Why does Clegg get airtime?

[cocojoe]

This is the only Clegg that deserves airtime

[Boojum]

Nobody in the UK political arena gets as much airtime and newspaper column space as Farage, not even David Cameron (and certainly not Nick Clegg). And I genuinely believe that is one of the reasons why UKIP have got such unaccountably high opinion poll figures. It may seem like a good game, taking the piss out of Farage and UKIP in the media, but it's totally counterproductive, cos people have short memories and a lot of them don't actually take any notice of content. All the articles that are intended to either lampoon Farage & UKIP or educate the public about what their actual agenda is have utterly backfired, and have just been free advertising

Edited May 21, 2014 by Boojum

[distracted]

You are probably right Boojum

Latest poll:

In the final YouGov/Sun poll on the eve of polling day Ukip was on 27%, followed by Labour on 26% with the Tories third on 22%. The Greens were fourth on 10% with the Lib Dems in fifth place on 9%.

Edited May 22, 2014 by distracted

[Boojum]

I prefer to believe that the 27% are just ignorant. I'd hate to think that those 27% were right wing bigots who genuinely support a neofascist party.

[sam-i-am]

Clegg is the leader of the third most popular party and the Deputy Prime Minister - whether you like him or not people want to hear what he has to say. Are you trying to say that one half of the ruling coalition are not relevant but the Greens are, really?

Absolutely. All things pass and in a years time the coalition and the Liberal Democrats will be no more. They will be a footnote to history.

[distracted]

I prefer to believe that the 27% are just ignorant. I'd hate to think that those 27% were right wing bigots who genuinely support a neofascist party.

With the tories that is nearly 50% right wing.

Absolutely. All things pass and in a years time the coalition and the Liberal Democrats will be no more. They will be a footnote to history.

I think you are right the Whigs are breathing their last breath but where has the support gone? Has it morphed into Green votes instead?

[Boojum]

Clegg is the leader of the third most popular party and the Deputy Prime Minister - whether you like him or not people want to hear what he has to say. Are you trying to say that one half of the ruling coalition are not relevant but the Greens are, really?

I wish the Lib Dems weren't relevant, but they are. They are relevant in the sense that they won a very small proportion of seats in the last general election (57 as opposed to Labour's 258 and the tories 306) but still became part of the ruling coalition. They are relevant because once they became a part of the ruling coalition they broke pretty much every single one of their pre-election promises. They are relevant because instead of being what part of a coalition government is all about - putting the reins on the excesses of the other, more extreme party (one that didn't win enough votes for a clear majority and a mandate to create legislation), they have instead been an enabler for the worst excesses of the tories.

The Lib Dems are relevant in the sense that they have proven themselves to be liars and tory lickspittles. And that should make them utterly unelectable, in local elections, general elections or EU elections. Anyone who votes Lib Dem is an idiot.

The Greens are relevant because, outside of the main 3 parties, it's either the greens or UKIP. And I would far rather have greens representing us in the European parliament than a bunch of xenophobic neofascist shitstains (who align themselves with far right parties, some of whom deny the holocaust and defend the racist mass murderer Anders Breivik).

[JimmyPage]

There's a certain irony in seeing the monster of the media being played at it's own game. We've perfected the soundbite society, where there is so much noise, it's trivial to drown out any undesirable signal. The internet has given us the graddaddy of all folds beneath which to bury news. ("Below the fold is an old print journalism expression, when newspapers where displayed folded in the newsagents, with the top half showing. This allowed editors the ability to shout the message they wanted to all the public - even ones who *didn't* buy the newspaper. Anyone walking past the papers would would out with the headline in their mind.). Think about all the news sites you look at. How much "stuff" is there, to bury real news in ?

Remember Jean Charles de Menezes ? Even though we had a full inquiry, which categorically confirmed he was NOT wearing a heave coat and rucksack. He did NOT vault the barrier, and he did NOT attack the police, ask someone in your pub, workplace, wherever, if they remember the case. It's an odds-on certainty they will say "oh, the bomber who was wearing a rucksack, vaulted the barrier, and assaulted the police ?". Then remember that odious lickspittle weasel who, if I'm correct, has never been located since, but was on the cameras straightaway telling us what "happened". I'm convinced he was a police shill.

So Farage, has realised that it's the first thing people hear they remember. He's also twigged that there is such a thing as word fatigue. "Racist" is loosing it's talismanic power to shut down debate, and slur a person. It's becoming a worn out phrase. And because it has been used to shut down debate, it actually helps Farage to be called a racist. It makes him look like the underdog, and that the powers that be have something to hide.

Of course this is nothing new, and people who read and study history (ever wondered why history teaching is so shit in the UK ?) will know exactly where to go for the rulebook on how to play the mainstream media.

I love the idea that people think Twitter, Facebook et all somehow "empower" democracy. The people who wrote the aforementioned rulebook would have given their immortal soul to have such powerful tools in their hands. They would have positively embraced it. As long as they could control it. Which of course no UK politician has suggested.

[the_pimp]

ok maybe for now advocate is too strong

in answer to your question .of course i could not know.

Cracking, so of the two rather extreme statements you made neither were actually correct, bravo.

Ive seen a lot of anti UKIP stuff popping up in the last week or two, mostly from fairly well informed individuals - its almost like their usual apathy has been stirred up once they have realised what Farage and his cronies are all about. Lets keep fingers crossed that there are more of them than the dickheads who have been taken in

[catfish]

Cracking, so of the two rather extreme statements you made neither were actually correct, bravo.

Ive seen a lot of anti UKIP stuff popping up in the last week or two, mostly from fairly well informed individuals - its almost like their usual apathy has been stirred up once they have realised what Farage and his cronies are all about. Lets keep fingers crossed that there are more of them than the dickheads who have been taken in

it would seem i was correct on my two posts matey .

how can the deputy primeinister not know about the child abuse when its common knowlage umung the house of peados

[catfish]

it's protege. And don't spread nasty rumours, Nick Clegg advocates child abuse indeed

so if he knows about it and does nothing isnt that an advocate ?

if not its supporting it at best .

so i stand by my previous statements