[Magdalen] Limbering up

[Scott Knitter]

On Wed, Dec 10, 2014 at 3:51 AM, Roger Stokes
<roger.stokes65 at btinternet.com> wrote:
> The UK General Election will be held in just under 5 months and the various
> parties are starting with their opening shots.  Cracks are appearing in the
> coalition between the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Parties and the
> circulation of newssheets to each house has started.  As I am in a marginal
> (swing) constituency I can expect more of this, and of visits by party
> bigwigs, between now and May. I am just thankful that out campaigns are not
> as vitriolic or vociferous as they are in the USA.

Agreed. Campaigns here seem focused on undermining the opponent rather
than offering a positive statement of one's program, or vision. I know
our systems are set up quite differently, but it seems to me that in
the UK, and on the Continent (notably Germany), parties are expected
to detail their positions on a range of issues. There was a short
period here when candidates for president published books (Bill
Clinton did, and I think Ross Perot and Barack Obama) to share their
thinking in some detail. I liked that and read the books.

And Illinois elections (recently for governor) are all about TV
adverts showing the worst photos of one's opponent, in black and
white, biting his or her lip and looking desperate, followed by
soft-filtered colour video of oneself surrounded by family, pets, and
the American flag. Gagging...

-- 
Scott R. Knitter
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA