Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2010-05-06 10:54:30 - Graham Ellis
There are so many undecided voters out there that the outcome of today's general election seems to be anyone's guess - the pundits and pollsters seem to be varied, but with a common theme that no one party's going to get a landslide.
For the first time in this election campaign and the long lead up to it, I have taken some considerable interest in the politics, policies and people and I feel that - for the first time in my life - I have been able to make a decision based not only on the glossy leaflets and spin, but also having seen / met / listened to / corresponded with all of our candidates in the Chippenham constituency.
At least two of our candidates are outstanding. Two more have impressed me greatly (though my contact has not been great) and I think I would be proud to have them represent me. I flew to the USA yesterday, personal visit, and I had put in a postal vote last weekend before the final set of leaflets dropped through our letter box; actually, one of those leaflets in particular rather confirmed that I had made the right decision - and it wasn't from the party that I had voted for, but rather from another candidate who appeared to be standing in a greenhouse, throwing stones - and doing himself a great deal of harm in the process with those of us who know.
The tragedy, of course, is that very, very few voters really have the time to understand all of the issues, or the knowledge to sort our spin from reality. A single vote that combines all issues, just once every five years, is a blunt tool at best. And cast in the cloud of spin we have around, whether or not X ends up at the right spot is anyone's guess from most people.