a nice little survey Vote for Policies - Vote for policies, not personalities!
On a wider note, partly because I couldn't be arsed to work my way through the questionnaire on a Sunday morning, it would be nice to think that people vote for policies not personalities.
But unfortunately they don't.
Having experienced quite a few general elections now (I'm older than I look!) it seems to me that a large number of people, maybe a majority but certainly a significant minority, seem to vote for three main reasons, in this order.
1 Vote against rather than for. Many Governments fall foul of this one, especially those who have been in power for a while. It's the I'll-vote-for-the-other-lot-they-can't-be-any-worse syndrome. Or even I will never vote Conservative/Labour/whatever.
2 Personalities. Like it or not, conscious or subconscious, this has a massive effect on who people vote for, which is why I think Labour will struggle with Gordon Brown. The upcoming leader debates will be massive for him, his policies will have to be much stronger than those offered by the other two arguably more personable men.
3 Policies.
Call me an old cynic but I really think this is the way things work. And as in my opinion Labour will struggle in the first two categories I think their days are numbered.
Until next time. 0r, more likely, the time after that. But there will come another time.