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Post by CtraK on Jan 17, 2011 19:28:59 GMT -5
OK, re: the British cartoon:
Part of the cartoon relies on certain long-running gags that only make sense to regular readers of the Guardian cartoons. David Cameron is overwhelmingly caricatured as having a big, inflated bubble-like face, and Nick Clegg is often depicted as Pinocchio, due to a perception that he particularly has turned his back on numerous promises and told downright lies about certain issues such as university tuition fees.
Skipping around the fat cat in the background is George Osborne, the Chancellor, and his junior, Danny Alexander.
The cartoon itself is about the recent Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election, triggered by the court ruling that Phil Woolas, the now-ousted Labour MP, made illegal claims in his campaign literature. Oldham East historically has been a three-party contest, and rarely has any party achieved a large majority. In the recent election, the Labour Party held the seat with their candidate, Debbie Abrahams, and achieved both a higher vote share and an increased majority, from 103 in the General Election last year to some 3,600 this year. This was not surprising; Woolas, despite the scandal, was still a fairly popular MP for some reason, and by-elections of this nature tend to go well for the incumbents, as the general tendency is for the electorate to be pissed off about being made to vote again so soon. Add to that Labour's increasing poll figures and the result is wholly expected.
What was relatively unexpected, though, was that the Liberal Democrat vote share went up - by 0.3%, admittedly - and they seemingly held on to second place easily, whilst the Conservative vote collapsed. The more right-wing Conservatives have accused Cameron of organising a weak campaign, and his apparent encouragement of Lib Dem voting in a bid to either a) beat Labour with at least one coalition party or b) at least make sure the Lib Dems don't tank utterly has not endeared them, especially given that Labour have still won. Of course, Cameron kinda had, and still has to, support the Lib Dems to some degree, because if the party decides that the price of coalition is too high, then the coalition splits, a minority government and a General Election in 2011 or 2012 becomes very likely one way or another - an election the Conservatives would be fairly likely to lose, and the Lib Dems would be destroyed in (from a 24% vote share in 2010 to their current polling of around 10%, and as low as 7% in some).
Of course, you're expected to know all of this...
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Post by itachirumon on Jan 18, 2011 6:08:26 GMT -5
OK, re: the British cartoon: Part of the cartoon relies on certain long-running gags that only make sense to regular readers of the Guardian cartoons. David Cameron is overwhelmingly caricatured as having a big, inflated bubble-like face, and Nick Clegg is often depicted as Pinocchio, due to a perception that he particularly has turned his back on numerous promises and told downright lies about certain issues such as university tuition fees. Skipping around the fat cat in the background is George Osborne, the Chancellor, and his junior, Danny Alexander. The cartoon itself is about the recent Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election, triggered by the court ruling that Phil Woolas, the now-ousted Labour MP, made illegal claims in his campaign literature. Oldham East historically has been a three-party contest, and rarely has any party achieved a large majority. In the recent election, the Labour Party held the seat with their candidate, Debbie Abrahams, and achieved both a higher vote share and an increased majority, from 103 in the General Election last year to some 3,600 this year. This was not surprising; Woolas, despite the scandal, was still a fairly popular MP for some reason, and by-elections of this nature tend to go well for the incumbents, as the general tendency is for the electorate to be pissed off about being made to vote again so soon. Add to that Labour's increasing poll figures and the result is wholly expected. What was relatively unexpected, though, was that the Liberal Democrat vote share went up - by 0.3%, admittedly - and they seemingly held on to second place easily, whilst the Conservative vote collapsed. The more right-wing Conservatives have accused Cameron of organising a weak campaign, and his apparent encouragement of Lib Dem voting in a bid to either a) beat Labour with at least one coalition party or b) at least make sure the Lib Dems don't tank utterly has not endeared them, especially given that Labour have still won. Of course, Cameron kinda had, and still has to, support the Lib Dems to some degree, because if the party decides that the price of coalition is too high, then the coalition splits, a minority government and a General Election in 2011 or 2012 becomes very likely one way or another - an election the Conservatives would be fairly likely to lose, and the Lib Dems would be destroyed in (from a 24% vote share in 2010 to their current polling of around 10%, and as low as 7% in some). Of course, you're expected to know all of this... Right, Brit school politics, gotcha...wands, sexy accents, Daniel Radcliffe and Magic, nothing more needs to be said. Would you be offended if I called you folks UKies from now on? It'd be pronounced like Uke and would make me quite happy n_n a whole nation of Ukes hehehehehe
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Post by Amaranth on Jan 18, 2011 6:57:01 GMT -5
You mean uke in the martial arts sense, right? Please tell me I'm right. >.>
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Post by itachirumon on Jan 18, 2011 7:19:44 GMT -5
You mean uke in the martial arts sense, right? Please tell me I'm right. >.> No, I mean Uke in the Shounen-Ai sense. I'm not being insulting, coming from me that's a compliment of the highest order, I LOVE Ukes.
