political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Nah. Check the comments columns. 90% of guardian readers are Tories who are out for a laugh and who's day is incomplete without a fisking of Polly. We want Harriet as leader, Allen sounds far too reasonable to be ckief Inmate of the asylum.
I find this unbelievable! Harriet Harman is a red-tape, micro-managing, feminist freak! Her Equality Bill just demonstrates that this woman has got one BIG chip. She is not fit for any political position let alone the top job! She is unemployable in the private sector - can you imagine having her in your company?
This is the kind of vote this is so unfair. There should be another option called "none of the above" or "no to any labour candidate"
Whilst the country is demoralised and bewildered by the incompetence of this government, The Guardian do a poll vote like this? Talk about try and finish us off!!
You don't say? Guardianistas preferring the silver spoon aristo, privately-educated Sisters' Princess who unfailingly spouts mandatory Graun-approved shyte, over a commonsense working class oik? Well I never. Whoodathortit. I am amazed. Thunderstruck. Gobsmacked. Er...
Editor of Comment is free here. Actually, Alan Johnson was well ahead after several thousand votes cast, but then someone gamed the poll – presumably to make it look as though Guardianistas are all Harmanites; or possibly by a Harman fan. But just for the record, this was not the real score. We're working on the technology, natch.
The comments on the last Toynbee column gave her a real good kicking, so I am not sure of the so called Guardian reader profile. As they want Harriet, I suppose the logic is still the same:
a) Someone who has said they will NEVER stand for leadership under any circumstances.
b) Someone who is more disliked than GB.
c) A hypercritical socialist, who sends her children to pseudo Grammar schools.
Absurd though she might be, Harman might well make a better short term leader from Labour's point of view than the almost invisible Johnson.
Who better to lead them into the next election than someone who has proven remarkably adept at defending the indefensible ? After all, she even managed a couple of no score draws against William Hague.
CryBaby @ 9.23am. Don't worry too much about this 'result'. Could be that lots of naughty folks popped over to to the Guardian to muddy the waters. I know one who did!
Choice of two evils, I think. The Guardian has an ability to ask 'the right questions' - note the choice of 'candidates', anyway. Equally, what do we know of the scientific basis of this 'Poll'?
"After all, she even managed a couple of no score draws against William Hague."
I must have missed those. Whenever I see her on BBC Question Time she ends up flustered and defeated in argument even by Joe Public. I don't like the Labour party, but even I feel sorry for them after her cringingly embarrassing performances in debates. She's OK as long as she can trot out the official party line ..... but deviate from that and she falls apart like a Chinese umbrella in an October storm.
Locally, he has a good reputation and there are plenty of Conservative and Lib Dem voters (such as myself) who would be perfectly happy for him to remain so, provided the Labour government as a whole was sent packing.
One gets the impression that on a national level, he is the only senior figure in the government who does not revolt voters and is not trapped in the Brownite/Blairite civil war.
Even more importantly for the General Election, many Labour voters who would sit on their hands while Gordon was leader might turn out for Alan Johnson.
This would probably not prevent a Conservative victory but might seriously affect the size of the majority.
Alan Johnson as leader of Labour would be bad news indeed for Dave.
Same thing happened on their very recent pig flu vote.
For much of the time the Guardian poll showed a healthy majority against the newspaper's mindless scare-mongering... then it suddenly jumped to around 90/10 in favour of the 'OMG it's the end of the world!' vote.
Be careful what you wish for. Harriet is, I think, a good choice. Certainly better than Johnson who is popular in the Westminster Village but invisible in the country and wider party.
Remember, Labour couldn't believe their luck when Thatcher became Tory leader in 1975 - back then she could easily have been charicatured as a hectoring southern Tory lady best known for ending free school milk and coming from the 'loony right' of the party. Harman has already shown herself to be a canny operator by successfully becoming Deputy Leader - and beating the likes of Alan Johnson, Hilary Benn, Peter Hain, Jon Cruddas, and Hazel Blears in the process.
talwin said "If you're not going to moderate for over 2 hours (and counting) any spontaneity postings might have is well and truly stuffed."
