The Asylum

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Haha. This country south of Canada and north of Mexico may well go on to having a majorly established third party if the Tea Movement gets its way.


I sorely hope it doesn't, the ultra-right-wing idiots they are.....

[HoopyFrood]

Ugh, ultra-right wingers.

There's been a big Prime Minister debate tonight on tv between the three leaders of the main parties and the one that usually gets overlooked managed to look the best out of the lot. This year's election is all over the place, nothing's definite about the way it's going to go. Many people saying a hung parliament. Might have to move in with Chronners overseas if the Conservatives win, though...just not a fan.

[Overread]

Bah the only party I would have voted for no longer exists
The MRL (Monster Raving Lunies) - I mean they are certified nutters, they don't even bother to pretend to be sane like the rest of the parties and they have a great track record (I mean they've never lied to us).

MRL This was your year to get in!!

Most of the rest will either be voted on one of 3 main criteria:
1) Whichever party will increase taxes for ones self the least
2) This is a "so and so" party family and we always vote for them
3) I hate the main three so I'm voting for Green Party/BNP/etc... to spite them.

[HoopyFrood]

I was, and had been a for quite some time, set on who I was going to vote for, but now I'm undecided. The next few weeks will have an impact on which way I decide.

I can't stop following all the Election news.

[Wybren]

We have a spare room here Hoopy, but I dont think you'd find our government much better, we have an election coming up this year and our choice is between a bunch of baboons and a bunch of baboons with slightly different markings.

[Grimward]

*Floats back in from sconceland, batting away the CHoR*

Back I say! Back!

*Snags a cuppa from Seppy*

Yeesh!

*Notices the ladies, and cleans up his act (somewhat, within realms of credulity)*

Beggin' your pardon, seems everyone needs something today....

[HoopyFrood]

*Looks around...well, from side to side. She is a tree, after all* Ladies? Where?

[Grimward]

She is a tree

Nuff said?

A good even to you, Ms. Hoopy. Is it true that Britain rarely (I heard the word "never" on the radio news this morning, but could scarce believe it) has debates among those running for office?

[Wybren]

howdy Grim

I wouldnt be surprised at that Grim, over here - where we are loosely based on over there - our leaders rarely debate, I think we are lucky if we get one during a campaign. That said though, every tuesday we can tune in to Question time and watch them have at it - that is usually amusing though, how they behave in sitting.

[HoopyFrood]

There are often 'debates' (which can end up being like a Punch and Judy show) in the Houses of Parliament, and there's Question Time which is a televised questioning of leading politicians...but a live televised debate between the three leaders like tonight has, indeed, never been done before.

There have been a fair few challenges put forth by Prime Ministers or Oppositions leaders over the years but no one's ever gone for it until now. Margaret Thatcher apparently turned it down because the country elects a Parliament, not a President.

[Grimward]

Well, we don't have THAT many more (What did Obama and McCain have? 2, maybe 3?), but NEVER didn't seem possible, and I can't imagine an election where the candidates don't square off against each other at least once....

EDIT: Sorry Hoops, was in mid reply to Wy. That's staggering; it's the issues, the candidate's ability to think quickly and articulate a cohesive, lucid, well-thought-out and defensible position on the issues that's important. Don't get me wrong; having the leaders in office do this is important, too, but not quite the same thing...

EDIT#2: There were actually 4 scheduled debates, with the candidates also appearing in 2 forums (not officially debates), but they ended up not holding one of them (it's somewhat coming back now)

[Wybren]

I think in ours we have only had debates during the campaign in the last 2 elections, I remember the last one cause they used this worm thing to show the studio audiences reaction to how each leader was going. But as here you go on what the party says it will do, rather than what the leader says, as the leaders are subject to change where as the party isnt.

[HoopyFrood]

Oh, we have plenty of chance to hear them talk about their issues in the run up to the Election, and as said there are other arenas in which they are questioned and put under pressure about their policies and whatnot. And tonight wasn't quite all the the above that you mention -- there were apparently 76 rules around the whole thing (including talking for too long) and the leaders knew what the audiences questions were going to be, I read. But it certainly as got the internet positively shimmying with discussion about it and as I mentioned earlier, it's perhaps changed the Election into a three horse race and let people consider an option previously overlooked...

Also, as Wybe says, there are whole parties to account for, even if all the focus tends to go on the people that front them...

[Grimward]

Whereas here our party lines have blurred so much in some cases that the ONLY way to make the decision is to hear what the candidate has to say.

*Glances at Hoopy...*

Worm thing, würm thing, or wyrm thing, Wy?

[HoopyFrood]

Yeah, the parties here move more (particularly around campaign time) towards the centre.

And no need to glance at me, guv. I'm a Tree.