Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Politics

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Original poster

So what went wrong for Dave?

121 replies

theyoungvisiter · 07/05/2010 09:37

I felt like he got handed this election on a plate. How did it end up like this?

And what do you think the result means for his future?

OP posts:

SexyDomesticatedDad · 07/05/2010 09:43

If you paid atention to the polls it was always very close and likely to be a hung parliament. Think the Conservatives ahve actually done better than the polls but it was never going to be a landslide stylee election.

bobbiewickham · 07/05/2010 09:44

They had too much ground to make up.

StewieGriffinsMom · 07/05/2010 09:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

london · 07/05/2010 09:47

A high percentage of electorate are apparently over 50 and they are the ones most likely to vote, They remember Thatcher.

FlorenceandtheWashingMachine · 07/05/2010 09:47

People have long memories and are distrustful of politicians and perma-tanned ones in particular.

Original poster

theyoungvisiter · 07/05/2010 09:47

Er, thanks SDD. I did pay attention to the polls!

What I meant was not how did it all go so wrong at the last minute, but the whole shebang.

And actually I don't really agree that they did better than the polls. Given the fact that the Lib Dems did worse than expected you would have thought a lot of those people would have scooted over to the Tories precisely to avoid a hung parliament. Yet they didn't.

And lots of polls predicted a narrow Tory victory.

OP posts:

claig · 07/05/2010 09:47

He's done very well and he will end up leader. In England, the Tories trounced Labour and the Lib Dems were a damp squib in the end.

fembear · 07/05/2010 09:48

His mistake was that he didn't give people enough reasons to vote for him, he got votes against Labour rather than a positive for Conservative.
I think the populace we a bit undecided because none of the parties really spelled out where the cuts would be. If the politicians had been a bit bolder then they might have got more support. Too much pussyfooting around.

Original poster

theyoungvisiter · 07/05/2010 09:49

But claig we don't live in England. We live in Great Britain.

Will he end up as leader? No-one seems that confident.

OP posts:

Niecie · 07/05/2010 09:49

Not sure he was handed this election on a plate. I never felt that a Tory government was a certainty and the polls didn't either.

What went wrong for him? Well, for my point of view at least, I still have no idea what the Tory policies are. I know what they won't do but as for what they would actually do once in power just about sums it up.

You can't whip up enough support on that sort of negativity.

Loujalou · 07/05/2010 09:50

He is a liar. Oh no that is probably most politicians. But he tried to be "down" with the public but so so wasn't and people saw through it.

FlorenceandtheWashingMachine · 07/05/2010 09:50

Tories very ruthless with leaders, but who could replace him? William Hague?

Original poster

theyoungvisiter · 07/05/2010 09:50

mm fembear I think you may have it.

People didn't like what GB was saying but they were more frightened of Dave's terrifying vagueness "oh yes, there will be cuts" but no sign of where or how.

Not knowing is always more scary than knowing.

OP posts:

FlorenceandtheWashingMachine · 07/05/2010 09:52

And the Big Society was a disaster.

LadyBlaBlah · 07/05/2010 09:53

Ham shine

Loujalou · 07/05/2010 09:53

My DH has a soft spot for WH. He seems to have improved with age. Not that I would ever vote Tory.

Original poster

theyoungvisiter · 07/05/2010 09:54

"Not sure he was handed this election on a plate. I never felt that a Tory government was a certainty and the polls didn't either."

No, I didn't either. Sorry I think I was a bit misleading in my OP.

I never felt that Dave had it in the bag.

It was more that on paper, the ingredients seemed so conducive to a Tory victory and yet they didn't seem able to convert the economic uncertainty and the parliamentary scandals into concrete support at the polls.

OP posts:

animula · 07/05/2010 09:54

Hmmm. I'm going with George Osborne and Margaret Thatcher.

But, yes, they weren't really that clear on the +ve identity.

animula · 07/05/2010 09:55

Big society and Marriage pocket money went down v. badly around here, with the local Con candidate politely distancing himself from it. Which is interesting.

Original poster

theyoungvisiter · 07/05/2010 09:55

lol at ham-shine.

So true

OP posts:

Original poster

theyoungvisiter · 07/05/2010 09:58

yes, agree the Big Society was a Big Joke.

I think people saw it for what it really was - the chance to do exactly the same work UNPAID.

Who the hell was ever going to vote for that?

What loon ever thought that people would queue up at the ballot box begging for the chance to do the state's dirty work for free, on top of their day job?

Believe me, if I had 25 hours a week knocking around on top of looking after my two toddlers and doing my job, I wouldn't be spending them running schools for the Conservatives so that they can save the wages of a real administrator.

OP posts:

ZephirineDrouhin · 07/05/2010 09:59

Prospect of George Osborne as chancellor? Lack of policies, other than the do-it-yourself Big Society horror and bringing back fox hunting?

FlorenceandtheWashingMachine · 07/05/2010 10:03

Dave has perfect skin and Hague was also reported on MN last night as having great skin. Are voters distrustful of senior politicians with time for top-notch skincare regimes?

Aitch · 07/05/2010 10:08

i think the debates did it for him, funnily enough. too many people seeing the media and the pollsters for the frauds they are...

Original poster

theyoungvisiter · 07/05/2010 10:09

Ah, that would be the L'Oreal-Olay school of political analysis

OP posts:

Flip

1 2 3 4 5