http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/tags.php?tag=leaders-debates The NewsBiscuit Community en-US Sun, 19 May 2013 08:10:29 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/search.php http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=3504#post-10081 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 05:46:22 +0000 Genghis Cohen 10081@http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/ <p>After another fiery debate between the leaders of the three main political parties, all the news networks were last night claiming that it was their reporting which came out on top. ‘There’s no doubt that Nick Robinson won,’ said his BBC colleague Andrew Marr in the spin room afterwards. ‘He was polished, relaxed and on health, immigration and the economy had all the best questions.’</p> <p>Snap polls conducted after the debate suggest that the BBC political editor has extended his lead in the viewing figures over his ITN rival Tom Bradby, but with Sky’s Adam Boulton benefiting from his exposure to terrestrial viewers during the second debate, experts are predicting that no single news outlet will secure enough of the audience to form an overall monopoly.</p> <p>‘Coverage of this election has turned into a real three-horse race,’ said Vince Cable. ‘Gone are the days when people looked only to the two old stations for their view of the political landscape. The Sky News coverage is offering the audience a change that works for them, providing they’ve got a satellite dish and are prepared to pay £30 a month.’</p> <p>As usual, coverage of the coverage included politicians poring over every word the journalists said. ‘You can see here that when Nick Robinson said the leaders were now on the home straight and the big question was who had the most in the tank for a sprint finish, the worm goes up,’ said George Osborne. ‘Viewers seem to warm to his sporting analogy. But then afterwards, when he stares at Huw Edwards with those small, beady eyes of his as if he’s been disconnected at the mains, you can see the worm dip as voters get turned off – or turn over.’</p> <p>All the pressure in the lead up to the debate was on the ITN’s Tom Bradby following his gaffe earlier in the week when an off-screen mic heard him describe the Prime Minister as ‘a disaster’ after a frustrating interview on the street. ‘Whose idea was it to put me with him?’ he asked a producer. ‘It’s ridiculous.’ But colleagues welcomed his solid performance in the final debate coverage. ‘Robinson and Boulton may have won on style and presentation, but Bradby won on substance,’ said Alastair Stewart.</p> <p>The political editors now return to the campaign trail in a final bid to persuade floating viewers to tune in on election day. However, some fear that the turnout could be hit by audience apathy as viewers develop ‘election coverage fatigue’ and choose to protest by spoiling their TVs and turning over to watch ‘The Boy Who Talks to Hedges’ on Channel 5. </p> http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=399#post-1230 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:53:49 +0000 Ludicity 1230@http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/ <p>Many thanks - and I enjoyed your interruptions so much you all get an extra bonus point. </p> http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=399#post-1175 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:19:52 +0000 brownpaperreporter 1175@http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/ <p>Mornington Crescent to determine Government.... love it! </p> http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=399#post-1174 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:18:21 +0000 Stan Laurel 1174@http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/ <p>Second recent "Just a Minute" sub. We're all rather Radio Four here! </p> <p>Have been toying with the idea of these debates requiring each of the leaders to be wired up to a lie detector. May be subject of a later sub. </p> http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=399#post-1171 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:09:26 +0000 sauce 1171@http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/ <p>That's made my morning. </p> http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=399#post-1170 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:56:16 +0000 Ludicity 1170@http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/ <p>'Each candidate will attempt to speak for sixty seconds without repetition, hesitation or deviation,' said debate moderator Nicholas Parsons, 'points will be awarded to any contestant who manages to speak sense for an entire minute - which is almost unheard of.'</p> <p>Gordon Brown welcomed the new rules although expressed disappointment that challenges are to be made via a buzzer and not through the medium of shouting and throwing things around. 'A minute is a long time for me to speak coherently,' confessed David Cameron, 'so, as usual, I plan to break it up into six, ten second sound bites.' Nick Clegg said that he was 'very much looking forward to taking part' before being immediately buzzed for irrelevance.</p> <p>Secret footage of rehearsals shows that each candidate has his own individual weakness. David Cameron was challenged for endless repetition of the phrase 'Broken Britain'; Nick Clegg constantly deviated by twisting every topic into a call for proportional representation; and Gordon Brown 'ummed' and 'erred' about everything before grabbing Nicholas Parsons by the lapels, throwing the stopwatch across the studio and storming off in a huff.</p> <p>'Whoever is speaking when the whistle goes gets an extra point in the opinion polls,' said Nicholas excitedly, 'although I see from the latest scores that we are now expecting a landslide majority for Paul Merton.'</p> <p>Later debates will move onto other Radio 4 formats. In the 'Quote Unquote' round each party leader will attempt to wriggle out of embarrassing things that they have said in the past before accusing the others of saying something far worse. </p> <p>The sessions will culminate in a special edition of 'I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue' in which candidates will debate supply side economic theory using a swanee whistle and a kazoo. Finally, they will all swap manifestos and sing one sound bite to the tune of another. </p> <p>In the event of a hung parliament the Queen is expected to apply the rules of Mornington Crescent. </p>