Tonight's big TV debate

[Simster]

BBC News - TV debates: How could they change the election?

My bet is that it is going to prove to be a totally pointless affair, nevertheless I will be tuning in, in the hope that someone gets punched or something.

 

[pasty]

With all the rules and regulations they've put around it, I think it's going to be as dull as dishwater.

 

[Simster]

With all the rules and regulations they've put around it, I think it's going to be as dull as dishwater.

Exactly. Choreographed mealy mouthed claptrap is what I'm expecting from all three of them. The war is on to see which leader can get his party's catchphrase mentioned the most number of times.

 

[Easy 10]

It can't be any worse than that chancellor debate, shirley.
I'll be tuning in anyway. Question Time afterwadrs an all.

 

[Milton Keynes Seagull]

I'll be watching a documentary on wastewater treatment facilities. Far more interesting.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Exactly. Choreographed mealy mouthed claptrap is what I'm expecting from all three of them. The war is on to see which leader can get his party's catchphrase mentioned the most number of times.

Agree totally. I cannot see that anything any of them say will boost their chances - we already know what they have to say. The only impact might be a negative one, if they say something they shouldn't, or didn't mean to say.

 

[Storer68]

Conservative majority in my constituency : 11,309 votes. — 233rd out of 643 . So no point voting anything but Tory here.

and i am finding it quite hard to disagree with much of my MPs recent voting record below
Voting record (from PublicWhip)
How Nick Herbert voted on key issues since 2001:

Voted very strongly against introducing a smoking ban.
Voted for removing hereditary peers from the House of Lords.
Voted strongly for a wholly elected House of Lords.
Voted strongly for laws to stop climate change.
Voted very strongly for equal gay rights.
Voted very strongly for replacing Trident.
Voted very strongly for greater autonomy for schools.
Voted a mixture of for and against a transparent Parliament.
Voted moderately against Labour's anti-terrorism laws.
Voted very strongly against introducing ID cards.
Voted moderately against allowing ministers to intervene in inquests.
Voted very strongly for an investigation into the Iraq war.

 

[strings]

The over moderation of the debate does worry me.

For example, the faces of audience members will not be shown whilst any of the politicans are speaking. No individual audience members face will be shown at anytime, although groups of the audience may be shown. The audience has been carefully selected to represent the make up of the North. Every audience member must live within 30 miles of the venue. 20% of the audience are undecided over whether they will vote, the rest are all carfully selected according to their voting intertions, ethnic backgroung, amount they earn, sector they work in, etc... The audience are not allowed to applaud, but may laugh at leaders jokes.

The list of rules goes on, and on, governing the amount of time candidates may speak, rebuttals to criticisms, summing up, free debate, the amount of time devoted to each election issue and who in the studio is allowed to see the timer (only the leaders, the production team and the moderator, not audience members or TV viewers).

During the Chancellor debate, both Labour and the Conservatives requested that the moderator tell the audience not to applaud, this was because it could give an unfair advantage to the candidate they were applauding (Cable).

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

The debates may well be pointless for separating Brown and Cameron. But they will give Clegg 4 and a half hours as an equal with them, and if he performs well the LibDems will get their biggest share of the vote ever.

 

[Husty]

Conservative majority in my constituency : 11,309 votes. — 233rd out of 643 . So no point voting anything but Tory here.

and i am finding it quite hard to disagree with much of my MPs recent voting record below
Voting record (from PublicWhip)
How Nick Herbert voted on key issues since 2001:

Voted very strongly against introducing a smoking ban.
Voted for removing hereditary peers from the House of Lords.
Voted strongly for a wholly elected House of Lords.
Voted strongly for laws to stop climate change.
Voted very strongly for equal gay rights.
Voted very strongly for replacing Trident.
Voted very strongly for greater autonomy for schools.
Voted a mixture of for and against a transparent Parliament.
Voted moderately against Labour's anti-terrorism laws.
Voted very strongly against introducing ID cards.
Voted moderately against allowing ministers to intervene in inquests.
Voted very strongly for an investigation into the Iraq war.

Nick Herbert? He the gay one?

 

[little al]

With all the rules and regulations they've put around it, I think it's going to be as dull as dishwater.

^^

It should be like Question Time.

I hope the audience don't play ball and boo, jeer, heckle and applaud.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

As it stands its a complete waste of everyone's time.

 

[Ernest]

I HOPE Brown gives Lord Snooty Cameron a TASTE of the GREAT clunking FIST

 

[Ding Dong !]

Welcome to Lagos is on BBC 2 at 9.00pm. Ooooh, I just don't know what to watch !!!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I HOPE Brown gives Lord Snooty Cameron a TASTE of the GREAT clunking FIST

Not before the watershed

 

[Colossal Squid]

Can't believe this clashes with Have I Got News For You

Stupid

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It's a genuine telly EVENT and well worth watching the whites of their eyes. IMHO, like.

 

[Titanic]

1-0 to Cameron with the opening statements.

Brown waffling and scaremongering.

 

[Titanic]

I <points finger> I <points finger> I <points finger> I <points finger> I

Blimey... Brown is on the defensive.

 

[Husty]

There doesn't seem to be much debate between themselves Just responding to questions which is all VERY dull.