You can blame grade-A hoon and general waste of a life Tim Ireland for that one. (here comes another post on his webshite saying how Iain's "sockpuppets" are apparently being nasty to him again, inevitably...)
I'm sure the "evil old hag that is Harperson" (copyright, Devil's Kitchen) will have been encouraged by this result. No one else will.
38 comments:
How many votes did Polly Toynbee cast?
Maybe there were some postal votes, or major tactical techniques employed
I can only assume that an awful lot of Tory supporters voted in that poll.
Now that is hilarious...... the Labour party appears deeply confused at the moment!
Nah. Check the comments columns. 90% of guardian readers are Tories who are out for a laugh and who's day is incomplete without a fisking of Polly. We want Harriet as leader, Allen sounds far too reasonable to be ckief Inmate of the asylum.
wv; dorcules???
If she's so popular what persuaded her 100 percent to rule herself out?? Seems like Brown has something on her.
Perhaps Lord Gould helped her do her brochure
Unhinged ? no, no - the girl's got real talent !
I find this unbelievable! Harriet Harman is a red-tape, micro-managing, feminist freak! Her Equality Bill just demonstrates that this woman has got one BIG chip. She is not fit for any political position let alone the top job! She is unemployable in the private sector - can you imagine having her in your company?
This is the kind of vote this is so unfair. There should be another option called "none of the above" or "no to any labour candidate"
Whilst the country is demoralised and bewildered by the incompetence of this government, The Guardian do a poll vote like this? Talk about try and finish us off!!
That would be the position after ... 11 votes? 10-1?
No
They just found the lost postal votes from Glenrothes qnd qdded them on:
Oh me too Go Harriet Go Harriet .. and I think she wants it the saucy minx whatever she says
Actually, the only positive action Labour could take to reduce their potential losses at the next GE would be to elect a female Leader.
No matter how incompetent, she'd pick up a lot of 'empathy' votes from floating women voters.
You don't say? Guardianistas preferring the silver spoon aristo, privately-educated Sisters' Princess who unfailingly spouts mandatory Graun-approved shyte, over a commonsense working class oik? Well I never. Whoodathortit. I am amazed. Thunderstruck. Gobsmacked. Er...
Of course at no point did Tory voters go and vote with the aim of intending mischief!
With all due respect Iain its not really much of a story.
Editor of Comment is free here. Actually, Alan Johnson was well ahead after several thousand votes cast, but then someone gamed the poll – presumably to make it look as though Guardianistas are all Harmanites; or possibly by a Harman fan. But just for the record, this was not the real score. We're working on the technology, natch.
Javelin - she ruled herself out? Oh did she now.
If Harriet reminds me of Rosa Luxemburg, then what does that make the Guardianista's?
The comments on the last Toynbee column gave her a real good kicking, so I am not sure of the so called Guardian reader profile. As they want Harriet, I suppose the logic is still the same:
a) Someone who has said they will NEVER stand for leadership under any circumstances.
b) Someone who is more disliked than GB.
c) A hypercritical socialist, who sends her children to pseudo Grammar schools.
A PERFECT choice by my standards.
"No matter how incompetent, she'd pick up a lot of 'empathy' votes from floating women voters"
Although true, it is soul-destroying to come to terms with the idiocy of how some people vote.
Common sense has got to prevail.
Absurd though she might be, Harman might well make a better short term leader from Labour's point of view than the almost invisible Johnson.
Who better to lead them into the next election than someone who has proven remarkably adept at defending the indefensible ?
After all, she even managed a couple of no score draws against William Hague.
Excellent.
CryBaby @ 9.23am.
Don't worry too much about this 'result'. Could be that lots of naughty folks popped over to to the Guardian to muddy the waters. I know one who did!
