The Second Leaders' Debate

[poliphilo]

Clegg won by a hair. He's still giving the most plausible imitation of a real human being. Brown had upped his game; he'd cut out the pre-scripted quips and the undignified fawning on "Nick". He also seemed to have more energy than before. Cameron leaves me cold. I look at him and all I can see are the forces massed behind him- the bankers, the bosses, the super-rich, Murdoch and the Murdoch press, the Daily Mail.  I hate his mantra about favouring people "who do the right thing", which sounds to me very much like, "toe the line or else." Mind you, Clegg's mantra about his lot being "different from the two old parties" is scarcely less irritating. It reminds me of the noises Tony Blair was making in 1997. You're a politician, Nick- and we don't actually expect all that much of you. You're doing fine at present on the strength of seeming slightly fresher than the others, so don't overstate your case; it'll only end in tears.

Adam Boulton looks like a debauched Roman emperor.