Ed Miliband - great politician, terrible leader.

DonDaddyD
DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
edited January 2012 in Commuting chat
I feel sorry for him

His first and biggest mistake was that he allowed people to call him 'Ed'. Too informal and casual it creates a undeserved familiarity which while can humanise a person to people who like him. It can breeds contempt within those that don't. And we are seeing that with the kind of criticisms of Ed, those about his voice and being too ugly to be Prime Minister/Lead the Labour party. None of those things are even valid but they are in the minds of those who believe they are overly familiar with the person.

It's significant that when Dave Cameron won the Tory leadership and went on the 'I'm one of you' charm offensive he never, not once allowed himself to be addressed by anything but his proper name, David, in public. It commands respects and creates a distance needed if you intend to lead. Criticise his early Leadership charm offensive and supperficial approach but Cameron for all his faults has mastered modern day politics. Cameron's intent was to make you love him or love to hate him but you love him nonetheless.

Edward, Ed - see the difference - in contrast is relying on good faith that in this era of celebrity, vanity, looks and popularity the voting will look past his appearance and voice and actually listen to what he is saying. Politics are no longer about that, if they ever were.

In truth Ed is an intellectual, I believe him when he says he wasnts to be fair, he wants to move Labour forward and I even believe he has the conviction and drive to do this. I believe Ed could lead this Country to prosperity. For the first time in Ed I think we may have found a genuine politician who has integrity.

Alas, fact is, I don't like him. It's not that he looks like a dingleberry, the type of guy I wouldn't enjoy having a pint with, that one geeky mate you hav or frankly a virgin. Seriously, if you found out that Ed was virgin would it surprise you - therein resides the problem. I need to like the person I am voting for.

Truth be told Ed would make a great Chancellor a brilliant Business Secretary. But Leader? Never. And it's sad because he is a great politician, devilishly intelligent. Very rarely does he say things that are wrong. The problem sits with how he says it, how it sounds and it's delivery. He lacks charisma.

And it's sad because he is a huge political talent who should have never become Leader of a Party. What a waste.

Discuss.
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Comments

  • leodis75
    leodis75 Posts: 184
    Ed Miliband was the wrong brother, he has taken Labour back to the days of Kinnock, Smith and the others who made Labour unelectable for so many years. Chuka UmunnaI is the only person who can lead the party to victory in 2014/15 but I very much doubt Ed will stand down.
  • DrLex
    DrLex Posts: 2,142
    The other Ed will have toppled Ed M. by 2014.
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  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    I can't decide whether Chuka should be leader or Chancellor (For example I would have David Miliband as Leader and Chuka as Chancellor). But as things stand Chuka is arguably the best politician Labour has at the moment (Ed not withstanding as we can only judge him on being a party leader at the moment).
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  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    DrLex wrote:
    The other Ed will have toppled Ed M. by 2014.
    There could be no worse scenario.
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  • W1
    W1 Posts: 2,636
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    And it's sad because he is a great politician, devilishly intelligent. Very rarely does he say things that are wrong. The problem sits with how he says it, how it sounds and it's delivery.

    I don't think he's "devilishly intelligent". Did you see that interview on the BBC where he effectively repeated himself for 5 minutes? It gave, at least the apparence, that once taken from the script he cannot think for himself. I think that's true.

    And, obviously, I want to smash the TV whenever I here his horrid nasally voice. Like Livingstone.
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    DDD must be having a slow day in the office.
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  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    I facepalm every time I hear Ed Miliband being interviewed. He talks and talks and talks and talks, and rarely even gets close to actually saying anything of substance. I can't stand him. The wrong Miliband won that leadership election, imo.
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    notsoblue wrote:
    I facepalm every time I hear Ed Miliband being interviewed. He talks and talks and talks and talks, and rarely even gets close to actually saying anything of substance. .

    At a time when negotiations are still going on, these strikes are wrong
    _
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    therein resides the problem. I need to like the person I am voting for.

    Nope. I need to respect the leader. I may disagree with a leader's stance but if I can respect them then I'll let them lead.
    Being a leader and being popular are not the same thing.
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    notsoblue wrote:
    I facepalm every time I hear Ed Miliband being interviewed. He talks and talks and talks and talks, and rarely even gets close to actually saying anything of substance. .

    At a time when negotiations are still going on, these strikes are wrong

    *cringe*

    Ed Miliband is just a bit of a void to me. He has no substance at all. Its so disappointing that he represents the left in UK politics.
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  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,341
    Labour's problem now is the same as in the Labour Government post Blair.

