Who feels sorry for Gordon???

[MrsForgetful]

I do.

No granny - we are not choosing to vote for someone because we feel sorry for them. We are saying (if i may speak for others) that we feel sorry for him and this will not change our view of him (this has been said by both labour supporters and arch opponents).

And that calling her a bigot was not without some justification.

I FORGIVE YOU GORDON!!!!!

Surely it is not enough to simply label this woman a bigot and therefore her views (on several issues) not worth considering. She was a typical 'old labour', Sun or Mirror reading voter, similar to the thousands who are turning to the BNP. NuLabour has ceased to represent their old loyal working class support in favour of chasing the middle classes. They surely cannot continue to dismiss the concerns of 50% of their supporters as bigotted simply because they do not toe the current party line. Woman was trying to articulate, to her party leader that 'Labour is not Working' for me and mine. He chose not to listen to her, just mouthed platitudes and moved on. Labour needs to address the concerns of ordinary, disadvataged people.

exactly right Granny23. Labour have to appeal to their core voters. Mrs. Duffy was a core voter. Calling core voters bigots is a recipe for disaster. That is why the spin machine has spun into action and Labour are desperate to save themselves from this momumental blunder. The apologies have been profuse but only time will tell if they have been enough.

Oh dear, just realised it's going to be Gordon's turn as piggy in the middle during the debate tonight. I really do feel for him!

why do you think most labour party core voters are bigots, and associate themselves with bigotry?

I find that odd.

SeaShellsOnTheSeaShore,
I wouldn't worry about the debate tonight. I think Cameron may not even mention the Duffy episode. He has already failed to score many open goals, I think he will fail to score this one as well. I don't think he wants an outright majority. I think he would prefer a hung parliament, so that the Tories can't take the blame for what is to come.

Unlike Gordon Bennett, I don't think Mrs. Duffy was a bigot. Apparently even he now claims he misundersttod her and thinks she is not a bigot. Mrs Duffy is a core voter and calling her a bigot is fatal. Calling your core voters bigots is a losing strategy. I didn't say that most Labour core voters are bigots, I said that calling core voters,such as Mrs. Duffy, a bigot, spells disaster.

I'm afraid it is odd that you are reading into it that I thought that most Labour core voters are bigots. Mrs. Duffy is the salt of the earth core Labour voter and it is disgraceful that GBH called her a bigot. His advisers have told him this, and he now realises it also.

Hmm, I'm not sure, he hasn't been in the media today or yesterday, I think DC is prepping to try and absolutely nail this debate, and judging by his PMQ style, it more playground taunts then policy. He will try to stir brown until he loses his temper, then sit back and watch the fireworks!

I feel sorry for him - I am also a Tory voter.

So what if he said she was bigoted. He said it in private and its really not that bad. It wasn't an irrational rant or a very unkind comment.

I also hate the whole "personality politics" thing and the fact that the whole electoral race has been sooo dumbed down. As much as I would never ever vote Labour, Gordon Brown is, I think, probably the cleverest of the 3 potential PMs. He was a good chancellor I suppose, and he was certainly up to that job.

I am a tax layer in the City and there are, I am afraid, very few politians who grasp the compexities of the fiscal aspects of their job. Gordon Brown does.

That said, I can't bear so many of the other Labour MPs and the Labour policies that Gordon alone doesn't sway it for me.

Long post but yes, in many many ways I feel very sorry for him.

His discussion in the car seemed to be over the fact that the media would report her attack on him despite being a strong labour supporter. Thus his whole day of campaigning was wasted becasue that one thing is what he thought would be reported on the news that night...
His reference to her as a bigot was very much explanatory in that context and in no way can it be seen as his considered reflection on the lady's moral character.
So I do feel very sorry for Gordon, I think Sky were disgusting to make political capital at her expense. I don't think she is a bigot as such and I would say Gordon was very genuinely sorry (like with that soldier and the letter) that she was forced into the media spotlight. He did seem like a grumpy old bear but so what?
But I'll be voting Lib Dem as before...

I do.

He made a comment in private. It got out, or as I read, was played to the lady by a member of the media. He apologises.

Why is it at the start of the news headlines today? AAGH! This is what I hate about politics. It's all about putting the other sides down and the media whipping everything up into a frenzy.

I wasn't going to vote for labour before and still won't, but I like that he is clearly not a racist.

Agreed. I like that in private, when he thinks no-one is listening, he is very clearly not a racist and does not approve of closed-mindedness. In prvate, I also think comments about "foreigners flooding in" etc are bigoted.

It wasn't the fact he called her a bigot or the fact that he said one thing in public and another in private that got me (it was supposed to be private after all), it was that he was so damn rude to his aides. He came across as a thoroughly arrogant and unpleasant man.

My reacton was a combination of "Oh Gordon you dozey arse" and "Oh Gordon you poor sod".

So the real Gordon Brown doesn't like people who express bigotted remarks and this is supposed to turn us against him? As for him being two-faced, I've often had to do or say things at work that I didn't agree with or be nice to customers I didn't like, but it was my job and I was representing the company. (Guess who I'm voting for - go GB!)

Or was it all a sneaky ploy to get the immigrant vote?

My first reaction when I saw the headlines yesterday was "?? - stuff happens." After I listened to the actual sound clip, though, with the "who let this woman NEAR me? You should have kept her AWAY from me!" stuff, I totally changed my mind. You don't reduce bigotry by wanting these people kept away from you, if you're a politician. Sure, I wouldn't want a hardened BNP activist near me, but Mrs Duffy? got to talk to her, not threaten my aides as to what a disaster it was that she was ever allowed close.

Andrew Rawnsley has it best in his Guardian article today, I think.

btw. Of course her concerns aren't justified - in no way are they justified - but as PM you have to engage, argue, persuade - not just expect to shake the hands of handpicked voters. If you don't engage and persuade, you're handing it to the BNP.

I dont care for bigots or party ringleaders, i always vote, but i just dont know what to do this time!!! any sum-ups for me?

Same here OtterinaSkoda.

I feel sorry for him, and for her too tbh. She was so upset and shocked when Sky played the tape to her.

I think her comment was bigoted.

And I don't vote labour, tory or lib dem.

I feel sorry for him - eek if anyone heard what I say about them sometimes after they've been in with me at work (and anyone who spends all day with the public - it is hard to be nice all the time and a wee vent is inevitable)

I don't think Mrs Duffy was being a bigot, her wording was not all that PC but she asked honest questions.

I do feel very very sorry for Gordon Brown though (and no I'm not going to vote for him)

CLAIG Well said! could not have put it better myself, but if I were the woman . I would have said " you know Gordon you can't stop mass immmigraation can you?, because most of it comes from within the EU" "Well can you?" to which his reply should have been "No" especially as she was speaking about Eastern Eurpean people. Instead, this poor old dear ( a labour supporter all her life) thought that by speaking to that nice Gordon it would mean an iota of difference! Brown's a two-faced old shite, asking about her grandchildren and their education, and in the car, really expressing how she got up his nose!