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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Alastair Campbell

111 replies

PerfectParisian · 07/10/2017 21:50

What are your thoughts? Bit of a twat or perhaps very intelligent but also misguided in terms of his career and misunderstood? I'm on the fence tbh.

OP posts:

Marinade · 07/10/2017 23:07

Very wishy washy and ill defined in my view. No I dont think you have your own opinion. I think you absorb other people's view points because you don't actually have one of your own.

lollipop7 · 07/10/2017 23:11

Christ, @Marinade why are you so cross about this?

I'm having a bit of a titter at you right now tbh

Marinade · 07/10/2017 23:14

OK... titter away if you must.... I really am not cross. I just find it a bit odd that an adult cannot take on board a multitude of views and form their own independent opinion about a fairly contentious character.

JeReviens · 07/10/2017 23:15

Anyone else cringing for try-hard marinade
Pantomime baddies on forums - SO 2005.

IfYouGoDownToTheWoodsToday · 07/10/2017 23:16

Why have people got time for a man who was up to his neck in lies trying to justify an illegal invasion, the consequences of which are still costing lives on a daily basis?
I don't think I could ever find a man who had so much blood on his hands 'hot'!

Agree with this ^^

And it's well known he was a nasty bully during his time in no 10. How can anyone find that hot?

I do admire his openness about mental health but it doesn't redeem him by a long chalk.

AccrualIntentions · 07/10/2017 23:18

I met him and found him very charismatic. That of course doesn't preclude him from being a bully and various other things.

Nowhere near as fucking sinister as Seamus Milne though.

lollipop7 · 07/10/2017 23:18

Well @Marinade your posts were aggressive.

I find the OP's ambivalence regarding a politician far less odd than your petulant overreaction to it.

😂😃😄😁😆🤣😀😂😜 is that enough tittering for you?

Marinade · 07/10/2017 23:19

@Je Reviens. Not sure who you are or what the reference is to a pantomime baddie is other than to say that you seem very odd. As stated, really can't understand why somebody is unable to form an independent view of this man! Does that a pantomine baddy make? Really... How odd..?

lollipop7 · 07/10/2017 23:21

I think she's a perfume

JeReviens · 07/10/2017 23:23

I'm glad you think I'm odd marinade - that makes me feel nice and cosy. The very idea of someone as snippy and snidey as you finding me ok is quite unsettling.

Marinade · 07/10/2017 23:23

@lollipop, each to their own. Really my posts were not meant to be aggressive. I just simply cannot understand why you would find it hard to form your own opinion about Mr Campbell and just sit on the fence rather than try to absorb the relative weights of what everyone has stated and those matters in which he has been involved that are a matter of public record.

CockacidalManiac · 07/10/2017 23:26

Nowhere near as fucking sinister as Seamus Milne though

This x2. Compared with the unsavoury types around Corbyn, I’d take Campbell back in a heartbeat.

Original poster

PerfectParisian · 07/10/2017 23:30

Marinade I'm just not sure because I suppose I feel that he's been able to defend himself well when he talks about what he's achieved and done in his career, but at the same time, I disagree with a lot of things that he's done (adding false information to the Iraq dossier, wholeheartedly supporting Tony Blair's government).

I do admire his work on opening up the stigma surrounding mental health conditions as well as his criticism of Brexit, although I worry that people may not take him seriously or respect him on either of those issues because of his reputation as Tony Blair's press officer. He also happens to also love one of my all-time favourite singers, (although that's by the by )

OP posts:

munki · 07/10/2017 23:30

I agree with him on many things, and there are many good things that New Labour did that he obviously had a large part in, however I have a real hatred for him for the many lives lost subsequent to our illegal invasion of Iraq. His actions in relation to that were almost sociopathic, imho.

Marinade · 07/10/2017 23:43

I think ultimately he was an intellectual light weight. He did not bring the same objective scrutiny to bear in the issue of the contents of the whole Iraq dossier and subsequent decision to invade that the likes of Robin Cook did. He may have been skewed by his loyalties towards Blair, and his own ideologies, but we have to judge him by the implications of those decisions. And they have been terrible.

Original poster

PerfectParisian · 07/10/2017 23:43

His actions in relation to that were almost sociopathic, imho.

I agree, munki - I can't really get past that.

OP posts:

Marinade · 07/10/2017 23:51

@JeReviens.... Whoever you are.. OK.... think you need to go to bed now...

RespoDad · 07/10/2017 23:54

Al Boy is not as much as a stud as moi 😘😜👅

Str4ngedaysindeed · 07/10/2017 23:57

I enjoyed his books - is that an opinion?

Shenanagins · 08/10/2017 00:02

I think that he is like most people in that his character is not so definable as black and white.

He is very open about his mental health issues which is a credit given the huge stigma that goes with that.

He was a supposed bully of the press wh

BriechonCheese · 08/10/2017 00:05

I find myself enormously attracted to him.

Shenanagins · 08/10/2017 00:06

Oops a bit trigger happy!

Anyway...which is highly unlikely given how ferocious the press can be. What I think is someone in between. Highly charismatic (by first hand account) who is therefore able to charm the press but equally able to use some decidedly underhand tactics to ensure his version of events is used.

Original poster

PerfectParisian · 08/10/2017 00:06

I think that he is like most people in that his character is not so definable as black and white.

I agree with you Shenanagins. I think the reason why I'm hesitating to put forward a definite opinion either way is because it seems quite fashionable at the moment to describe the Blair cabinet as evil or nasty, or something along those lines, when in fact they did/do have some redeeming qualities. I like that he still seems very loyal but still don't like the fact that he comes across as quite agressive, though.

OP posts:

Original poster

PerfectParisian · 08/10/2017 00:08

I find myself enormously attracted to him.

Why Brie? Is it because of his charisma, or because of something else?

OP posts:

Costacoffeeplease · 08/10/2017 00:10

Twat. No question

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