If there are any American political junkies out there in this pre-mid term election lull, needing a super-strength “fix,” look no farther than the UK election brawl.
The race for a new British Prime Minister and Parliament is getting down and dirty…just the way we like it.
Front runner Conservative candidate David Cameron had an extended and emotional face-off on the street this week with the father of a disabled child complaining about government service.
Now that third party Liberal Democrat challenger Nick Clegg is a contender his genealogy (Dutch and Russian background, Spanish wife) has been raked over the UK nationalistic coals.
But nothing beats the gaffe-gate incumbent Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown has gotten himself stuck in.
After a discussion with a disgruntled retiree he met on the stump, which included immigration policy (the woman was concerned about the number of eastern European newcomers here), the PM sped off in his car and muttered to his aide something about the woman being a “bigot.”
What he didn’t know is the wireless microphone which our sister network Sky News had attached to him for their pool coverage of the day was still on, his remarks dutifully recorded, and then broadcast to England.
The rest of the day, needless to say, was spent with Brown trying to extricate his foot from his mouth, apologizing to anyone who would listen (even a new face-to-face meeting with the lady in question).
That didn’t stop every newspaper spreading the event all across their front pages. The Daily Telegraph declared it a “Day of Disaster.” Our sister newspaper The Sun was more succinct : “Brown ‘Toast’”
Any pol watcher in the states will say this just goes with the territory. Gaffes are part of the domain, especially ones said into microphones thought to be…dormant (W’s less-than-friendly remark about a NY Times reporter, Reagan’s declaration of war on Russia, the list goes on).
But for some folks here in Britain this is just one more sign of the Americanization of the one-time controlled and careful British electoral process.
Thursday night will see the last of three American-style TV debates between the candidates. It s the first time this has happened in Blighty.
The analysis of the debates has been dominated more by how the candidates looked and spoke…rather than what they actually said.
What the Brits haven’t done is extend their campaign to the epic length our “Run’s for the White House” clock in at. It’s only a month long, election day is May 6. A lot of people here are grateful for that.
But what it does mean that all this US branded sleaze, stump, hustings, and gaffes comes at voters in a much more concentrated way. Which is leaving the British public gasping for air.
As for the issues involved? It’s one more way the UK is following us down into the political gutter. Those have become decidedly secondary to the personality race.
And that race, by the way, remains, “neck and neck.”
Again…the way we like it.
There are a handful of issues of contention that broadcasters (who transmit content over the public airwaves) have with the Federal Communications Commission’s Broadband Plan. One such outstanding dispute concerns the FCC’s proposed reallocation of unused digital spectrum from broadcast to broadband purposes — a way to get at least some of the estimated 180 MHz of spectrum wireless operators say they need, without another complete re-auction.
The next time you finish using that free AT&T hotspot that stands as one of the few highlights of being an iPhone users on that network of questionable dependability, you might want to make sure your phone forgets that particular Wi-Fi connection. If not, you could be at risk from security threats.
