Ed Balls would finish off Clegg and Cameron in debate. He is a fighter, he argues a case, he doesn't just make bland statements. He has years of experience in government, so he knows what he is talking about. Clegg is an empty bag of hot air, who can only repeat the mantras that his spin doctors have taught him, "fairness and new politics". Cameron is too polite, we saw in the TV debates that he couldn't even finish Brown off, which should have been a piece of cake given Labour's record. Ed Balls is far better than clumsy bumbling Brown. Ed Balls would be just as well briefed as Brown but he would be able to fight his corner.
Andrew Neil tried to make it look bad that Balls was a plotter against Blair. Frankly that endears him to me. Neil tried to make it look bad that Balls was a "thug" for Brown. But that is politics and shows that Balls is no pushover. Neil said that Blair came away from discussions with Balls feeling that he had been abused. But that shows that Balls argues his corner and didn't grovel to Blair. Neil tried to get Balls on the war, but Balls said that he was wrong in hindsight. Neil agreed with Balls on the graduate tax which sounds like a better policy than what happens now. He was adamant about negotiating about EU labour movement and sounded convincing. He argued for the independence of the Bank of England when many of his colleagues like Bliar were against it. He has his own convictions and the fact that Blairites like Campbell are not too keen on him is a plus point in my book.
Andrew Neil was exasperated by him, because Neil didn't managed to get him on any issue.
As one Labour commentator said, "it is better to be feared than liked". Balls will be feared because he is competent and as he said himself, he is capable of taking it to the Tories. Diane Abbott is liked and is amusing on the couch with Portillo, but she is not feared, because she doesn't pose any real threst. Clegg is universally liked by the media, but the public will soon tire of that empty bag of wind.
I would have thought that Labour voters are now looking for someone to fight the Tories. They don't need any more nice but dim leaders who will serve up another defeat. Gordon Brown was not liked, but he also lacked real fighting qualities. Balls is the only one of the candidates who has the qualities to pose a threat to the Tories, and will single-handedly dismantle the LibDems and calamity Clegg.
However, I still think that Labour will make the mistake of voting in the media's darling, David Miliband.