Yesterday...

[caz963]

I've been trying to find something to say about yesterday's long awaited (God, were they!) events, but haven't been able to come up with much.

I've never been a fan of Tony Blair's - although I can see what it was about him that "seduced" so many, and have certainly admired some of his performances at Question Time in the House of Commons.

There are those who say that for the past ten years, we've witnessed the triumph of appearance over content, of "spin" over "facts."

Maybe.

But then politics has been about spin for a long time really - it's just that for the first time, we got someone at the helm who knew how to make it work for him most of the time.

I was skimming through stuff on the internet this morning, and came across this, from Boris Johnson. Now, Boris is barking half the time, but...

suddenly I felt a sense of desolation and morosity that we had lost Tony Blair, and I can tell you the exact moment when I caught the bug and joined the national mourning. It was the moment Gordon Brown opened his mouth, and, with every word he uttered, the mercury of my mood started to sink and the clouds rolled in.

... I think he got that pretty much right. The difference in manner, in personality between Blair and Brown is striking, (and I can't speak from personal knowledge of either, I should point out, so I'm just going on what I've seen on the box) and I can see Brown suffering by comparison. Boris goes on to say in that article about how much of Brown's speech yesterday was about "working" - the point being I guess that where Blair was flamboyant, Brown seems to be living up to his image of the "dour Scot." Maybe that's not a bad thing, though. Maybe his "earnestness" will be just what some people need after the diet of "spin" they feel they've had to endure for the past ten years.

Oh - by the way. Does anyone else out there think that sending Tone off to be a Middle East Envoy is like standing at the top of a sand-dune, waving our arms and saying "here's the blue touch-paper guys?"

Or should we just pin a sign to his back with a little arrow on that says "Kick Me."?

And people are worrying now that Blair might become a Catholic? Yeah, because we've all got so little else to worry about. Never mind that fact that kids are leaving school unable to read, write and add up, or that buying a normal-sized house in this country is something which is already waaaaay out of the financial reach of many people on average incomes.

I'd better stop there.

Best part of yesterday though was Mr Caz channelling Toby - "It's not right, surely, that Brown is Prime Minister and no-one's elected him."

He does surprise me sometimes! :)

ETA - Oh God. As if things weren't bad enough already...

Comments

[hooloovoo_42]

I have to say that Brown not being elected is actually not a problem to me. In this country, we vote for party MPs, basing our decision on either local or national issues. The party who has the majority in the house gets to form a government and the leader of the party becomes PM. If the leader changes, we get a new PM.

But I'm totally with you on the rest of it. It may be nice to get back to a touch of dour reality after all the hype and spin of late. Problem is, I think we've missed the boat and the genie is out of the bottle. It's a bit like expecting Paris Hilton not to go round giving interviews about how nasty prison is and actually turning over a new leaf.

As for the Middle East Envoy bit, I think both the "kick me" sign and the blue touch paper are just waiting for him to turn up for work.

[caz963.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah. I think Mr Caz may have been being just the teeniest bit ironic there...

And I just added a little link which shows that just as you think things can't possibly get any worse - they can.

[hooloovoo_42]

You mean you're not coming with me? I've already bought your ticket!

[caz963.livejournal.com]

Did I tell ya what I want, what I really, really want..?

[hooloovoo_42]

My boss once gave me a Spice Girls book for Christmas. I'm going to send it to you!

[caz963.livejournal.com]

Oh - would you?

Then I can hit you over the head with it.

[hooloovoo_42]

Have you run out of cabbage?

[zinke.livejournal.com]

When I first read in the newspaper that Blair was the new envoy to the Middle East, I thought it was a typo. Seriously, the poor man's going to be walking around with a virtual target pasted to his backside. Would any of the mid-east leaders bother to take him seriously at this point, anyway?

As for your other late addition thing... Let's hear it for Girl Power!

*bangs head on desk repeatedly*

[caz963.livejournal.com]

You know, in a weird way I feel sorry for the Spice Girls (no, I haven't fallen over and hit my head) - they'll be subjected to such scrutiny - every extra ounce, each new wrinkle... that didn't happen when Take That got back together earlier this year.

[hooloovoo_42]

Yebbut, Take That were good!

[zinke.livejournal.com]

You know, I guess I shouldn't be so surprised that they are doing a reunion tour, because so many other groups are doing the same. I would even bet that the shows sell out - if for nothing more than the amusement factor.

I will admit to having bought tickets to see both The Police and Genesis this fall. (I have a bit of a problem when it comes to eighties pop bands....)

[hooloovoo_42]

Deep, deep envy for the Police tickets. I saw them in Leeds in December 1983. They were awesome.