Electionwatch 2010 - 22.4 Edition
2000: Ok, so I'm cutting this one close. I was asleep till five minutes ago, and the debate's just starting. Watching it on the BBC website this time, while it's being shown by Sky. No line on the screen showing public opinion today, sadly.
2002: Tonight's topic is 'global issues'. Right now the three of them are giving their opening statements. Strangely David Cameron is choosing not to focus on that in his opening statement...
2004: Nick is doing his version of this via his twitter, by the way - twitter.com/ebonbear.
2005: First question was on Europe. Cameron is of course being as Euro-skeptic as you can expect without being on the side of people like UKIP and the BNP.
2007: Of the other two, Clegg is pro-EU involvement and Brown is... "look at everything I've done!", apparently. Also pro-EU, but also risking tooting his own horn a bit too much.
2009: Uh-oh, the "r-word": Referendum.
2011: Okay, I admit it. Euro-politics talk confuses me. Probably doesn't help that I've been awake 15 minutes and I'm having four conversations at once here.
2012: They're sniping at each other a lot more than they did last week - obviously the way things went there has rattled Cameron and Brown.
2015: After Clegg's condemnnation of "anti-semites [and] climate change deniers" (among others), I think I want to marry him.
2017: Next question is on war and terrorism. Clegg focussed on how well-equipped our troops are, Brown going with his "we're training the Afganis!" point he made last week. Again, I ask: Why's it taken so long to do so?
2019: And another shot at Trident by Clegg. Have to say though, it seems like these three are just repeating a lot of the points they made last week.
2021: And here's Cameron with a personal story again, although getting outrun by an Afgani war vet is amusing if nothing else.
2023: Brown just claimed that the Taliban keep changing their tactics on us which is taking longer. I realise that my knowledge of global affairs is sometimes limited, but I thought they'd always been terrorists...
2024: Lost the stream for a moment. Clegg is making a point that Nick and I were discussing the other day - Trident gives us no protection against dirty bombs and/or suitcase nukes.
2026: Climate change question.
2027: Brown has managed to hook it into cooperating with Europe. Cameron is telling us about his double glazing, apparently.
2029: Clegg brings up a 'plane tax'. Not something I'd thought of before. Good idea.
2030: Brown is pimping nuclear power. I'm reminded of the ad from Naked Gun 2 1/2 by K.A.B.O.O.M with the dog with two tails.
2032: Oooh, the electric car!
2034: ...Brown, admit it. It's going to take a miracle to get China to sign that carbon emissions treaty. America less so, maybe. Also, where do you keep coming up with Clegg being anti-American?
2036: Lost the stream again. Bloody Sky. Apparently Brown's tactic for tonight's debate is to call everyone "anti-something".
2038: Ah, a question on the Pope. Cameron's all about the faith groups, apparently. But sadly no Discordian representation (oh wait, we're all supporting the Monster Raving Loony Party...)
2040: I think Cameron just outed himself as pro-choice...
2042: Well, I think the- wait, did Brown just say that the Catholic church respected the rights of people in the third world to choose their own contraception? What planet is he on?
2045: "Does a vote matter?" Yes, it bloody well does and if you didn't think so why would you be watching an election debate?
2047: Clegg is a little late telling people to register to vote, since the last day for registration was Tuesday...
2049: I think Brown just suggested public hangings for MPs who fiddled their expenses. Sad thing is that, if that were the case, he'd actually get votes for that.
2050: Cameron touting his "I want YOU to run the country!". Umm, if I wanted to do that I'd be standing myself. That's why I'm voting someone else in.
2052: Heh, nice smackdown from Clegg over Brown trying to change the topic to something he likes.
2054: Question on the old-age pension. I can hear Brown squirming in his voice.
2055: And here's Cameron to jump all over the welfare benefits system... Oh gods, he's raising the retirement age. There goes his grey vote.
2058: Oh yay, more care for the elderly. All well and good, but what about all the other people needing help with care? (yes, it's a hot topic for me.)
2100: Brown is now picking on minutae that's not been mentioned in the other parties' manefestos.
2102: It is being generally agreed that this debate would be greatly improved on if someone hit someone else.
2104: Carer's respite again. Excellent idea. On the other hand, as a carer I also need HELP, not just a nice holiday.
2105: Ooh, hung parliament question. Cameron saying that a hung parliament wouldn't get much done.
2107: And the weirdest pronunciation of "Armageddon" goes to... Nick Clegg!
2108: Cameron saying that he'll do his best to take the country with his if he wins the election... the unspoken addition there being that he'll happily leave us behind if it suits him.
2110: And now Cameron's saying "If only we talked to each other!"
2112: Cameron wants a war cabinet? I can hear the sound of sabres rattling...
2113: Clegg is now calling the other two out on their lack of plans for dealing with the banks.
2114: In this debate they are taking each other two task more than last week's. It's quite interesting to see them all bickering with each other.
2115: I think Clegg's aiming for his version of the FDR plan.
2116: Ooh, a question on immigration from an actual immigrant!
2117: Cameron-speak: "How dare foreign people speak foreign in this country!"
2118: From the sound of things, Clegg is the only one who thinks immigrants should be treated like, you know, actual people and not potential jobs or, well, forigners.
2125: Stream went down again. Possibly under the weight of the slogans and soundbites being spouted.
2126: Stream still down. Apparently it's closing statements time.
2127: Apparently Cameron's using his closing statement to beat immigration over the head some more.
2129: No, I got that wrong. He's using his closing statement to beat people on benefits over the head.
