Reflections on the election: leadership debate II

Didn't see the first one. Watched about half of that one, then couldn't stand anymore. Amongst the questions raised by this debate are:

For Gordon Brown: what exactly the fuck do you think you're doing to yourself?

And a related point: why hasn't whatever adviser who said, "Leadership debate? Go for it Gordy - you'll knock 'em dead" been shot yet?

If it's about the politics of presentation, then we are fucked. Never mind who looked into the camera, remembered names, who was the tallest. Big presentation problem for Brown? When he smiles and tries to act jovial, he looks completely insane. This point was made years ago by Andrew Marr in the Independent - back in the days when it used to be a newspaper. I'm talking about when Labour were in opposition to Major's Tories. Has nothing been learned since then? Would it have killed team Brown to say something like, "Leadership debate? Might be appropriate in a presidential system but we are a Parliamentary democracy and we're all too busy for this shit".

They could have put it in a more refined fashion, obviously - but does any other Labour-supporter disagree with me on this point? Cameron and Clegg remind you of your two boys at bath-time. So your boys are forty-something men, are they? No they are not - so who the fuck do you think you are convincing with this painfully over-rehearsed clunky shite? Honestly!

I had other questions but I've forgotten what they were. I'm left only with the urge to repeat what I've said before: Brown cannot win this election. Part of the problem is that Brown has never won a competitive election in his life and he's too long in the tooth to learn how to do it now.

Prediction: the 'yellow surge' gives absolutely no grounds for optimism amongst Labour supporters. We are fucked. Completely. The only thing to fight for that has any reasonable grounds for success is to avoid third place.

Being of a slightly perverse melancholy disposition, I like to make predictions that I hope are proved wrong while simultaneously fearing I won't be. The rise of the Lib Dems will damage Labour more than the Tories. Then Cameron will be invited by the Queen to form the next government.