Gorgeous George Galloway

[glasnost]

All hail George Galloway and his incredible by election victory. Excellent to see him back in parliament.

Galloway obviously has enough about him to get himself repeatedly elected. Personally, I find him and his politics repulsive.

edam,
It is not Labour vs Tories for me. From your answer you seem to be unable to get out of your tribal mindset.
I accept that Labour did not cause the global economic crisis. For me, Labour's major mistakes on the economy started when Brown became PM. He accelerated spending during an economic boom and now during a recession the cuts that we endure are greater than they would be if he had kept spending under control. There is no way that Brown should have been anywhere near being PM but that is another story. It says something about Labour that despite his toxic reputation Brown was able to assume leadership without a proper election. FFS this is our country we are talking about not the local Rotary club.
Of course, this mess is now a heaven sent opportunity for the Tories to dismantle and privatise in the name of austerity.

Absoultely agree with ButterNoParsnips' post that whatever anyone thinks of Galloway, the bottom line is that people feel that the mainstream political parties don't represent them. They all play at politics and court those with power and money but have absolutely no understanding of those just trying to live.

To me Galloway has always seemed like a bit of a twit, but it cannot and must not be ignored that he has taken a safe seat, seemingly on the back of voter apathy.

And to add to the above and to get back on topic;

For the reasons above, IMO Labour are in part responsible for the cuts that are being made now. Just because they are not making them does not alter this - they provided the conditions to make them necessary. Currently lead by those partly responsible, and are uninspiring and undynamic.

Lib Dems - we at last got a chance to see that they are as unprincipled as the others. I will raise a glass when Clegg loses his seat at the next election.

Tories - not for me

In addition to the above, politicians of all types appear completely out of touch with the problems and concerns of ordinary people.
So if I feel like this who do I vote for?
GG at least provides an outlet and yes I know all about his opportunism and massive ego.

Opportunism and massive ego ElBurro are characteristics in most politician yet in Galloway they're traits used to discredit him entirely whereas in others they're hey hoed on.

His participation in Celeb BB was a howler as was his not leaving Nu Labour before they shoved him out.

Would people rather voters went for Griffin's shower, Farage's shower or EDL to protest feeling disenfranchised by the mainstream parties? Hmm. Would they not be "repulsive", "disgusting"? A Muslim sympathising socialist is anathema to the capitalist power elite ca va sans dire but why should he be to the 99%?

In terms of opportunism and ego Galloway is worse than most other politicians, it would be interesting to hear what he has been saying to the voters of Bradford. Agree about the BNP / EDL, but would not put UKIP in the same bracket.
To me, Farage actually comes across very well in the media, although perhaps very one dimensional. He seems like a principled, single issue politician who would certainly keep his word in power given the chance.

Oh lordy. I've seen the word "mysoginist" bandied around here apropos Galloway. You should check out UKIP's stance on women. Not good.

Wrt to Galloway's opportunism being "worse" you must bear in the mind the parameters he operates within are so beyond the accepted hypocritical status quo that he's prob hadto be more opportunistic than the rest to make a modicum of headway. Don't like his app particularly and his work for Press TV is open to criticism. I'd still consider the epitome of opportunism Cameron going to Egypt with arms dealers in tow not long after Mubarak's ousting though. That's pretty disgusting and repulsive in my book.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1359316/Prime-Minister-David-Cameron-takes-arms-dealers-Egypt-promote-democracy.html

Galloway's a serial adulterer, who is now on what, his fourth wife, and has a habit of starting new relationships while already married. He's just got married to no. 4 while his baby with no. 3 is only four months old. And yet he claims 'I, George Galloway know what makes a good Muslim' and has the front to accuse the Labour candidate of un-Islamic practices like drinking.

Elburro, I wasn't making a Labour v. Tory point - just correcting the canard that the financial crisis was somehow a left-wing project when the leaders of the main economies were mostly on the right of the spectrum. It hit all of them. The common factor in creating this crisis is high finance, not left v. right.

Oh well if that's what qualifies for being repulsive that'd make John Major and a whole swathe of politicians repulsive as well then. Galloway's private life though is known only by him and I'd be very careful flinging round terms like serial adulterer. Even if he were I'm still of a view that illegally invading, occupying and plundering countries is just a tad more serious. And he is not a Muslim so isn't beholden to their rules whereas Imran Hussain is. I don't expect you to grasp this vital difference edam with all the holes in your arguments. Geddit?

Anyone with an open mind should check out George's work for Press TV. Comment prog in particular. Respect.

edam, you may want to absolve Labour of any blame for what has happened but I cannot. They were the government for 12 years and favoured 'light touch' regulation eventually leading to the unsustainable position of some of our banks. All the major parties are in awe of the very wealthy and Labour in particular seemingly encouraged a different set of rules for this elite. Yes, they are not totally to blame for the crash, but they certainly played their part in it.

