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Original poster

Anyone else going off Clegg?

153 replies

dinosaurinmybelly · 30/04/2010 13:13

I thought he was very cocky last night, interrupting the others several times to slag off their debating style rather than their policies. It was probably justified in one instance, but certainly not the 4 or so times that he did it - in fact it was annoying that he interrupted what was good quality debate at times.

I'm starting to worry about exactly how much he would listen to the public if he were elected. I didn't like his comment that he was a negotiator "on behalf of all of us" in his early career. How much do we know about this guy? Who would be his key advisors if he were to govern, and how much would he actually listen to them? I love the idea of electoral reform and a fresh new government, but is this really the time to be electing someone with less experience, who is pro-Europe, sketchy on defence, and populist on the economy?

OP posts:
bobbiewickham · 30/04/2010 13:15

I was never on him.

Didn't fool me with his "looking straight into the camera, I'm a nice guy, me" schtick the first time round.

Even less convinced the second time.

Positively anti-Clegg now.

But not keen on the others either.

I'm clueless. It's like trying to decide between being shot, stabbed or strangled.

longfingernails · 30/04/2010 13:17

I thought he completely won the first one but got narrow beaten by Cameron in the second, and soundly beaten yesterday.

The "Blair hands" thing and "oh, let me rise above this bickering" faux piety went way OTT yesterday.

bobbiewickham · 30/04/2010 13:19

He's like that teacher you get in September who says "Call me Chris" and everybody likes him but by November you've learnt bugger all and you've heard all the jokes and the class is chaos and you just want "Sir" back.

imo

Timeoff · 30/04/2010 13:20

I agree. I really want to have someone new and different and to break with all the jobs for the boys environment but is Clegg the answer? He was weak on the economy questions - his main point was about the £10k tax free, which is fine but it's hardly the solution on its own. Equally, while I'm sympathetic on his point about bankers, it was so unrealistic to suggest that we'd be able to enforce a no bonus over £2.5k policy! This was childish in its naivety. I still might vote for him though, as I just don't know if I can bear the others .Had Cameron really had botox? If so, aghh!

bobbiewickham · 30/04/2010 13:22

Childish in its naivety - so true.

Like the policy on making immigrants go where they are needed, and stay there.

How the hell is that going to work? And how liberal is it?

Not very.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 30/04/2010 13:22

lfn - agreed. His 'oh aren't these two so pathetic' was wearing really thin last night.

His policies on how to tackle the banks are scary - it will lead to a drain of jobs and money out of London, and a reduction in tax recipts.

Infact he was hopeless on the economy, really hopeless. He clearly has no clue.

bobbiewickham · 30/04/2010 13:24

No principles either.

PR a fundamental Lib Dem policy.

But I bet he wouldn't think twice about joining Labour in a coalition in order to get into power.

Can't have it both ways, Nick...oh yes, you can, can't you. Being a politician and all...

MrsJohnDeere · 30/04/2010 13:26

I never liked him in the first place but could previously see why he might appeal to some people.

Last night I wanted to punch him. A lot and quite hard. He was very condescending and patronising, and the 'holier than thou' stance doesn't really stand up to scutiny.
And the 'Mr Tickle' arm waggling was very irritating indeed.

StayGoStayGo · 30/04/2010 13:31

"He's like that teacher you get in September who says "Call me Chris" and everybody likes him but by November you've learnt bugger all and you've heard all the jokes and the class is chaos and you just want "Sir" back."

I could not have worded that better myself , spot on

longfingernails · 30/04/2010 13:33

at Mr Tickle!!

MarshaBrady · 30/04/2010 13:34

He really does irritate me. Makes me feel itchy.

StayGoStayGo · 30/04/2010 13:36

What happened to Charles Kennedy? I liked him (not lib dems though)

MmeLindt · 30/04/2010 13:37

I like the "call me Chris" analogy. Very good.

I agree that last night showed the gaps in his knowledge. The policy suggestions he made sounded like they were from a workshop run by the Young Liberal Society.

Get real, Nick.

As much as it is popular to wallop the bankers, there is no way a cap on bonuses at 2.5k is going to work. You can wave goodbye to the financial sector jobs as they catch the next plane to Geneva.

MarshaBrady · 30/04/2010 13:37

Whoops not cos of the mr tickle thing, cos he is so bland and blank, prim and clearly suffering the other two.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 30/04/2010 13:39

MmeLindt - exactly. And wave hello to a whole load of IT, admin, legal and other support staff who are added to the ranks of the unemployed when the banks pull out of London.

whifflegarden · 30/04/2010 13:40

The trouble with the debates is they focus too much on the individual. We're voting for the party and its policies. Once the party wins, we have no control over who the leader is...just look at our current unelected pm.

Ewe · 30/04/2010 13:42

He really got on my tits last night, I have definitely gone off him. Overconfident, cocky and trying way too hard.

lukewarmcupoftea · 30/04/2010 13:43

"It's like trying to decide between being shot, stabbed or strangled."

bobbiewickham - spot on. I've always thought that the very nature of politics means that the people that are attracted to that career are not people I would want to vote for, whatever the party. Or maybe I'm just old and cynical.

Unfortunately I'd already voted (postal vote). Not sure it would have changed my mind though, given the alternatives.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 30/04/2010 13:45

whiffle - the unspeakably dull Chris Huhne was on QT last week and I found myself wishing that he had won the Lib Dem leadership election!
I wonder how many of the people who are considering Lib Dem would feel the same about the Liberal policies if they were coming out of his mouth rather than Nick Clegg's?

ahundredtimes · 30/04/2010 13:46

I thought he was okay actually.

I went off the format though.

NC: those two bickering

DC: people who 'do the right thing'

GB: I'm experienced

longfingernails · 30/04/2010 13:46

whifflegarden

I agree entirely.

I reckon we need a much better system of governance than we have at the moment.

We should get a directly elected "president" style Prime Minister - after all, that is the natural consequence of the TV debates.

They would form a Cabinet executive, like in America. Many people in the Cabinet would have previous executive experience - most probably having run as city mayors and the like.

Parliament's job should be to hold the executive to account, and in scrutinizing legislation more effectively. I would keep FPTP for the Commons because I think the constituency link is important, but have PR and rolling elections with long timeframes for the Lords.

It is perhaps all a bit too American but I think it is inevitable. The current fudge of a political system is completely broken.

snowlady · 30/04/2010 13:47

His manner was beginning to get irritating but at least he answered the questions and had better answers than the others on a number of issues eg. housing, manfacturing wind turbines in the UK rather than buying from elsewhere, tax, breaking banks into high street and investment banks.

Gordon Brown challenged cameron over a few issues and cameron didn't answer. Eg on immigration caps, middle class tax credits, inheritance tax. Cameron claims to care about the environment yet said he wants to build 100s of new houses. Where will these houses be built? If people found Clegg annoying to listen to you must have thought the same about Cameron as my DH who was listening rather than watching mistook Cameron's voice for Clegg at the end of the debate . DH is a tory and said "that is nonsense" thinking it was clegg and I said "it was cameron not clegg" . Oh said DH flatly!

Nick Clegg did not come across well on the subject of bankers bonuses..needs to come up with a more realistic line there.

whifflegarden · 30/04/2010 13:47

unspeakably dull
I'm strangely attracted to William hague

ahundredtimes · 30/04/2010 13:48

I hate the 'oh isn't he cocky and arrogant' line though

He's running to be prime minister fgs. I don't think you can be quiet and unassuming if you want that job

SanctiMoanyArse · 30/04/2010 13:49

Nope still like him

And still waiting for DC to accept my invite to come and tell me exactly where I have done the wrong thing....