Thursday, September 18, 2008

Its not feedback the Lib Dems want, but info on how to con you

Just listened to the end of radio4's pm which has had some feedback from people who got the Nick Clegg robo cold call treatment last night.

They all seem to be labouring under the misapprehension that the Lib Dems are looking for feedback - they're not.

They're looking for intelligence on you - so they can tailor their propaganda to each household.

The safest course of action is to put the phone down straight away.

5 comments:

The Daily Pundit said...

It's the Lib Dems! Don't answer it! Everest Windows eat your heart out.

Anonymous said...

And your evidence that it is propaganda is....?

Man in a Shed said...

Anon - its why most parties canvas. No to change peoples minds, that almost never happens, but to identify their potential supporters.

I have a similar questionaire fromt he local Lib Dems on my front door mat. They're not going to change policies based on what I say - but they might change what they say to me. ( They are rightly famous for this - ask any Tory or Labour activist. )

Anonymous said...

Well it could be propaganda sure. Same as whenever any party makes a party political broadcast, or gives an interview. But again, I ask you for evidence on this particular occasion. Take Labour for instance. We know that they don't do everything they say, because they are the party in power and we can see for ourselves. (Though I think propaganda is a bit of strong word for that behaviour - compared to things that came out of WW1+2 at least). But with the Lib Dems we have no such "luxury". They aren't in power, so we can't tell that their actions in power will be based on what the public want, or what they say they are going to do.

Again, could be "propaganda", though it might not be. I am nearly certain that for all politicians, there will be a bit of stretching of the truth. All parties pretty much do it (my only reason for saying "Nearly certain" is my fundamental belief that there is a least a few decent human beings out there, and that I hope beyond hope that one of those is a politician - unlikely I know), but whether the LDs go further as you're suggesting is a question for the ages once more.

Man in a Shed said...

Yes but the Lib Dems are the worse...

As some of their campaigning manuals confirm for example :

They notoriously published the 'Effective Opposition' handbook, which encouraged council candidates to 'be wicked, act shamelessly, stir endlessly…' adding that 'positive campaigning will NOT be enough to win control of the council'.