What’s the point of ousting Gord if Labour would do no better? It seems an age ago, but it was only the end of July, that David Miliband produced his famous Guardian article that was seen as a challenge to Brown’s leadership. The Foreign Secretary denied it of course but the widespread assumption was that he was a laying down a marker for a future leadership challenge. Since then, until today, there has been no proper polling evidence about the…
How will he compare to Obama and Palin in his acceptance speech? John McCain has many qualities, but being a big-venue orator is not first amongst them. Having seen Obama put on a remarkable show last Thursday in Denver, John McCain saw his VP pick, Governor Palin, deliver a superb address last night. She managed to enthuse the Convention Center to an extent not seen previously this week, and has received glowing reviews in the midst of a hostile media…
Is is time for a McCain-style gamble? Charles Clarke, the former Home Secretary, has launched another not-so-subtle attack on Gordon Brown, claiming in the New Statesman that Labour “is destined to disaster if we go on as we are” and that “we will not allow that to happen”. In spite of some fairly significant pressing concerns about the Party and the Government, fully a quarter of the article is given over to complaints that the term ‘Blairite’ is being used…
Should you be getting your money on? There was a marked move to John McCain in the next President betting as his running mate pick, Sarah Palin delivered her acceptance speech at the Republican convention. 0000(BST) Betfair price reflects a 33.5% implied probability of a McCain-Palin victory 0300 just before the start of her speech it rises to 35%. 0330 while she is speaking the price moves to a 36.5% probability 0500 the price has eased up to a 35.8%…
How will the big VP acceptance speech be received? Sarah Palin will tonight accept her party’s nomination for the Vice-Presidency of the United States. The big headline speakers leading up to her keynote address will be three of the men whom John McCain beat in the primaries: Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and Rudy Giuliani. Also speaking are three of the women whom we suggested might be his selection for VP: Meg Whitman (CEO, Ebay), Carly Fiorina (CEO, HP) and Hawaii…
Should they be holding-off an all-out attack on Palin? Since Sarah Palin was announced as John McCain’s choice as VP, she has come under more intense scrutiny than any of the other three major candidates on the ticket. Her daughter’s pregnancy, her views on abortion and sex education and creationism, her apparent membership of the Alaskan Independence Party, and the continuation of Troopergate. Now her judgement over the ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ and the influence of her pastor are being thrown…
I was very struck by this post by ChrisD overnight. The only way I ever saw Gordon Brown still leading the Labour party through a GE, was if there was a good to certain chance they would win. Even if he was not openly challenged or quietly pushed, I have never bought the into the idea that he would therefore cling on till the bitter end to lead his troops into an absolutely certain defeat in 2010 like Major did…
Is the election now about his VEEP – not Obama? The chart shows the changing prices on John McCain on the £4m Betfair next president market over the past week covering the time leading upto the Palin announcement and afterwards. As can be seen the early reaction has was very strong with punters seeing the Alaska governor as a big plus. Since then sentiment has been moving away as the focus has been on how McCain made his decision. On…