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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

...to think that politicians clearly can't get enough of mumsnet?

56 replies

semi · 05/12/2009 22:44

Cameron, Brown, Milliband, Balls...is this something to do with the forthcoming election?

OP posts:
Miggsie · 07/12/2009 12:50

Quick, lets band together and offer to run one of the banks!

I am perfectly willing to work 3 days a month for a six figure sum and will take half the normal bonus amount.

I will also go into therapy to develop an enormous amount of arrogance and a sense of entitlement.

Thus I will be qualified!

splodge2001 · 07/12/2009 12:52

No one is forced to join the webchats and why can't you guys see them as a positive thing?

The politicians are coming to us. I think that is a fantastic privilege don't you? Sure we don't necessarily get our particular questions answered. But hold on a minute when EVER in the history of the world was it this easy for the common serf to interact/influence the rulers of their time.

daftpunk · 07/12/2009 13:01

agree splodge...

i think it's fantastic that politicians are coming on here...well done MNHQ imo.....can't be easy getting the PM to give up his time.

Deadworm · 07/12/2009 13:06

Yes, politicians talking to a few dozen of the 1000s of MNers (or, rather, talking through them to the media) is a wonderful thing. And policy change cobbled together on the basis of idiosyncratic and self-serving press coverage of the chats is sure to result in principled government. After all, we got Gordon to name his biscuit in the end.

daftpunk · 07/12/2009 13:12

i'm with you on the biscuit fiasco...[cringe]

ilovemydogandmrobama · 07/12/2009 13:12

smc -- please don't have an opinion for something you didn't read. He was asked whether a forthcoming (possible) Tory government supported the policy of 4 nappies a day for a disabled child. He said that he didn't remember there being a limit with his son Ivan. No one referred to his tragedy, no one suggested that he should know how many nappies he should have used/not used. He brought it up.

He was not given a hard time.

FlorenceandtheWashingMachine · 07/12/2009 13:17

I really don't see why DC being asked about the nappies for his late son was shocking. DC often says that his experiences with his son have informed the way he sees society. He appeared to have no issue with the question when it was asked.

daftpunk · 07/12/2009 13:18

with the greatest respect to anyone who has a disabled child in nappies.....that issue will not be a vote winner.

ilovemydogandmrobama · 07/12/2009 13:24

But the point is that he was not asked about his son Ivan. He brought it up.

SerenityNowAKABleh · 07/12/2009 13:27

I do agree that the whole biscuit fiasco was super-cringy and some of the behaviour on webchats is appalling; very sanctimonious or ridiculous (swooning all over the place and what not). It is highly unusual to have this kind of access to political leaders, and if it is abused/used in the wrong way, either MNers will be portrayed as idiots and haughty fishwives or they will stop.
I don't have DCs, but come on here as you do get very interesting and challenging debates; I have learnt a LOT in my time here, but the sanctimoniousness gets a bit much.

StewieGriffinsMom · 07/12/2009 13:29

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Deadworm · 07/12/2009 13:30

Yes, the convo with DC was not at all insensitive in that respect. It was a good and useful part of the discussion, but misreported grossly in one or two places.

Oblomov · 07/12/2009 13:33

The biscuit was particulalry cringeworthy. Actually, when I read it back later, I thought the whole thing was just totally embarrassing. I thought we looked like stupid numpties. Not our finest hour, thats for sure.

splodge2001 · 07/12/2009 13:37

Really you shouldnt get upset about the biscuit thing. people will come to mumsnet because of that, some of them will stick around and maybe one of them will help YOU in your time of need.

GrimmaTheNome · 07/12/2009 13:37

If Nick Griffin has ever read what most of us think of him, he'll have had enough of us. Bet he doesnt want to be invited!

(if he counts as a politician)

StewieGriffinsMom · 07/12/2009 13:43

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daftpunk · 07/12/2009 13:46

serenty;

it ruined months of hard work for me...my dh always said, "why do you spend time on MN, didn't think you were into girly stuff"....

"ah ha....(i replied)....that's where you're wrong,..MN has a political edge...Gordon Brown is coming on "...! !

he of course read the papers...

SerenityNowAKABleh · 07/12/2009 14:25

DP - Damn papers. It was all going so well.

smallwhitecat · 07/12/2009 15:34

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semi · 07/12/2009 15:36

I hadn't realised there was Mners were getting a bad press so am going to read The Telegraph article referenced. ...and to the point about only Labour politicians, if it is going to remain democratic then I'd expect to see Nick Griffin lay out his wares on MN at some point too...that may sound extreme but if he's got policies on kids and parenting, perhaps it's right that he too gets a platform...I guess if we don't like it yes we can stop being Mners...doesn't mean that we'll stop being parents...will just find a more suitable forum for sharing/talking/exchanging ideas/tips etc.

OP posts:
semi · 07/12/2009 15:38

And to the point that MN is for mums/parents, in addition to being a medium for parents to exchange the fact that it's also an advertising platform, tells you that its a site for targeting parents too.

OP posts:
gizmo · 07/12/2009 15:55

Look, the press representation of mumsnet is only to be expected - it's Old Media doing what it does best, simplifying a complex beast into a single, completely inaccurate, stereotype for people who like their world to be uncomplicated and unchanging.

As I said on Ed Miliband's thread, I do find it irritating that I can spend considerable portions of my working life discussing smart metering and energy policy with the media, and yet, my one throwaway comment about washable nappies, out of everything else that was discussed on energy policy, is what actually makes it into the papers. Why? Because I'm a mother, and obviously that's all I know.

But it's not something I'm going to loose sleep over, and actually I'm not convinced it's going to have a huge impact on Mumsnet anyway, because as Justine has observed, what happens on Mumsnet is much more down to us than it is to any policy Mumsnet HQ puts in place.

I think we just need to take a lesson in the knee jerk idiocy and sexism of print media in this country and continue to enjoy ourselves, to be honest. It's great to have some political clout, we should use it while we can, but I really don't think it should ever be Mumsnet's main purpose because in chasing it we'll lose a lot.

ilovemydogandmrobama · 07/12/2009 16:01

Fair point SWC.

smallwhitecat · 07/12/2009 16:13

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daftpunk · 07/12/2009 16:14

SWC;

that's very true, politicians would be nothing without the vote of the people, however, i still think Gordon Brown coming onto a parenting forum, when let's face it, he didn't have to...is a step in the right direction.

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