Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Well said Roger.
If Gordon Brown did not think like he does, he would not have expressed himself so. If he was a person whose outlook was that everyone has an opinion that should be considered he would never have made that remark because that sort of thinking would not have entered his mind. I have read before that he is arrogant and bad-tempered and I think this latest outburst proves it.
Unregistered User
Oh to be so perfect to not say anything out of place when under pressure and on the spur of the moment when feeling let down, I am sure there are many on here who have that ability but in general it is a human weakness.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
MRP - we all understand human weaknesses and it is natural that sometimes a tired politician will make a mistake like this. But just think of what happened.
Gordon Brown meets an ordinary voter who is traditionally a Labour supporter, one of very few non-Party hacks he has met in the campaign. She had some concerns and expressed them, about the deficit and about immigration. She did so in a moderate and reasonable manner. Brown did well while talking to her and she said clearly she would be voting Labour as she always has done.
As soon as Brown was in the back of the car he lets rip - the meeting was a 'disaster' he want to blame one of his team for letting her through and calls her a bigot.
What does that tell you about Brown? Its not just the actual words he used, its the attitude.
He does not like being put in the position of having to answer for himself to an ordinary voter. He clearly indicated that he expects his team to keep him isolated for such questions. He is clearly out of touch with the concerns of ordinary people and the big issue of immigration - the mere mention of it even in a reasonable way infuriates him.
Apparently his team are relieved because on the scale of his normal reaction to events this was quite mild.
Brown said the election is about character. Its what this says about his character that is important here and he comes off badly.
When Mr Atkinson made an "off air" comment that was actually "on air" he was sacked, despite his profuse apologies. It was accepted by all that he must have held racist views to make the comment in the first place, whether it "just slipped out by accident" or not.
Of course, the Labour Party won't sack Mr Brown; they will do what they usually do:
a. ignore it (Prescott incidentfor instance)
b. wait for Gordie to be next PM and then replace him in an internal coup (Blair/Brown/Livingston)
Of course, whay is most shocking is this comment came from a man whose party are supposed to represent the masses. I guess we must all be bigots then?
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
Howard's post (#7) about it all being forgotten by tomorrow just wasn't right - it's on almost every front page today, including The Mirror.
I was interested by Paul B's take on it, alnog the lines of there being no such thing as bad publicity, but I can't say that I agree with that. Michael Barrymore and the late Michael Jackson might have had something to say about that theorem.
Roger Walkden's post (#20) is the best on this thread - it's the lack of respect for ordinary people that shines through. Yes, the comment was off guard and I would accept that he's under pressure, but the fact that he even spoke the words privately shows utter contempt that really is unforgiveable. I think Rick's words - "complete and total imbecile" - just about sum it up with regard to his politics (especially with regard to the economy), although "stupid one eyed moron" is too far for me; that's personal and unwarranted. Even if it's based in fact.
True friends stab you in the front.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Glad you found what I was saying on post no 5 interesting Andy, its not so much that bad publicity is good publicity, but on the subtractive effect all this coverage for Mr Brown has on the other two candidates level of exposure. Massive coverage for Gordie means no coverage for Clegg and Cameron. So, not so much that Gordon is or isnt doing well, but that the other two arent doing anything at all. Could impact on their poll rating and not on Gordons. So worth watching this one..
I see a BBC reporter caught onto this effect at lunchtime today when speaking to Nick Clegg he said..."For the first time in 20 days you havent been on the frontpage of a newspaper, are you worried about this?" Mr Clegg said he wasnt particularly worried etc etc as you would expect.
But it means a halt ( albeit temporarily) to their advertising campaign if I can put it that way. Launch a chocolate bar with a massive ad campaign..result: sales soar. Stop massive advertising campaign on same chocolate bar: sales plummet.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
interesting article from matthew parris in the times today.
he recounted the days when he got into a car after talking to a constituent, then making abusive comments about them.
he then went on to add that the big mistake that the pm made was to go to the house and apologise, that just made the problem more newsworthy.
It would be interesting for all politicians to have a mic on all the time we mite here what they really stand for , may be sky will do it for the next election . This whole episode proves Gb is human .
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
would be fun mark.
just the same for us mere mortals, being nice to a difficult client on the phone, then after hanging up, letting loose.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
You know its not the 'bigot' comment that is interesting and revealing here as such, or the hurt it clearly gave to one of his former supporters, its the attitudes and personality of Brown that is revealed.
He had this encounter with an ordinary voter, an elderly lady who is a traditional Labour supporter. He had a good conversation with her and handled it well. She was impressed and said she would vote Labour.
Then Brown when he thinks he is out of earshot says that was 'a disaster'. A disaster, a chat with an elderly lady, a supporter of his party. Did she smell or was it just that he does not want to talk to anyone spontaneously? A bigot? She was expressing the genuine concerns of many indidual people.
Its what this reveals of Brown's character that is the problem.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
I noted that tht Prime Minister stated that there are millions of British people living in Europe, as an excuse to justify why millions of eastern Europeans flock to Britain. But I think he was counting the British tourists who travel to Europe. In fact I dispute that millions of British people live in Europe, let alone eastern Europe!
Alexander, there are certainly a huge number of Brits living in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Cyprus. There a also a large number working across Europe, so the one million being discussed is not off the wall.
No one complains about the number of Ausies that work in the bars in London, whats your opinion on them Alexander . I think we are getting obsessed about the number of poles in this country . Most countries in the world have people here working .
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
the original question was how many have come in from eastern europe.
the answer from the pm was a million have come in and a million have gone the other way.
does anyone know of a person emigrating to eastern europe?
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Howard - Brown, remember - plays fast and loose with facts and figures and that is putting it kindly.
Much of what he claimed does not stand up to scrutiny.
He's still a moron. Lest we forget.