Politics - Tory Leadership + other stuff

[karen2205]

Borders on Tuesday = topbit, lizblackdog, neonchameleon, midnightmelody, Vino with no LJ, hairyears and me. I think this was the quickest 'add to friends list and then meet' situation for Liz and me!

Cutting for non work safeness (yes, politics is non work safe for me and a couple of others) - it's probably fine for most of you

So nice simple question - who should I vote for and why?

I'm torn. I like what Cameron is saying (apart from the stuff about marriage. Why should marriage be seen as a better form of family arrangement than anything else?) and he's interesting. Davis on the other hand makes me want to sleep - he's boring, *but* I really like what he's saying about England only votes in the House. Decisions, decisions.

[Poll #609720]

Comments

[arkady.livejournal.com]

I think I possibly added Liz before you but I've yet to meet her.

[karen2205]

Yeah, I added her on Monday and met her on Tuesday - I don't think I've ever done that before.

[arkady.livejournal.com]

Ah, we mutually befriended each other a couple of months ago after she decided she liked some of my comments and statements on statements. And the fact that I was a Weatherwax. (Hey, it made sense to us at the time!)

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

It's quite a novelty for me to know people online that I have met in the flesh. I rather like it, though.

[dawnage.livejournal.com]

I'd vote for Cameron because he's a friend of a friend. How shallow of me!

[rozallin.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to answer the poll as I've already voted and I'd choose the David I voted for, right?

The people who made the "Who Should You Vote For" quiz for the Election in May have also made one for the Conservative Leadership election, too. I found it to be pretty accurate.

[jiggery-pokery.livejournal.com]

As someone who doesn't want to see the Conservatives do well, I fear Davis' ability to sound relevant (unlike any of the past n Conservative leaders) rather more than Cameron's. This doesn't help you make your mind up directly, but might be of interest.

England-only votes: gahhhhh, this is point-scoring rather than making the world better, but note my internationalist tendencies and discard my opinion as irrelevant to yours. *grin*

Incidentally, thanks very much for all your kind and helpful comments over the years; I've had reason to look back through my journal over time, and you really are a brick. (By this definition!)

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

I like what Cameron is saying

Which is what, in fact?

Why should marriage be seen as a better form of family arrangement than anything else?

In theory it's more stable, although...

[neonchameleon.livejournal.com]

Which is what, in fact?

This from a member of New Labour?

In theory it's more stable

Than what? Communal (tribal) childrearing is more stable than a marriage as it doesn't change too much when individuals have problems. Single parent child rearing is more stable as divorce isn't an issue.

[beingjdc.livejournal.com]

This from a member of New Labour?

There's no such party as New Labour, but if you want to argue that Labour haven't got any policies you're about eight years too late...

Than what? Communal (tribal) childrearing is more stable than a marriage as it doesn't change too much when individuals have problems.

And I wouldn't necessarily object to it if British society were largely organised around tribal units.

Single parent child rearing is more stable as divorce isn't an issue.

But income and available time often are, amongst other factors. Some people manage to raise children perfectly well on their own, but to claim that all else being equal it wouldn't be better to have two parents is just silly.

[karen2205]

nd I wouldn't necessarily object to it if British society were largely organised around tribal units.

I think the real problem is that we lack information on other types of family structures - ie. we know when marriages are formed and break up. We don't know how many stable opposite-sex partnerships there are/how long they last on average. I guess we'll get some data on same-sex couples after December - but then it'll only be the ones who choose to register their partnership. We don't have detailed information on single parents (ie. in some of these cases the parent will have a partner they see occasionally, in others there'll be a live in grandmother, or they'll have a support network of friends/family around them. And this is without entering the entire realm of polyamorous relationships. Marriage is only seen as more stable because it's the one we've got lots of data for. I wonder if there's a clever DPhil student about who'd want to start doing research into this to find out if marriage really is a more stable family structure.

[lovingboth]

The obvious answer is Clarke, but you're not being offered him.

If you want power, you want to vote for whoever the Lib Dems will be prepared to do a deal with.

Davies - didn't run last time because he knew that although he could beat Howard, he couldn't beat Blair in 2005. His huge ego was probably a factor in that.

Cameron - could be Duncan Smith all over again for all we know.

What next: only London MPs voting on London issues?

[(Anonymous)]

I can't say i want any of the Tories to do well. So, having said that, i think you should vote fot Davies as he is less likely to be able to win over floating voters than Cameron! However, its 4-5 yrs til the next elections [which could be as late as May 2010] so it is hard to guess what the political situation would be then.

Rgds,

Vino

[drdoug.livejournal.com]

I'd say if you want someone who'll hold fast to mainstream Tory policy of the last ten years, vote Davis, but if you want someone who'll move further toward the centre ground, vote Cameron. My personal opinion is that Davis will lead the Tories to an improved showing at the next election, and possibly forming a minority Government, but Cameron has a chance of winning it outright.

Cameron is considerably more liberal and modern than Davis, IMO, despite the marriage issue. You won't hear Davis dissing marriage any time soon.

For me there'd be no question but to vote Cameron, but then I'm so liberal it'll be a long, long time before I get a vote in a Tory party leadership election. (I also like that he cycles.) As a Tory, you need to decide whether you prefer being in Opposition on your traditional terms, or in Government but more to the centre.

The choice isn't entirely that stark - both have, of course, said that they intend to take the party towards the centre. But I can believe it of Cameron more than I can of Davis.

[daweaver.livejournal.com]

You've picked your team, and defended your corner well in a discussion earlier this year when almost everyone wanted to push you towards the Yellow team.

On that basis, it would appear that you would perhaps be better served by the candidate closer to the Lib Dems general attitude, if such a difference can be discerned.

Vote wisely, and vote well.