Campaign to get Ding Dong the Witch is Dead to Number One

[HovaGirl]

She was never voted for by a majority of the population; less than a third ever voted for her. More than half those who voted didn't vote for her, plus millions didn't vote at all.

But even fewer people voted for the other parties.

 

[Brian Fantana]

Why? isn't relevant - the fact is only a minority of the population voted for her. Some people maybe don't vote because they don't think any of the parties are any good, but mostly I suspect a lot of people just don't bother - same as they don't bother to vote in any elections.

Surely ANY party would have been better than Thatcher?! Yet still they didn't bother to go out and actually do anything about it by voting.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

But even fewer people voted for the other parties.

While what you say is true, you are missing the point that what GT49er is saying successfully refutes the contention made earlier in this thread about Thatcher enjoying the support of a majority within the country.

 

[soistes]

While what you say is true, you are missing the point that what GT49er is saying successfully refutes the contention made earlier in this thread about Thatcher enjoying the support of a majority within the country.

It's a simple and correct point, which has been made at least 20 times in this thread, but some people still seem to struggle with it.

 

[HovaGirl]

Surely ANY party would have been better than Thatcher?! Yet still they didn't bother to go out and actually do anything about it by voting.

No, Labour were completely unelectable at the time. And the Liberal Party was just as unpopular then as it is today, though the SDP did make some inroads, but damaged their chances by merging with the Liberals.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

There was an interesting point in British politics in 1981 when Labour, Tories and the SDP were all equal on points in the opinion polls. I'm not sure how far Labour were unelectable in 1983. Might they have won if the Falklands War had been lost by Britain?

 

[HovaGirl]

While what you say is true, you are missing the point that what GT49er is saying successfully refutes the contention made earlier in this thread about Thatcher enjoying the support of a majority within the country.

We use the First Past the Post system. Governments have discussed the system of Proportional Representation, but have never taken it up. However, what do you do when 44% votes for one party, 34% votes for another and 22% for another? Do you have an automatic coalition for the combined votes of the lesser two parties? This argument is all about the manipulation of statistics by people who don't understand them.

 

[HovaGirl]

There was an interesting point in British politics in 1981 when Labour, Tories and the SDP were all equal on points in the opinion polls. I'm not sure how far Labour were unelectable in 1983. Might they have won if the Falklands War had been lost by Britain?

No, at that time, the SDP was well on its way to becoming the alternative party to the Conservatives and taking over Labour's mantle. Then they mucked up their chances by marrying the Liberal Party.

 

[BadFish]

We use the First Past the Post system. Governments have discussed the system of Proportional Representation, but have never taken it up. However, what do you do when 44% votes for one party, 34% votes for another and 22% for another? Do you have an automatic coalition for the combined votes of the lesser two parties? This argument is all about the manipulation of statistics by people who don't understand them.

This argument is about people saying that the majority (over 50%) of people supported Thatcher, when clearly they didn't. There is no manipulation of statistics.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

No, at that time, the SDP was well on its way to becoming the alternative party to the Conservatives and taking over Labour's mantle. Then they mucked up their chances by marrying the Liberal Party.

When you say 'marry' are you talking about the 'Alliance' or the merger?

 

[pastafarian]

Fantastic thread.
Purchased and shared.... Growing up in Thatchers Britain was so depressing, and really enjoyed the last few days of actually hearing the truth about how so many of us suffered. Also hearing of her racist remarks in the past on 5 live this Morning, the truth is finally coming out. Also why are we paying out 10 million on a state funeral when there are so many sick kids who cannot have operations because the NHS will not fund. Very sad for those families to see that money go to waste.

i am sorry your youth and growing up under a conservative government was so depressing for you and i understand that is why you still have this grudge nearly 30 years on.personally i had a great time growing up,politics never really came into it....i just got on with enjoying life.

Good to see after weighing up all the pro`s and con`s though you decided to give your money to amazon or itunes or whoever you can download this on to make a statement rather than give to the money to say maybe a hospital fund

well done!

