Comments on: Nick Clegg: video killed the media star?

By: Letters From A Tory

Letters From A Tory — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 07:58:31 +0000

It’s like I’ve always said - this contest is Cleggs to lose and he does not want to win it after Huhne has embarrassed him on several occasions because the voters will never respect him, even if the Lib Dems vote him in with a comfortable leadership victory.

By: John

John — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 23:01:54 +0000

He or she who is without sin - feel free to throw the first stone! Perhaps there should be some rules laid down about not slagging off your opponent (from our party) on prime-time TV, however slippery they might be on policy. I just hope I don’t see too many of our MPs queuing up behind TV cameras and microphones to slag off Huhne the way they did Charles Kennedy in the coming days.

By: Rob Blackie

Rob Blackie — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 16:39:26 +0000

James - something I disagree with you on. When you’re in a live tv debate with a politician from another party then it’s fairly easy to be robust in countering them if you’re good.

If you’re debating somebody in your own party it’s much trickier without damaging the party longer term.

My judgement is that Nick is thinking about the potential damage done to the party long term if he lays into Chris, while Chris is willing to burn his boats to become leader - but at the expense of saying things that will be used against us by our opponents.

The vouchers stuff is spectacularly silly since I’ve heard Chris say that his views on education are basically identical to some sorts of vouchers….

By: Jennie

Jennie — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 14:24:30 +0000

I really didn’t think the tie was that bad…

Still, you’re spot on about the rest of it.

By: James Graham

James Graham — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 12:13:54 +0000

Guardian reader: most of the reasons the Guardian gives for voting for Clegg boil down to his “fluency” and how “articulate” he is. He has not demonstrated this thus far in the election campaign; quite the reverse. I’d be amazed if having watched the Question Time, any Guardian Leader write would be able to look you in the eye and argue that Clegg is the “articulate” choice.

As for unity, the majority of the party supporting a candidate will help the party to unite, not the opinion of the party elite. It is putting the cart before the horse to say that whoever has the most declared supporters is the unity candidate.

If what you and the Guardian are saying is that they are putting a gun against the party’s head, then I’m tempted to call your bluff.

By: A Guardian Reader

A Guardian Reader — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 11:05:29 +0000

James; This is what the Guardian says about Clegg:

‘He is articulate, energetic and capable of presenting the Liberal Democrat case in a way that neither of its last two leaders were able to manage. He also has the support of the majority of his parliamentary colleagues - including those, such as Steve Webb, who are to his ideological left. He can speak with a fluent, engaging intelligence. There is reason to hope that under Mr Clegg’s leadership the party would find a new vibrancy, challenging Mr Cameron and Gordon Brown. If this newspaper was to cast a vote, it would be for him.’

I don’t see how you can read that and say it doesn’t have a good reason to spport Clegg. In fact it has several - that he can unite the party, is an authentic liberal and can reach out to new voters for the Liberal Democrats. Of course, you might disagree with that reasoning, but it is nonetheless clearly there.

By: Linda Jack

Linda Jack — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 10:13:52 +0000

James, I totally agree with you………………….about that tie!

By: Greenfield

Greenfield — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 09:23:45 +0000

Geofffrey - I think you are spot on.
I have been underwelmed by Nick - I expected something special after his build up by some in the Party over the past three or four years. I think he can be a successful leader - but not yet. Chris has left him well in the shade I feel. I’m voting for Chris & as I have said elsewhere; Chris now - Nick in ten years.
If Nick does get our top job I expect he’ll take or year or two for him to find his feet. I for one will not snipe from the side lines if happens - he will be a good leader - but will need time. Chris will hit the ground running.

By: Robin Young

Robin Young — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 08:53:59 +0000

James, I agree with almost every word you wrote. I am more forgiving of Huhne’s QT tie - I try to claim that it matched the set, but my wife loathed it. On the other hand Nick’s tie was just dull and dire. I thought Nick faffing away with Dimbleby about his “opportunist” charge against Huhne from the last leadership campaign was just cringe-makingly awful. And I won’t really have it that Nick was right not to stand in the 2005 leadership election. His reason for not doing so (as is clear from the same Guardian article to which you have already provided a link) was that he thought Ming would be a success in the job. I, on the other hand, always thought the Ming leadership was likely end in tears and prove a cruel embarrassment to a fine man, which was I supported Chris Huhne last time too. Seems to me even I could claim, therefore, to have sounder political judgement than Nick Clegg!
Geoffrey Payne: I have been tele-canvassing, and boy!: if you expect Clegg to win by a majority of 2:1 you ain’t living in the real world.

By: Geoffrey Payne

Geoffrey Payne — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 08:27:15 +0000

Nick is not yet the finished article. He was right not to stand last time, and I do not think that 18 months later things has changed enough that he is ready now.
I DO expect him to win, probably by a margin of 2:1. There seems to be a mystique about him in the party that I personally do not understand. If he does win, he needs to undergo an intensive session of questions and answers to make sure that he really does say what he intends to say.