Gordon Brown held the door slightly ajar for the prospect of fixed term parliament,(Dale )
Its awfully hard for a socialist of or indeed anyone to understand this but some things work well because they are imperfect. Polling used to be a rough and ready business John Major confounded successive predictions of his imminent demise with a spectacular victory won in old style from his box on the street . Such mistake would not be possible now. The politicians have worked on it and got it better....( I `m joking of course).... Seriously Tescos and the like have improved their marketing over the years under the pressure of competition and it is now exceedingly sophisticated. Labour’s soft ware is called MOSAIC uses the technology and it subdivides categories into tiny constituencies. ‘Coronation Street Woman’, ‘White Van Man’,are typical “ Urban genius “....is me
This technology as revealed by Martin Bright was used by Gordon Brown to judge the moment of electorus interruptus . Given the risks we may surmise that the picture was even bleaker than the marginal Polls when you really started to pull it apart.
We are running into problems here. There is an asymmetry of knowledge between the state and the individual now that has the effect of denying us a real vote by the use of electoral timing . Polling works too well and I think we are going to have to move to fixed terms despite all its many drawbacks. In this swirl of frightening new exactitude it pleasing that women are continuing to give Pollsters the heebie jeebies. In the past two weeks men have drifted within an average oscillation of 8% . Women have vacillated and dithered over a colossal 23%. I cannot imagine why this might be but apropos of nothing let us take a visit to the dress shop....
Her“ Do I look good in the Brown?”
He” Yes “
Her” Oh but I really like the bluey green”
He” Yes”
Her” But this is a new Brown ....”
He “ Yes “
Her “ No No I like the bluey green , I `m decided ....unless......
He ( loses will to live )
Women know your place
6 comments:
MOSAIC is a package offered by Experian, the credit reference people which classifies people into different types according to their postcode. The Tories use it as well as Labour. It is actually pretty primitive compared with what is used in the States and what is used commercially.
There is nevertheless a very big debate to be had about how political parties communicate with the electorate - and this has knock on to what it costs top run a political party and the funding required. The political parties could concentrate all their efforts on the key people in each marginal constituency - or they could try something mopre inclusive which would cost a lot more money.
I wish to Christ John Major had lost in '92. Prime Minister Kinnock, Hattersley in No11, Foreign Secretary Kauffman and "Black Wednesday"...we would have won by a Blairesque landslide at any subsequent election. For a complete arse, Baron Kinnock seems, however, to have done rather well for himself post-Westminster.
I voted labour in '97 too. You are not alone,Newmsie.
You and the Devil....far apart it would seem. good for you, Newmsie.
Thanks Stan I `m afraid ita a bir more nerve racking than it may appear and I jabbered like aclown....oh dear
T Boyu is that right , that was not eh imporession you would have from the New Statesman but you clearly know what you are talking about .
I agree entirely with what you say and it is a worrying dveelopment that calls into question not only the non fixed term but FPTP
Don't beat yourself up, n, you coped well with what must have been quite a surreal situation. I've been interveiwed and it was like being in Alkatraz.
How can anyone relax while sitting in a darkened room with a high power light trained on them, blinding and burning them to frazzle? I couldn't even see the person interviewing me.
Auntie Flo'
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