Choice of two evils, I think. The Guardian has an ability to ask 'the right questions' - note the choice of 'candidates', anyway. Equally, what do we know of the scientific basis of this 'Poll'?
Please oh please let it be true and may it become a reality before the next election......
And so it came to pass truely and verily that did all the Tories Christmases come at once......Amen
"After all, she even managed a couple of no score draws against William Hague."
I must have missed those. Whenever I see her on BBC Question Time she ends up flustered and defeated in argument even by Joe Public. I don't like the Labour party, but even I feel sorry for them after her cringingly embarrassing performances in debates. She's OK as long as she can trot out the official party line ..... but deviate from that and she falls apart like a Chinese umbrella in an October storm.
@ anon 10.17am
Alan Johnson is my MP.
Locally, he has a good reputation and there are plenty of Conservative and Lib Dem voters (such as myself) who would be perfectly happy for him to remain so, provided the Labour government as a whole was sent packing.
One gets the impression that on a national level, he is the only senior figure in the government who does not revolt voters and is not trapped in the Brownite/Blairite civil war.
Even more importantly for the General Election, many Labour voters who would sit on their hands while Gordon was leader might turn out for Alan Johnson.
This would probably not prevent a Conservative victory but might seriously affect the size of the majority.
Alan Johnson as leader of Labour would be bad news indeed for Dave.
For those who think that all Guardian commentes are left by Tory trolls...
I don't even think that a concerted campaign by all of Guido's commentators could drum up 700+ comments that are regularly posted at CiF.
Me thinks that perhaps their readers are telling them something too.
Oh please, oh please, oh please - a Harman/Cruddas dream ticket will give the Conservatives at least two guaranteed election victories!
Who would have thought that even Guardian readers were so keen on making sure Labour is wiped out?
I voted for Harriet on the basis she would lead New labour to an even more crushing defeat, and I suspected lots of other people did too.
Same thing happened on their very recent pig flu vote.
For much of the time the Guardian poll showed a healthy majority against the newspaper's mindless scare-mongering... then it suddenly jumped to around 90/10 in favour of the 'OMG it's the end of the world!' vote.
Must be a virus.
Don't take this poll at face value: they were probably having a laugh.
I'd vote for Harriet provided I was sure there'd be a general election immediately after her appointment.
My other favourites would be John Prescott, Jacqui Smith, Keith Vaz Sion Simon etc.
What we need to do is the equivalent of clicking on 'New Labour', then clicking 'Uninstall'.
We need to ensure no trace of them is left.
Iain
If you're not going to moderate for over 2 hours (and counting) any spontaneity postings might have is well and truly stuffed.
>>One gets the impression that on a national level, he is the only senior figure in the government who does not revolt voters<<
One also gets the impression that on a national level, few have a clue who he is.
That may of course be an advantage.
Cna you break into a web ballot box?
Be careful what you wish for. Harriet is, I think, a good choice. Certainly better than Johnson who is popular in the Westminster Village but invisible in the country and wider party.
Remember, Labour couldn't believe their luck when Thatcher became Tory leader in 1975 - back then she could easily have been charicatured as a hectoring southern Tory lady best known for ending free school milk and coming from the 'loony right' of the party. Harman has already shown herself to be a canny operator by successfully becoming Deputy Leader - and beating the likes of Alan Johnson, Hilary Benn, Peter Hain, Jon Cruddas, and Hazel Blears in the process.
talwin said "If you're not going to moderate for over 2 hours (and counting) any spontaneity postings might have is well and truly stuffed."
You can blame grade-A hoon and general waste of a life Tim Ireland for that one. (here comes another post on his webshite saying how Iain's "sockpuppets" are apparently being nasty to him again, inevitably...)
I'm sure the "evil old hag that is Harperson" (copyright, Devil's Kitchen) will have been encouraged by this result. No one else will.
Post a Comment