How Did Cameron Screw This Up?

[Slipperduke]

He was up against an anonymous public-schooled Am-Dram nobody and a one-eyed bear with all the charm of genital herpes.

He had almost every popular newspaper throwing muck at his rivals and calling him a Man Of Steel or Our Last Great Hope, blowing the horn of bullpoop in the ears of the nation for over a month.

The incumbent Government had been in for 13 years and had overseen a draining 9 year campaign in Afghanistan, a disastrous hunt for non-existent WMD, the near destruction of capitalism as we know it, Hazel Blears and a string of PR disasters and corruption scandals.

For the Tories to fail to get a majority, even an ickle one, is absolutely shocking. They couldn't have had anything else in their favour! How did they screw this up?

 

[EastStandBlue]

Large swathes of Yorkshire and Scotland were never, ever going to vote Tory because of the connotations with the party. I get the impression that the Labour candidate could've been Dean Windass and he'd still be voted in across Yorkshire and Humberside.

 

[Slipperduke]

Large swathes of Yorkshire and Scotland were never, ever going to vote Tory because of the connotations with the party. I get the impression that the Labour candidate could've been Dean Windass and he'd still be voted in across Yorkshire and Humberside.

That's always been the case though. No-one voted Blue north of Watford in the 80s.

The majority of conversations I had with northeners went like this

S - Who are you voting for?
N - Labour
S - How come?
N - I've always voted Labour. It's my party.
S - It's not though, is it? Unless you're a barrister from Islington.
N - It's the party of the working class!
S - Is it bollocks! It's the party of big business, has been since they dumped Clause 4 in the 90s.
N - I don't care. I've always voted Labour.
S - Even though they're the party of big business?
N - **** off, Tory.

Etc etc etc.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Large swathes of Yorkshire and Scotland were never, ever going to vote Tory because of the connotations with the party. I get the impression that the Labour candidate could've been Dean Windass and he'd still be voted in across Yorkshire and Humberside.

Hull East have had Prescott for nigh on 40 uears so that's a fair point.

I think the Tories needed 117 additional seats to win a majority, they've so far gained 90 odd which is the biggest swing in terms of seats since 1931. The other point is the turn out, I think the higher the turn out the more votes Labour get, plus as ESB has alluded there's many traditional Labour heartlands where other parties don't stand an earthly.

 

[blues_r_best]

He's just got more and more unlikeable as the election wore on. Though I don't trust any of them to do anything ground breaking to try and change things for the better.

 

[EastStandBlue]

That's always been the case though. No-one voted Blue north of Watford in the 80s.

The majority of conversations I had with northeners went like this

S - Who are you voting for?
N - Labour
S - How come?
N - I've always voted Labour. It's my party.
S - It's not though, is it? Unless you're a barrister from Islington.
N - It's the party of the working class!
S - Is it bollocks! It's the party of big business, has been since they dumped Clause 4 in the 90s.
N - I don't care. I've always voted Labour.
S - Even though they're the party of big business?
N - **** off, Tory.

Etc etc etc.

I had an interesting discussion with a lad from Corby yesterday, who reliably informed me that; a) Tories are racist, becasuse they're right wing b) I was a racist for leaning towards the Tories c) He'd rather vote BNP than Conservative, because at least they're honest about being racist and d) Labour care more about the working class than the Tories ever will.

It's that kind of narrow minded, stone age attitude that made a majority a monumental task for Cameron, despite the ineptitude of Brown's Labour.

 

[Ron Manager]

Large swathes of Yorkshire and Scotland were never, ever going to vote Tory because of the connotations with the party. I get the impression that the Labour candidate could've been Dean Windass and he'd still be voted in across Yorkshire and Humberside.

And you could put a chimpanzee in a blue rosette as a candidate in Southend and it would still be elected. It works both ways!

 

[Pubey]

edited.....

The majority of conversations I had with southeners went like this

P - Who are you voting for?
S - Conservative
P - How come?
S - I've always voted Conservative. It's my party.
P - It's not though, is it? Unless you went to Eton
S - It's the party of the middle class!
P - Is it bollocks! It's the party of the greedy - ever since Thatcher, and ever since Black Wednesday
S - I don't care. I've always voted Tory.
P - Even though they're the party with no clear strategy to get us out of this mess?
S - **** off, Northern Monkey.

Etc etc etc.

 

[Slipperduke]

Touche Pubey, touche!

 

[osymandus]

I had an interesting discussion with a lad from Corby yesterday, who reliably informed me that; a) Tories are racist, becasuse they're right wing b) I was a racist for leaning towards the Tories c) He'd rather vote BNP than Conservative, because at least they're honest about being racist and d) Labour care more about the working class than the Tories ever will.

It's that kind of narrow minded, stone age attitude that made a majority a monumental task for Cameron, despite the ineptitude of Brown's Labour.

Sigh ignorance is about no matter the colour of their political shade :(

 

[seany t]

It's a pretty stunning achievement isn't it?

I have no idea how he managed to turn a one horse race into the Grand National.