2130; According to the poll on the Sky website, Cameron had 44% believing he "won", with Clegg on 41% and Brown on 14%. Ouch.
2002: Tonight's topic is 'global issues'. Right now the three of them are giving their opening statements. Strangely David Cameron is choosing not to focus on that in his opening statement...
2004: Nick is doing his version of this via his twitter, by the way - twitter.com/ebonbear.
2005: First question was on Europe. Cameron is of course being as Euro-skeptic as you can expect without being on the side of people like UKIP and the BNP.
2007: Of the other two, Clegg is pro-EU involvement and Brown is... "look at everything I've done!", apparently. Also pro-EU, but also risking tooting his own horn a bit too much.
2009: Uh-oh, the "r-word": Referendum.
2011: Okay, I admit it. Euro-politics talk confuses me. Probably doesn't help that I've been awake 15 minutes and I'm having four conversations at once here.
2012: They're sniping at each other a lot more than they did last week - obviously the way things went there has rattled Cameron and Brown.
2015: After Clegg's condemnnation of "anti-semites [and] climate change deniers" (among others), I think I want to marry him.
2017: Next question is on war and terrorism. Clegg focussed on how well-equipped our troops are, Brown going with his "we're training the Afganis!" point he made last week. Again, I ask: Why's it taken so long to do so?
2019: And another shot at Trident by Clegg. Have to say though, it seems like these three are just repeating a lot of the points they made last week.
2021: And here's Cameron with a personal story again, although getting outrun by an Afgani war vet is amusing if nothing else.
2023: Brown just claimed that the Taliban keep changing their tactics on us which is taking longer. I realise that my knowledge of global affairs is sometimes limited, but I thought they'd always been terrorists...
2024: Lost the stream for a moment. Clegg is making a point that Nick and I were discussing the other day - Trident gives us no protection against dirty bombs and/or suitcase nukes.
2026: Climate change question.
2027: Brown has managed to hook it into cooperating with Europe. Cameron is telling us about his double glazing, apparently.
2029: Clegg brings up a 'plane tax'. Not something I'd thought of before. Good idea.
2030: Brown is pimping nuclear power. I'm reminded of the ad from Naked Gun 2 1/2 by K.A.B.O.O.M with the dog with two tails.
2032: Oooh, the electric car!
2034: ...Brown, admit it. It's going to take a miracle to get China to sign that carbon emissions treaty. America less so, maybe. Also, where do you keep coming up with Clegg being anti-American?
2036: Lost the stream again. Bloody Sky. Apparently Brown's tactic for tonight's debate is to call everyone "anti-something".
2038: Ah, a question on the Pope. Cameron's all about the faith groups, apparently. But sadly no Discordian representation (oh wait, we're all supporting the Monster Raving Loony Party...)
2040: I think Cameron just outed himself as pro-choice...
2042: Well, I think the- wait, did Brown just say that the Catholic church respected the rights of people in the third world to choose their own contraception? What planet is he on?
2045: "Does a vote matter?" Yes, it bloody well does and if you didn't think so why would you be watching an election debate?
2047: Clegg is a little late telling people to register to vote, since the last day for registration was Tuesday...
2049: I think Brown just suggested public hangings for MPs who fiddled their expenses. Sad thing is that, if that were the case, he'd actually get votes for that.
2050: Cameron touting his "I want YOU to run the country!". Umm, if I wanted to do that I'd be standing myself. That's why I'm voting someone else in.
2052: Heh, nice smackdown from Clegg over Brown trying to change the topic to something he likes.
2054: Question on the old-age pension. I can hear Brown squirming in his voice.
2055: And here's Cameron to jump all over the welfare benefits system... Oh gods, he's raising the retirement age. There goes his grey vote.
2058: Oh yay, more care for the elderly. All well and good, but what about all the other people needing help with care? (yes, it's a hot topic for me.)
2100: Brown is now picking on minutae that's not been mentioned in the other parties' manefestos.
2102: It is being generally agreed that this debate would be greatly improved on if someone hit someone else.
2104: Carer's respite again. Excellent idea. On the other hand, as a carer I also need HELP, not just a nice holiday.
2105: Ooh, hung parliament question. Cameron saying that a hung parliament wouldn't get much done.
2107: And the weirdest pronunciation of "Armageddon" goes to... Nick Clegg!
2108: Cameron saying that he'll do his best to take the country with his if he wins the election... the unspoken addition there being that he'll happily leave us behind if it suits him.
2110: And now Cameron's saying "If only we talked to each other!"
2112: Cameron wants a war cabinet? I can hear the sound of sabres rattling...
2113: Clegg is now calling the other two out on their lack of plans for dealing with the banks.
2114: In this debate they are taking each other two task more than last week's. It's quite interesting to see them all bickering with each other.
2115: I think Clegg's aiming for his version of the FDR plan.
2116: Ooh, a question on immigration from an actual immigrant!
2117: Cameron-speak: "How dare foreign people speak foreign in this country!"
2118: From the sound of things, Clegg is the only one who thinks immigrants should be treated like, you know, actual people and not potential jobs or, well, forigners.
2125: Stream went down again. Possibly under the weight of the slogans and soundbites being spouted.
2126: Stream still down. Apparently it's closing statements time.
2127: Apparently Cameron's using his closing statement to beat immigration over the head some more.
2129: No, I got that wrong. He's using his closing statement to beat people on benefits over the head.
2130; According to the poll on the Sky website, Cameron had 44% believing he "won", with Clegg on 41% and Brown on 14%. Ouch.