With the exception of the Daily Mirror, the pundits’ concede that David Cameron
and Gordon Brown closed the gap on Nick Clegg, but not decisively. That has transferred to the ‘who won the debate’ polls.
Populus
Cameron 37 percent (Up 15)
Clegg 36 percent (Down 25)
Brown 27 percent (Up 10)
ICM
Clegg 33 percent
Brown 29 percent
Cameron 29 percent
Com Res
Clegg 33 percent (Down 13)
Cameron 30 percent (Up 4)
Brown 30 percent (Up 10)
You Gov
Cameron 36 percent (Up 7)
Clegg 32 percent (Down 18)
Brown 29 percent (Up 10)
Angus Reid
Clegg 33 percent (Down 15)
Cameron 32 percent (Up 12)
Brown 23 percent (Up 5)
These are not voting intention polls, so it is too early to declare the Lib Dem surge dead. However, these figures suggest that a significant Tory bounce is unlikely. Cameron was better last night, markedly so. But he wasn’t brilliant and Gordon Brown matched his resurgence.
Despite expectations, television doesn’t come naturally to Cameron. There’s nothing wrong with the content of his statements, but he could express them more clearly (clarity of delivery is Clegg’s premier talent). Equally, Cameron’s stage craft is excruciating – the metronomic looks to and from camera particularly so. Clegg’s direct approach, no matter how sanctimonious, reaches beyond the artificial setting.
95 percent of what Clegg says is worthy of E.E. Cummings, but he looks the part – and that’s all that matters on TV. Cameron will not reverse last week’s disaster unless he brings the precision and magnetism he has in the Commons and on his soapbox to next week’s debate. Daniel Korski reckons he needs to emulate Bill Clinton’s empathy. I think he needs to empathise with the public and get angry. In other words, get real.
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