I genuinely think the media has played a role though in reducing the party majority. They really tried to bury Brown alive and got burned. The letter writing thing blew up in his face, the papers wavered after the first debate behind Clegg because of Twitter & Facebook telling them that public opinion differed to their coverage and I actually think people felt some of Cameron's slick coverage and backing by Murdoch felt like Blair Mk II.

Essentially, the country's electorate trusts no-one whatsoever.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Simple - because he is a charmless hooray ****.

 

[Jam_Man]

He was up against an anonymous public-schooled Am-Dram nobody and a one-eyed bear with all the charm of genital herpes.

He had almost every popular newspaper throwing muck at his rivals and calling him a Man Of Steel or Our Last Great Hope, blowing the horn of bullpoop in the ears of the nation for over a month.

The incumbent Government had been in for 13 years and had overseen a draining 9 year campaign in Afghanistan, a disastrous hunt for non-existent WMD, the near destruction of capitalism as we know it, Hazel Blears and a string of PR disasters and corruption scandals.

For the Tories to fail to get a majority, even an ickle one, is absolutely shocking. They couldn't have had anything else in their favour! How did they screw this up?

I know its amazing they couldnt get a majority and shows just how little people care about either party these days in that none stand out.

Once they stood for different things, now they are so blurred and so similar in what they say no one really feels strongly about either.

When Blair came in it was a similar story, a long period of Tory rule with an unelected moron in charge. They swept them away as Blair was like a breath of fresh air, but now that impact is lost. Cameron and Clegg are just new versions of Blair and cancelled each other out leaving Brown able to still be in contention even though the whole media is against him and he is calling old ladies bigots on TV!

The talk about PR to me doesnt make a difference, although I dont understand how it would work. What would that achieve other than giving Lib Dems more seats but still leaving them 3rd and making the government even more hung than it is now ?

I wonder if we will see a majority party any time soon with the current media and spin version of politics we now have.

Whatever happens Brown has got to get the message and **** off, he came second and still hasnt been elected, how very dare he think he can govern our country!

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Touche Pubey, touche!

It was a great original piece Slip, but Pubes edit was equally cutting, and equally funny

Well played both :clap: :clap:

 

[Bob Cratchitt]

This thread seems to be filled with a lot of condescending points of view. :thumbdown:

To say the majority of voters vote just because of the colour regardless, i feel is quite wrong. I am sure a lot of people especially this election have taken the effort to look into each parties manifesto/views and decided which they felt more comfortable with.

None of the parties in this election represent my true feelings, however I have to study the information given and the decide on which candidate ticks my boxes and then cast my vote accordingly. I have never tactically voted as that would be compromising my views.

PR would be good for me, as hopefully like minded people will be able to vote knowing that it will count eventually and a party that does share all my opinions could come to the fore, however I am concerned that it could lead to issues. During tough times usually it does require a majority party to be able to make the tough decisions needed.

Anyway back to the OP, I feel that Cameron missed out s it seems too many people worrying about the Tory past, surely the Tories would have learnt lessons from the past similar to how New Labour did, people gave Blair a chance back in 97. I do feel that having a party in for so long is not a good thing and leads to issues that we have seen with both Labour and Conservative administrations in their third term of office.

 

[number11]

This thread seems to be filled with a lot of condescending points of view. :thumbdown:

.

You give people too much credit. There seems to be a lot of fools / idiots in this world / country (or whatever political leanings) that are too ignorant / lazy / entrenched / uninterested to bother to weigh up the issues and just vote for what they (or their father) always have done.

 

[Bob Cratchitt]

I agree that this is the case for some but seriously is it really the majority as people are suggesting in this thread?

I do not understand the ones who are stuck in dogma without asking questions or looking into what really matches their beliefs

 

[MK Shrimper]

I agree that this is the case but seriously is it really the majority has people are suggesting in this thread?

I do pity the ones who are stuck in dogma without asking questions or looking into what really matches their beliefs

But then how many of the political parties actually do what they say they will on their manifesto? Blair, for example, promised to re-nationalise the railways in 1997.

 

[Bob Cratchitt]

also regarding the Cool Point, during the 80's I remember every comedian under the sun were ripping into the Tory parties, however the past 4 years or so the Labour have never faced the same vitriol. Which I guess from looking at my twitter feed is that they die hard labour fans who are just letting the labour failings go by without questioning them, however are happy to beat on about how bad Tories were during the 80's.

 

[Bob Cratchitt]

But then how many of the political parties actually do what they say they will on their manifesto? Blair, for example, promised to re-nationalise the railways in 1997.

And you still voted for him after he reneged on this?

As I said above it is about the manifestos and points of view on subject matters that are not covered in the Manifesto, that tick the most of your boxes.

People are not that blind to think everything in a manifesto is 100% achievable, sometimes circumstances change beyond their control. If you could bring up every point of the last 2 Tory Government Manifesto and likewise for the Labour and see what actually were achieved may help present a more balance argument. However as seems to be the case with the political active in this country they like to focus on one point to get an opinion across.