 

[Adders1]

Back to the original post - would prefer Ghost Town by the Specials

 

[pastafarian]

so i post this picture

Ok so images for you don't have any context? How do you know that those kids parents weren't involved in the Brixton riots, i don't know that for sure do you?

and your first thought is their parents may have been involved in the brixton riots and is therefore justifiable ....what a load of cack....even if and its a very doubtful if their parents were involved in the brixton riots you still think its acceptable to behave like that.

normal people would look at that image and cringe and think how pathetic.......but seeing your posts the last two days you have far too much of a chip on your shoulder to think rationally

 

[Steve.S]

Why? isn't relevant - the fact is only a minority of the population voted for her. Some people maybe don't vote because they don't think any of the parties are any good, but mostly I suspect a lot of people just don't bother - same as they don't bother to vote in any elections.

I think the point being made is. If people are thinking she was that evil, then why would you not vote for the alternative at the time. People could not have been as desperate as some make out on here. The idea that people should buy a song to get it to number one, to show what. How many people does it take to get a song to number one, a couple of hundred thousand. That's also going to be a minority of people, so what is that really going to show, and how many people that buy it were around when she was in power.

 

[Bodular]

Fantastic thread.
Purchased and shared.... Growing up in Thatchers Britain was so depressing, and really enjoyed the last few days of actually hearing the truth about how so many of us suffered. Also hearing of her racist remarks in the past on 5 live this Morning, the truth is finally coming out. Also why are we paying out 10 million on a state funeral when there are so many sick kids who cannot have operations because the NHS will not fund. Very sad for those families to see that money go to waste.

Did you grow up in a mining town up north
I would have never said my childhood was depressing.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

I think the point being made is. If people are thinking she was that evil, then why would you not vote for the alternative at the time. People could not have been as desperate as some make out on here. The idea that people should buy a song to get it to number one, to show what. How many people does it take to get a song to number one, a couple of hundred thousand. That's also going to be a minority of people, so what is that really going to show, and how many people that buy it were around when she was in power.

People may not vote for a number of reasons. In a First Past The Post system, they may feel their vote won't make much difference, living in a Tory or Labour stronghold. They may think an incumbent government are bad but find the alternative just as bad. With questionable logic, they may think that the best way to get at the political system they are angry with is to not take part in it.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

I cant believe people peddle this kind of revisionist crap - look at me i can do maths. /QUOTE]

It's arithmetic, not maths, but yes, I can do it. And yes it shows that never more than 1/3 of the eligible population voted for her. It's true that this also applies to other parties and other governments, but that's not the point. The point is that no-one can claim that Thatcher was supported by anything like a majority. She wasn't.

And STILL SHE WON 3 elections ...so on that basis....other parties got less....cannot believe the bile and spite oozing out of the left...thought it was 'Tory as the nasty party'....the politics of envy live on....get over it and get back to being a human being again.

 

[Steve.S]

People may not vote for a number of reasons. In a First Past The Post system, they may feel their vote won't make much difference, living in a Tory or Labour stronghold. They may think an incumbent government are bad but find the alternative just as bad. With questionable logic, they may think that the best way to get at the political system they are angry with is to not take part in it.

Which underlines my point, that she could not have been as evil as people make out. Tony Blair came to power under the same system, because people wanted change.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Which underlines my point, that she could not have been as evil as people make out. Tony Blair came to power under the same system, because people wanted change.

Not really. There are too many factors at play to convincingly make the correlation you are trying to make. A vote is formally a statement of preference between the candidates in your local constituency. It is an imprecise way of making the type of grandiose political statement on the government you are suggesting it makes. The voting papers of 1979, 1983 and 1987 did not ask the question: 'Do you think Thatcher is evil?'

On the point about Blair, his primary success in 1997 was to convince previous Tory voters to stay at home. He didn't actually add that many more votes to Labour than what they received in 1992.

 

[Giraffe]

This whole campaign typifies the ill informed ignorant nature of the opposition to Margaret Thatcher.

For 18 year olds to be openly celebrating her death is incredibly pathetic.

As far as I am concerned the only test of Thatcher was at the ballot box, and in 1979, 1983 and 1987 the British people said yes we like your policies keep doing it.

Brilliant brilliant woman.