The debate about the debate

AJJM

From memory, Cameron has alrady said he wants one of these - he challenged Blair to one, then Brown too.

Tiberius

Whatever delusions he may be now suffering from, I don't think Brown is yet insane enough to sign up to electoral suicide.

With the broadcast media vitually a paid up member of NuLab, why would he need to expose himself to such a drubbing?

kinglear

Cameron win such a debate? He would only need to turnm up, and even if he didn't say a word Brown would lose such a personality contest

Obnoxio The Clown

Sounds like a mass-debate.

Slim Jim

Given his performances at PMQs and interviews, they'd be as well pre-recording Brown from his bunker, regurgitating the same old soundbites and mantras, whilst having a double dressed up in a Superman costume miming on the podium.

James Forsyth

I should have said that Cameron has already proposed one.

seb

The Saviour looks and sounds vastly worse than Nixon. Leaden. Pompous. And he won't answer any questions, merely read speeches his thugs have prepared for him.

Who wants to bet that The Saviour ducks the challenge to a live debate or that he finds others to stand in for him because he's too busy 'saving the world'?

Travis Bickle

No need for Brown to turn up to such an event, they could just pre-record his "answers" and play them on a big screen.

Verity

They'll agree to a debate, but demand that it be prerecorded for some fake reason like national security (as though they give a stuff) or something.

The Conservatives must say no to this, under the reasonable argument that the electorate has a right to judge how quickly a potential prime minister can think on his feet.

Labour will then say they will go ahead with the Lib Dems anyway (assuming they agree to prerecording). Yawn.

Lance Grundy

Surely nobody in the Labour Party can believe that the sight of Gordon Brown standing before the nation, caked in make-up like a pantomime dame, would improve their election chances?

Polly and Alice's mum

BRING IT ON!!!! This could be he thing that sends our Dear Leader right over the edge (as in "..into madness").
He will never do it of course, because he might have to answer a question, and Cameron could go on and on and on at him until he did - or he flipped (which would be the most likely outcome) and the world would see that he is mentally unbalanced.
So, no, I dont think he will agree to it. Unless, as Verity says, it is some sort of pre-recorded stunt.

Bob

A live debate?

No chance, Brown's a coward, inarticulate vis Alky Ada and a hundred more i.e. sol-you-shun, he can't think on his feet and has the charisma of something long dead.

TGF UKIP

Careful chaps! Don't forget Labour have a huge superiority in media manipulation. This would almost certainly be a BBC production with an acceptable (very acceptable, no doubt) to Gordon moderator with all that that entails given BBC bias.

Labour will also be calculating that Clegg will need to be puncturing Dave more than Gordon so Dave can be manoeuvred into looking the minority voice.

Thirdly, knowing how Gordon, Mandelson and Campbell work the tactic might very well be to agree a debate, stack it up with such conditions that the Tories cannot possibly accept and then yell "Cave in Cameron" "Duck out Dave" or "Cowardly Cameron."

Just remember, folks, Labour are serious, real serious, about winning!

chris

Is Maguire happy that Brown is a liar? Does he think that it is fair game if Brown gets away with it? Why can't he see, after all, he is not stupid, that Brown has wrecked the country? Does he hate the rest of us that much?

We have rubbish media, and Maguire should start growing up.

Verity

I think your scenario is realistic TGF UKIP. I am certain neither Gordon Brown nor Lord Rumba of Rio intend that Mr Frit should face Cameron behind a podium. It will be rigged so that the Tories will say they don't agree to the conditions.

They will suggest Andrew Marr as the moderator. Or even Polly Toynbee. Or that it be taped and edited before being broadcast. And then flounce off when the Tories don't agree.

This is a confidence trick from the swivelly mind of Lord Rumba.

No real-time debate. Guarantee.

Verity

As TGF UKIP writes: "Just remember, folks, Labour are serious, real serious, about winning!"

He is correct. That's how they won three terms for the monstrous Tony Blair.

And frankly, the Tories are not. They want to win, yes. David Cameron definitely sees himself as a prime miniser and later a EUSSR potentate, but they don't have the viciousness and the drive to destroy that the Gramscis have. Some of them do, indeed, but their leader is David Cameron and he is not a daring man. He's a conciliator, to advance his own interests, which won't work.

It will require someone with very strong Conservative convictions to counter this and Cameron hasn't really got any. He's Drawing Room Socialist Lite and that is not enough to militate against Gramsci Heavy. And not enough to win the hearts and minds of the currently politically homeless with no political party to support: The people who are the backbone of Britain, regardless of their "class".

Give the Conservatives a home, and they would win with a landslide.

Hysteria

What TGF and Verity said....

so realistically Verity - is there anyone that would fit the bill? - need to have public recognition, gravitas, ability to relate to "middle Britain", a uniter, visionary, leader....?

Redwood and Clark have the intellect - and maybe Clarke the charisma - ?? Hague peaked too early and seems to have lost the will to fight; Davis has much of the right stuff but has gone very quiet after his tantrum (what IS up with that I wonder?)Grieve has the intellect but not many of the leadership qualities we need.......

There could be someone as yet unheard - but they would need time to develop a national face - and we just don't have the time do we.......

Maybe the best hope is that DC wins the election (I agree your caveats and concerns) but that soon thereafter a better candidate emerges.......

It's all a tad worrying....

Di SWISS

Not a chance in hell of Brown
ever agreeing to a spontaneous,
live, televised debate.

If he did, I would eat my hat
and immediately join the Labour
party.....