Are the Democrats playing this one wrong?

Are the Democrats playing this one wrong?

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…

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Would Gordon walk away from certain election defeat?

Would Gordon walk away from certain election defeat?

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…

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Has McCain blown it with the Palin pick?

Has McCain blown it with the Palin pick?

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…

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Is this upping the stakes for Gord?

Is this upping the stakes for Gord?

Does Labour’s candidate choice make it that more personal? Given Labour’s by election record and the terrible poll ratings then as soon as the news came of the the death of John MacDougall, MP for Glenrothes, the assumption has been that this will be the party’s third loss in Scotland of the four Westminster seats it has defended since the last general election. For after seeing a thirteen-and-a-half thousand vote majority overturned in Glasgow East in July, the real surprise…

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Should Gord call an October general election?

Should Gord call an October general election?

Would this be in Labour’s best long-term interest? Another opinion poll overnight showing not one iota of improvement in Labour’s position and another month goes by eating into the precious time the party has to get it right before it is forced to face the voters. Labour’s situation is dire and it is hard to foresee the circumstances in which it can stop Cameron’s Conservatives getting a substantial majority. There is no positive indication anywhere – and there’s been nothing…

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Palin’s daughter is pregnant

Palin’s daughter is pregnant

How will this impact – could Palin be forced off the ticket like Eagleton in ’72? Live prices for the GOP VP candidate are here. Populus Poll: Con 43 (n/c) Lab 27 (n/c) Lib Dem 18 (n/c) Double Carpet

Is this the man to restore economic confidence?

Is this the man to restore economic confidence?

Will it be Balls in – Darling out? Lots of talk today about who would replace Alistair Darling as chancellor and one man whose name keeps on coming up is Ed Balls – the former public school boy who has probably the closest relationship with Brown of any minister in the cabinet. He spent more than a decade as his top advisor and has long been tipped for a top position in a Brown government. It was Balls who played…

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Is the “love-bombing of Cameron” coming to an end?

Is the “love-bombing of Cameron” coming to an end?

Can we now expect fierce full-frontal attacks? What could be the most significant UK political development of the weekend was the news that Brown’s PR guru, Stephen Carter, has been “moved on”. This, according to James Forsyth of the Spectator Coffee House blog, could herald a major shift in Number 10s approach because Carter was a keen advocate of a more softly softly approach, particularly to David Cameron. He writes:”In recent weeks, Carter has been advocating not trying to tear…

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