Hat-tip: A respected and much missed blogger and powered by mydavidcameron.com
To reach hundreds of thousands of new readers and to make the biggest impact we can in the next general election, we need to grow our donor base substantially.
That's why in 2024, we are seeking to generate 150 additional regular donors to support Left Foot Forward's work.
We still need another 124 people to donate to hit the target. You can help. Donate today.
19 Responses to “Dave from the block”
Ed
Albert, I think we all know that Gordon’s face isn’t his best asset. If he looked like Cameron, he’d have got a lot less stick than he has, and I somehow doubt that the campaign is going to revolve around spending money we don’t really have on reminding people what he looks like.
It’s different with Cameron of course, because a) almost nobody knows the rest of his frontbench, bar the widely despised Osborne, b) you can’t run on his entertainingly vague ‘policies’ and c) in the words of Is It Just Me Or Is Everything Shit ‘his face has no edges, like runny cheese’.
Anon E Mouse
Joe – I’ve asked previously on this site if Gordon Brown is going to be on Labour’s posters at the election – we all know he’s not – gutless man.
I know Labour is financially bust but shouldn’t they be running poster of their own by now?
I also don’t get this – The Rocks He’s Got?
Will this sounds cool to me but that probably just an age thing…
Albert. M. Bankment
This isn’t about Brown or Cameron, and it certainly isn’t about Tory trolls. It’s about the foolish inflation of a non-story about airbrushing, because they all do it; politicians, actors, businessmen. Indeed, WE would all do it if a photograph was that important as a projection of ourselves. It’s more about the debasing of sensible political argument with (occasionally very funny) playground tactics. I think that Brown made a tactical error by scoring his cheap points at PMQs. There’s a danger that Tory retaliation in kind will come back and bite Labour hard at some stage over this absurdly long phoney war before the election proper. Perhaps dignity, in the face of Cameron’s mockery, could be Brown’s most potent weapon.
Will Straw
I’m glad that this and the related post on the 13th Duke of Wybourne have provoked a reaction. The left blogosphere often gets accused of lacking humour, but when we post something light-hearted we’re accused of being negative and lacking vision. Maybe I’m wrong but I can’t imagine Guido faces the same critique when he makes fun of Gordon Brown’s image.
We’re a website committed to (i) promoting progressive ideas and policies, and (ii) critiquing conservative ones. We make no apologies for that and will continue to make the important points about Cameron and Osborne’s lack of clarity and flakiness. The airbrushed picture illuminates this and has clearly struck a nerve so we will stick with it.
But, despite what our critics say, we devote a large amount of space to promoting new ideas and make a positive case for a progressive Britain. The manifesto ideas down the right hand side are one example and most days we post supporting progressive policies eg in the last few days the legitimate role for the TUC in development policy, the Harlem’s Children Zone, a High Pay Commission, a graduate tax for Higher Education. Watch out in the next couple of weeks for a series of new ideas that we’re promoting.
For those interested, the poster above references the Jennifer Lopez song “Jenny from the block”. The “rocks” refer to her diamonds. As I said, light-hearted fun. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRFmAYh3aRc
Joe
Anon; why would you be asking us about Labour’s poster plans? Really we’re unlikely to have any more idea than you. Are there not better things to speculate about? Regardless, the Tories traditionally get their posters out early. I believe the joke about Dave’s ‘Rocks’ is a pun on a Jennifer lopez song playing on his attempt to come across as normal(so yep, probably an age thing!)
Albert; it is a story because while many images are touched up, this poster somehow missed the quality control filter that stops people coming out as martians, and it helps illustrate our suspicions that Cameron is a phoney; airbrushed, vapid and insubstantial.
If (and when) Labour make similar mistakes I wouldn’t expect the rabid right wingers inhabiting the internet to take the moral high ground, which in anycase is rather boring, so let’s not be so poe-faced?