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Post by Amaranth on Jan 18, 2011 7:29:50 GMT -5
You mean uke in the martial arts sense, right? Please tell me I'm right. >.> No, I mean Uke in the Shounen-Ai sense. I'm not being insulting, coming from me that's a compliment of the highest order, I LOVE Ukes. It had nothing to do with being insulting, for the record. >.<
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Post by itachirumon on Jan 18, 2011 7:48:18 GMT -5
No, I mean Uke in the Shounen-Ai sense. I'm not being insulting, coming from me that's a compliment of the highest order, I LOVE Ukes. It had nothing to do with being insulting, for the record. >.< I didn't think so, but I just didn't want you thinking I was making some sly "All Brits is Homos" comment. I'm one of those rare Ukes who drools over other Ukes XD so if I can work it into a comment I tend to
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Post by abarat on Jan 18, 2011 7:52:27 GMT -5
OK, re: the British cartoon: Part of the cartoon relies on certain long-running gags that only make sense to regular readers of the Guardian cartoons. David Cameron is overwhelmingly caricatured as having a big, inflated bubble-like face, and Nick Clegg is often depicted as Pinocchio, due to a perception that he particularly has turned his back on numerous promises and told downright lies about certain issues such as university tuition fees. Skipping around the fat cat in the background is George Osborne, the Chancellor, and his junior, Danny Alexander. The cartoon itself is about the recent Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election, triggered by the court ruling that Phil Woolas, the now-ousted Labour MP, made illegal claims in his campaign literature. Oldham East historically has been a three-party contest, and rarely has any party achieved a large majority. In the recent election, the Labour Party held the seat with their candidate, Debbie Abrahams, and achieved both a higher vote share and an increased majority, from 103 in the General Election last year to some 3,600 this year. This was not surprising; Woolas, despite the scandal, was still a fairly popular MP for some reason, and by-elections of this nature tend to go well for the incumbents, as the general tendency is for the electorate to be pissed off about being made to vote again so soon. Add to that Labour's increasing poll figures and the result is wholly expected. What was relatively unexpected, though, was that the Liberal Democrat vote share went up - by 0.3%, admittedly - and they seemingly held on to second place easily, whilst the Conservative vote collapsed. The more right-wing Conservatives have accused Cameron of organising a weak campaign, and his apparent encouragement of Lib Dem voting in a bid to either a) beat Labour with at least one coalition party or b) at least make sure the Lib Dems don't tank utterly has not endeared them, especially given that Labour have still won. Of course, Cameron kinda had, and still has to, support the Lib Dems to some degree, because if the party decides that the price of coalition is too high, then the coalition splits, a minority government and a General Election in 2011 or 2012 becomes very likely one way or another - an election the Conservatives would be fairly likely to lose, and the Lib Dems would be destroyed in (from a 24% vote share in 2010 to their current polling of around 10%, and as low as 7% in some). Of course, you're expected to know all of this... I guess that cartoonist could put all of 'war and peace' in one cartoon.
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Post by devilschaplain2 on Jan 19, 2011 2:16:30 GMT -5
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Post by The_L on Jan 19, 2011 2:39:55 GMT -5
Sums things up nicely.
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Post by shadowpanther on Jan 19, 2011 5:00:28 GMT -5
Then where does that leave God?
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Post by itachirumon on Jan 19, 2011 5:11:54 GMT -5
Now see, that's only a problem if you enjoy Vodka.. which I do not. Except in Strawberry Martinis...GOOD Strawberry Martinis, not crappy ones.
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Post by CtraK on Jan 19, 2011 7:39:54 GMT -5
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Post by Dragon Zachski on Jan 19, 2011 16:12:55 GMT -5
*stands and stares at the picture*
......
*summons a Clannfear and summons a daedric dagger*
You will regret crossing me! *attacks computer scree
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Post by banjaxed on Jan 19, 2011 16:17:48 GMT -5
Oooohhh!! That one is easy even for an American. It says that the collation government is the same now as it was under Tony Blair.
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Post by Professor Cold Heart on Jan 19, 2011 16:21:42 GMT -5
If anything, I'm traumatised by the fact that the page is titled "Steve Bell on David Cameron". That's a mental image I could've done without.
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