept sniggering and laughing? Irritated the horses faeces out of me.

 

Absolutely!!! It was very uncomfortable to watch.

[ksheff2]

Yes

 

it is a shame that the media have such a huge influence over how we are supposed to think in this country, but when you get to meet Nick Clegg in person he is really just as you saw him last night.A genuine bloke.

I have heard him speak in Sheffield and he is exactly the same.

 

I was very impressed with the way he presented himself overall.

How he stood back, paid attention and actually LISTENED, whilst Cameron and Brown had their say. He appeared to take an interest, whilst the other two seemed to spend the whole time anyone else was speaking going over/making their notes.

[Vague_Boy]

His anecdotes were priceless: a forty year old black man who had been in the navy for thirty years (whose opinion on immigration was obviously correct, being black and all). He then referred to this hero as 'she'.

 

The veracity of all the "anecdotes" that were conveniently trotted out is suspect. But I doubt if the lackadaisical British press will check on them.

 

Precious little mention of the elephant in the room, i.e. debt

 

According to Robert Chote, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Britain's leading think-tank on budgetary issues: "The skirmishes over tax and spending that we have seen so far during the campaign hardly reflect the scale of the fiscal challenge that will confront whichever party has the misfortune to emerge victorious."

Link

[eastbank]

I wonder what the odds will be tomorrow ?

 

 

25/1 so somebody has lumped on....tories even money....thats my holiday booked

[Stoatwobbler]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/michaelcrick/2010/04/but_how_many_people_were_watch.html

 

6. At 07:27am on 16 Apr 2010, Konnolsky wrote:

 

Michael, if it is help you count numbers, we are watch online in butcher’s shop in Smolensk. In room was me, wife Irina, boys Pyotr, Lev and Pavel, Yuri assistant, and Old Alexei (local eccentric who dress like 19th Century hussar, who came into shop for glass of goat milk and stay all day). Also dog, Maxim, who is scare into hiding by Brown growl. We are put on dark glasses when Cameron shiny chinless head is on screen. Clogg is win debate for us. He look like our handsome milkman Dmitri, though is speak like geography teacher.

 

For some reason that comment is the number 1 thing being discussed on my twitterfeed as well!

[millhouses24]

1. Anyone else get the problem on the live feed where for a few minutes it wasn't coming through Ok so it looked like everyone was stammering?

 

Other than that, it was great. I only have a little laptop screen but I liked the "worm" to show ratings and all the comments at the bottom (might have been funny if they weren't moderated as highly )

 

2. Brown came across well (to me) anyway. The one area where he stood out was the economy. It might be "popular" to talk cuts, cuts, and more cuts, but from a Keynesian perspective I do think we need to maintain consumer confidence and encourage everyone to spend a bit more.

 

I liked the fact that he didn't come across as too slick and polished. I love you Gordon (actually, that's going too far)

 

3. I quite liked it on the old people's care issue when they started talking consensus. Obama wrote about how Yankee voters were sick and tired of negative campaigning and wanted solutions with all the parties working together, and I wish we had a bit more of this.

 

4. The child going on about school was annoying. If you're a seventeen year old you're meant to be worrying about which girl you can make out with behind the bike sheds, not whether or not your school is sufficiently stimulating your creativity.