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We learned at the beginning of yesterday's BBC internet election coverage that David Cameron was beginning a 36-hour campaign-a-thon, but you would have been hard pressed to discover much of what he was actually saying, especially about anything important. We do learn though that he said that he wasn't going to miss his rally in Belfast "for the world".
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On the other hand, Gordon Brown's every move was chronicled throughout the day, with post after post reporting Brownite propaganda, with plenty of serious point-scoring quotes and adoring crowds. I wonder if this this is what it was like in Russia in 2004, when Vladimir Putin was facing re-election, and the state media went into overdrive for him!
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A smattering of mildly supportive tweets and 'have your says' for the Conservatives was set against a deluge of ones critical of the Conservatives (and often supportive of Labour). I will number-crunch tonight, when I get in from work, to give you the proportions.
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UKIP did, at last, get a few mentions yesterday, though one was about a 'UKIP scandal' - not much of a scandal, of course - following some passionate words from Norwich North trouper Glenn Tingle, and another was about Lord Pearson's comments about the taste of venison (doubtless after being asked about stag-hunting by some idiot on 5Live).
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Re: Cameron's campaign-a-thon
ReplyDeleteBBC1 News at One followed the report of his night campaigning with a live link to Ben Brown who's allegedly been along for the ride. Before B Brown has opened his mouth, he was having trouble composing his face from the default sneer setting. Gurning away like Gordon, he just couldn't help himself. Nothing really positive about Cameron, only grudging admissions of the man's stamina, and ended with (sneer, gross distaste, real suffering) a comment that Big Society hadn't been playing well on doorsteps and if the Tories don't do well tomorrow the party will be blaming him and that idea for where it all went wrong.
Just to make sure we end on a negative note.
Unlike the smiley girl up next for the Lib Dems ("fantastic campaign" "extraordinary rise in Clegg's personal profile"), and the desperate talking up of Brown ("passionate" "strength" "values" etc etc.) It's all just words, fairly subtle stuff, but the anti-Con bias is there, insistantly and corrosively.
I've been to the BBC website twice in two day now. I just don't know what's come over me.
ReplyDeleteThe reason is that we all know just how much the BBC hangs onto every EU utterance.
Each pronouncement is treated like a Delphic oracle.
So seeing that the EU are now issuing dire warnings about the growing UK deficit which must be tackled NOW, and the EU's stats body has issued figures showing that Brown has wildly overestimated the number of UK citizens working in Europe, both of which are widely reported in the UK press today, I toddled over to the BBC.
Quelle surprise! Not a mention. Nothing.
Andy C
I forgot to mention that there is a downside to living here.
ReplyDeleteThe high winds and blizzard we experienced yesterday have gone, but for F's sake, its May 5th and minus 4, misty with snow on the gound. Two weeks ago we had +20 and bright sunshine.
Gripe, gripe.
Andy C
AndyC
ReplyDeleteBut at least you don't have Gordon Brown !