Closing down debate using the R word is a desperate move by the Conservatives

Today the Conservative party went into full headless chicken mode and rolled Jeremy Hunt out to use the Racism attack against UKIP.

This is a low form of politics since:

1. It aims to close down debate, and not to win it.
2. Its a smear, which is most effective for the person who first reaches for the mud ( normally ).
3. See the pictures below - which political party / govt produced these ? The charge is hypocrisy.
4. You legitimise this tactic to close down debate in the future and damage democracy as a result.

Of course the Conservatives think it will be effective in intimating people at the ballot box. 

There was a time when the Conservative party stood for principled debate, indeed it was a time that the Conservative party was confident in its own arguments and position to welcome a full and extensive debate - as it had the courage of its convictions and expected to be judged the winner of that debate by the jury of the British electorate.

No more. Today the tactics of Blair have been officially adopted.

There is one problem though, what the interns at CCHQ forget is that it wasn't the message in 2005 that was unpopular ( indeed polling showed it was very popular ) - it was the Conservative party.

That's even more their problem today, and its a position they have bought on themselves by unprincipled mud slinging that has been on show from their friends in the media and today by the Conservative party itself.

Conservatives 2005 campaign poster ( vandalised )

Home office campaign