LONDON The second round of the US-style TV debates between contenders for the UK Prime Minister job is over.
Friday morning British newspaper headlines and instant polls gave the edge to Conservative party challenger David Cameron. “Cameron Wins with Passion,” The Daily Express declared.
Third party Liberal Democrat challenger Nick Clegg, who did so well in the first debate last week, fended off some tougher-sounding opponents. “Clegg Weathers the Storm,” announced the Guardian.
As for incumbent Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the best he could hope for is that the “…Election becomes a Three Horse Race” as The Financial Times noted.
The debate ran on Fox News sister network Sky News which led the fight for the first-ever party leader face-offs. They’ve become a big hit here and have made a difference in the campaign.
Last night’s theme was foreign policy. For folks here, how close the UK should be to the troubled European Union was a major point.
The argument over how to handle immigration became as heated as in the States. A proposal from Nick Clegg for an amnesty for illegal immigrants was batted down by his rivals.
The US was only a blip in the foreign policy discussion. Clegg got a bit of heat for his suggestion that the UK’s relationship with America is too close.
But mostly, US viewers would have been at home with the good old-fashioned politicking on display.
Poll leader Cameron played to the camera like any American debate participant, and acted, if not Presidential, than Prime Ministerial, which is what he wanted.
Nick Clegg continued to use the equal time debate format to grow his stature like third-party candidate Ross Perot did in the 1992 US Presidential debates.
The un-telegenic Prime Minister Brown, who continues to look a bit like Richard Nixon in the famous 1960 TV duel with John Kennedy, literally tried to put a “brave face” on it all and upped his game a bit.
What was the main catch phrase of the night coming from all three? You guessed it, “Change” Maybe even change Brits can believe in…
…In between the soccer match, the prime time soap opera, and the rare mild UK spring evening, which competed with the debate for attention.
The last debate of the campaign is next week. Election day is May 6th.