"And he is not a Muslim so isn't beholden to their rules whereas Imran Hussain is. I don't expect you to grasp this vital difference edam with all the holes in your arguments. Geddit?"

This person reminds me of a drunk hectoring people on the street. we're all just not quite pissed enough to get the point. Our loss, no doubt

I expect telling lies about your election opponent is wrong in whatever religious or ethical scheme Mr Galloway purports to belong to. I'm afraid Edam's description of him as disgusting is likely to be regarded as accurate, by rational people anyway.

"This person reminds me of a drunk" bla bla. Reactionary types often haveto resort to insults in the absence of any cogent arguments. Oh and emoticons. How do you know he told lies about his opponent? If rational in today's deranged world is believing smears and propaganda..

You just don't like Galloway but you don't know why. That's a kind of phobia. Who's irrational? As I said way upthread the man's obviously doing summat right.

ElBurro's right re. Nu Labour. Who was it who was "intensely relaxed" about being extremely wealthy? That was a statement of intent and a half, wasn't it?

Glasnost, you've clearly missed the point that Galloway's got a cheek pretending he's a better Muslim than someone who is actually a Muslim, unlike him and when his rather colourful personal life doesn't really live up to those claims.

Elburro, yeah, our government certainly was just as much to blame as all the other governments around the developed world, of every political shade, for the crash. It's just daft of people to try to pretend that Labour was uniquely to blame when the crisis hit every government and, as it happened, the major economies of Europe and the US were in right-wing hands. Both allegedly left and right screwed up.

Shame Blair and Brown weren't Labour enough to spot 'light touch regulation' of the city for the con it always was. But the Tories were no better - they have always been in favour of 'light touch regulation' of the City. They weren't protesting about it during the boom years - Labour was copying Tory economic policies.

Ken & Boris - Two cheeks of the same arse

TUSC against cuts

I bring out my "cogent arguments" in response to those made by others. Keep trying, love. But lay off the sauce first, eh?

Can't help liking him as a character but as a human being his behaviour is questionable and I agree with ohdobuckup he is a man seduced by power, someone with quite a terrifying ego...it's all about HIM and you get the impression he would bend his message to fit. This article (I know it's The Mail!) is quite enlightening:
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2124712/George-Galloways-wife-Rima-Husseini-mother-new-baby-says-theyre-wed.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

"Shame Blair and Brown weren't Labour enough to spot 'light touch regulation' of the city for the con it always was" or not socialist enough.

The problem I think is that we are in hock to the bankers. We borrow from the IMF and that is privately owned, its all backed up with private money. We don't have a manufacturing base, we have the city, so what to do, drive the bankers out, we need an alternative before we start reforming the banking sector. If we do make massive reforms the IMF, the bank of England and the world bank will come down on "lil old England" like a ton of bricks.

I quite like Galloway, he speaks his mind and he obviously isn't taking lessons in PR and double speak. I think we need more people like him. I can overlook his many wives, his terrible clothes and I agree with what he has to say about the middle east.

mini Its a mistake to overlook GG's personal life - he has no great commitment to women, as evidencedby his hasty abandonment of supporting 'woman's right to choose' because fudamentalist Islamicists don't like it

"women's right to choose" what? sorry, might be silly question but genuinely don't understand.

I can see lots of us having problems with Islam because of it's perceived attitude towards women though.

Overlook GG's personal life? Why fixate on his personal life? How bizarre. And IF he's anti abortion it prob has more to do with him being a Catholic. Doh.

minimathsmouse can you see yourself having the same problems with the Catholic Church that just yesterday reiterated the "taboo" (indeed) of women priests.

Yes, I think it is because he is Catholic, nothing to do with Islam. I don't think he agrees with all Catholic positions, but he does agree with some.

I did say some people and perceived, Glasnost. I don't have any problem with other peoples adherence and belief in their religion. Each to there own. For the record I'm partly Jewish and pro palestinian and I happen to share similar views with GG on the middle east situation.

As far as women's rights, I guess it's down to individuals to decide if their own religion sits well with their own ideas on gender equality.

Yes, GG can believe what he likes but he can't then portray himself as the tribune of social equality.
Agree, his Catholicism fits better with fundamentalist Islam than socialism in many respects
He doesn't seem to separate hiis 'personal' life from his politics, and I think it's a mistake to see the two things as separable because this so called personal life is where the shit hits the fan for women, eg domestic violence.
The personal is political

Gorgeous George on Question Time tonight. Hoorah! Tune in for some well needed TRUTH.

And check out his first question to Cameron