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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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Tilo, you really must try to say something original about politicians. Of course thinking it comes first. That's the trick. Try to get bored with thinking the same thing all your life.
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Boreades
In: finity and beyond
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| Mick Harper wrote: | | Tilo, you really must try to say something original about politicians. |
Harsh!
Mick has the charming knack of insulting the few friends he's got. I expect it will be my turn soon.
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Ishmael
In: Toronto
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It's not really an insult at all. It's Applied Epistemology. And yes, I know he might say that same to me too. But I try.
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Tilo Rebar
In: Sussex
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| Boreades wrote: | | Mick Harper wrote: | | Tilo, you really must try to say something original about politicians. |
Harsh! |
Thanks Boreades, harsh but fair.
There is very little about politicians which has not already been said. Luckily, politicians are mostly unimportant with regard to how the country gets run, so anything said about them has little or no relevance. That's what makes politics so excruciatingly boring.
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Boreades
In: finity and beyond
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Yes, someone has to be Maitre d', managing front of house. The real work gets done in the background by the Brigade de cuisine, and only privileged members of the public get to meet the Chef de cuisine.
Just like at Chateau Boreades, where I'm usually only allowed to be front of house, and writing emails. Although, when m'Lady is in an unusually good mood, I might be allowed a minor creative role as Commis Chef.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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There is very little about politicians which has not already been said.
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I quite like politicians. That has never been said before. It wasn't really very difficult. Once you have noticed that everybody is saying one thing, just think the opposite and (if it seems reasonable, which it quite often does) say it. And then you'll find yourself thinking it.
Now you try.
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Boreades
In: finity and beyond
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Well, you could have told us that earlier! And another thing - I don't remember you voting for me, what was your excuse?
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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I used to advocate Scottish independence on the grounds that I support anything reasonably exciting in the body politic. But already I'm bored with it.
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Grant
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And if the noes lose by just a few points we'll have to suffer another bloody referendum every ten years.
My guess is that the opinion polls are getting this hopelessly wrong. Salmond has successfully linked independence with patriotism which means a large minority are deluding the pollsters and themselves. In the privacy of the polling booth they will vote no in surprisingly large numbers. I reckon 61% no; 39% yes.
More guesses please. Let's put our forecasting skills to the test.
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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No, no, it's now safe (and fashionable) to vote Yes. The result will be 53 to 47 for independence.
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Boreades
In: finity and beyond
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Cameron is enough of a canny political operator (or his advisors are), and he has been demonstrating leadership of the No campaign by speaking passionately. It's just been at places like the NATO conference in Newport, Wales, not in Scotland.
It all seems to be a "Cunning Plan" (as cunning as a fox who's just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University) to let Nu Labour defend their own position by leading the No campaign with those two charismatic charmers, Gordon Brown & Alastair Darling.
Almost a Blackadder episode in its own right!
Brown: Do you think this campaign will work Darling?
Darling: Of course, we just have to appeal to our Scots generosity and love of the English.
(cue special effects, tumbleweed and whistling wind)
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Wile E. Coyote
In: Arizona
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Is there much difference between Devo Max and Full Blown Independence...err.... within a Monetary Union that is effectively controlled by Westminster?
It seems to me that the Scots are in effect worse off in the latter as their wedge of Scotties in parliament which always gave them disproportionate influence, (NB your Tories had Scots, but not as Scottish MPs) will now disappear, they will.... heaven forbid have to stand in line with other countries and negotiate.
Given that over two thirds of Scottish exports are going to English markets and less than one tenth in the opposite direction, and their financial sector is in effect owned by the English, they have all the negotiating advantages of a banana republic.......
Presumably they hope that Oil revenue, will solve all of this?
Forecast Yes 47% No 54%
The additional 1% will generate conspiracy theories for years to come.....
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Tilo Rebar
In: Sussex
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| Wile E. Coyote wrote: | | Is there much difference between Devo Max and Full Blown Independence... |
Unfortunately, Devo Max was never on the table for this referendum and its resurrection at the eleventh hour is just a sign that the 'No' campaign feels it is hitting the rocks in a seriously bad way. The current 'panic' being demonstrated by Cameron and most of the rest of the establishment is not helping the 'No' cause either. It is looking more and more like we need Scotland more than the Scots need us. If I were still an undecided voter at this late stage of the game I would, therefore, have to vote 'Yes'.
It will also be interesting to see how long the monarchy will last should independence become established. It just doesn't seem to gel with their proposed new constitution (i.e. the people of Scotland are sovereign - the queen is what???)
Regarding a prediction I think 'Yes' by a narrow margin, with those currently undecided swinging the vote for independence and freedom from the yoke of English governance.
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Wile E. Coyote
In: Arizona
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Just looked at the You Gov poll that created the panic.
Were there more people plumping for yes or no?
What would you think?
The unweighted figures showed that of the 1,084 people sampled between 2 and 5 September, (trumpet fare) 475 people said they would vote Yes to independence, while 538 said they would vote No.
Sorry, run that by me again.
There were more people opting for "No"
OK now I get it ...the weightings that You Gov used have increased the Yes vote to 514 and reduced the No vote to 489.......
Of course it's the weightings.......
Damn clever, those pollsters.
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Grant
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What's being ignored by everyone - apart from the bookies - is that there are still 15% in the don't know camp. It's very difficult to imagine what could happen to make the don't knows come down on the yes side in the last week. We must assume that they will be overwhelmingly voting no.
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