Sometimes it's hard to be a Whofan...

... Especially one of a political bent.

First comes the news that Paddy Ashdown has better taste in Doctors than Our Glorious Leader. On the one hand, this is hardly unexpected in that Paddy is awesome on two legs, and Clegg is 1, younger and 2, more populist, but I still feel a tiny twinge of disappointment. You're a Liberal, Cleggy! You don't have to pick the one every bugger else does!

(FWIW, of the four on offer I'd pick Pertwee, but only if they wouldn't let me say Colin Baker)

Second, and more importantly, comes the terrible gnawing away at Whoness by the forces of Labour. TWO panicky political broadcasts featuring David Tennant, one with Sean Pertwee and one with Celery Boy Peter Davison... I mean, one I could ignore, but two? Even worse, the Peter Davison one is GOOD. Dammit. I can never watch Time Crash again without feeling violated now.

I'm off to read How Doctor Who Made Me a LIBERAL again to cheer myself up.

First They Ignore You, Then They Laugh at You, Then They Fight You, Then You Win

This applies just as much to the Dead Tree Press as it does to the other political parties. This morning's headlines show that everybody is now at stage 3. I don't propose to link to any of the horrendous slurs, half-truths and outright lies that the papers have in them this morning; as Cicero says, the Dead Tree press is increasingly irrelevant, and they are only hammering nails into their own coffins.

What I will do is this: I will make suggestions of what you can do if you think this level of sustained ad hominem attack on one man is unacceptable.

1. Read this post by Steph Ashley. It's powerful, personal, and inspiring. This is how a lot of us in the party feel. You voters? You represent hope for us, and for yourselves. Don't let the self-interested negativity of the Dead Tree Press, who have suddenly noticed their power to mould your minds is crumbling, infect your thought processes. Instead think about what you want and how you can get it. If our policies are what you want (and research suggests that for 49% of you, our policies ARE what you want) then vote for us. If we're not what you want, vote for someone else. Simples.


2. Don't buy any more newspapaers. Hit them in the pocket for their behaviour.


3. Complain to their advertisers, like we all did when Jan Moir was so disgusting about Stephen Gately. This also hits them in the pocket.


4. Show them by positive action that this kind of smear campaign only drives people into the arms of the Lib Dems - Volunteer to help us, join the many facebook groups (one, two, three, four, and there are lots more. I reckon the first is the most important, though), wear your colours on your sleeve (or chest, or car)

The old media and the old politicians can see their cosy little world where they give each other positive press in exchange for knighthoods and influence and mutual money-making slipping away. This terrifies them. They will lose power and they will lose money, and they will lose it to YOU. All you have to do is put a cross in a box in a couple of weeks, and you take power from the elites and back to the streets. The choice is yours.

Global number one trend on twitter right now? #NickCleggsFault

My flinty old heart is melted into a big pile of goo right now. The number one global trend on twitter as I type is #NickCleggsFault - a typically British reaction to being told what to think by the dead tree press. Everything from Andrew Hickey's new bald patch to Shappi Khorsandi's inability to impersonate Geordies is, apparently, Nick Clegg's Fault. Because what do we do when some hysterical extremist tells us what to think in this country? We point and laugh, and we take the piss.

Oh internets, I love you. Don't ever change.

election meme

you have to have an LJ log-in to do this one, but I still think it's interesting.


Help miss_s_b and get your own badge!
(The Livejournal Electioniser was made by robhu)

The Twitter 200

So, Lib Dem Voice and others have been making a noise recently about the twitter 200, and how it ranks influential tweeters... So I checked my TweetLevel, and lo and behold, I should be #60 on the list, but I'm not even on it. Lots of male mainstream bloggers are, though. So what gives, Edelman? I fit your categories. I'm an established political blogger. I'm a candidate in elections. And my tweetlevel is higher than Lynne Featherstone's.

Perhaps this is a lesson for all of us in taking self-professed influence charts at face value.

Tories Behind Press Smears on Clegg

( You're about to view content which the poster has advised should be viewed with discretion. )