    All the talent is gone and it will take 10 years in oppposition to rebuild a credible cabinet.

    Think of all the heavy hitters who made up Blairs cabinet in the early days of New Labour. You may not agree with their politics or liked them as people but they were talented credible politicians.


    And they picked the wrong brother. Big Milliband will only be Labour leader if Ed dies.
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    notsoblue wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    notsoblue wrote:
    I facepalm every time I hear Ed Miliband being interviewed. He talks and talks and talks and talks, and rarely even gets close to actually saying anything of substance. .

    At a time when negotiations are still going on, these strikes are wrong

    *cringe*

    Ed Miliband is just a bit of a void to me. He has no substance at all. Its so disappointing that he represents the left in UK politics.

    There was always going to be a vacuum on the left post Blair, in the same way there was on the right after Thatcher.
    _
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    daviesee wrote:
    Being a leader and being popular are not the same thing.

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

    Oh daviesee... :)
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  • greg66_tri_v2.0
    greg66_tri_v2.0 Posts: 7,172
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    notsoblue wrote:
    I facepalm every time I hear Ed Miliband being interviewed. He talks and talks and talks and talks, and rarely even gets close to actually saying anything of substance. .

    At a time when negotiations are still going on, these strikes are wrong

    Surely that cannot be a genuine recording. It must have been spliced together and/or dubbed.

    Surely.

    No?

    What a bell end.
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  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    notsoblue wrote:
    I facepalm every time I hear Ed Miliband being interviewed. He talks and talks and talks and talks, and rarely even gets close to actually saying anything of substance. .

    At a time when negotiations are still going on, these strikes are wrong

    OMG!

    The coalition must be playing that at every opertunity :shock:
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    There was always going to be a vacuum on the left post Blair, in the same way there was on the right after Thatcher.
    Looks like we have a decade of wilderness to look forward to...
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  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Ed pffftt. He has the all charisma of a verruca. He's wet, insubstantial and ineffective. As for making a brilliant business secretary, I think not. Another career politician who's never actually worked outside of politics. He'd never win an election and will never get the chance to anyway (more's the pity). Wrong brother. I'm enjoying watching him negotiate this U-turn.

    Still, he's infinitely preferable to Ed Balls. Slimy m*therfucker.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    I mean, what's the alternative?

    02_banana-mili-415.jpg ??


    Balls-Ed.png ?
    _
  • DrLex
    DrLex Posts: 2,142
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    DrLex wrote:
    The other Ed will have toppled Ed M. by 2014.
    There could be no worse scenario.

    Maybe, but there are few Labour cabinet members more scheming and ambitious than Mr Balls.
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Il Principe wrote:
    Ed pffftt. He has the all charisma of a verruca. He's wet, insubstantial and ineffective. As for making a brilliant business secretary, I think not. Another career politician who's never actually worked outside of politics. He'd never win an election and will never get the chance to anyway (more's the pity). Wrong brother. I'm enjoying watching him negotiate this U-turn.

    Still, he's infinitely preferable to Ed Balls. Slimy m*therfucker.

    For all of Ed's criticisms, and there are many, he did a good job on the international stage when he was the environment minister.
    _
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    I mean, what's the alternative?

    02_banana-mili-415.jpg ??
    Actually, I quite liked David Miliband.
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  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Greg66 wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    notsoblue wrote:
    I facepalm every time I hear Ed Miliband being interviewed. He talks and talks and talks and talks, and rarely even gets close to actually saying anything of substance. .

    At a time when negotiations are still going on, these strikes are wrong

    Surely that cannot be a genuine recording. It must have been spliced together and/or dubbed.

    Surely.

    No?

    What a bell end.

    As hilarious as that clip is - what he was doing is supposedly common practice, it's just that the beeb "accidentally" let the entire clip escape on the internets. There's a clip of Osbourne doing the same somewhere, and a great blog by the journo who conducted the interview: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/bfensm
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,116
    I'm not sure how you come to the conclusion that he's a great politician, unless you're looking at from the point of view of Cameron with an eye on the next election.
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  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    notsoblue wrote:
    daviesee wrote:
    Being a leader and being popular are not the same thing.

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

    Oh daviesee... :)

    Really?

    I acknowledge that you need to get the popular vote but that is not the same as being popular.

    As an example, I give you Maggie. Despised but a leader and got re-elected instead of Michael Foot walking it.
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    On no planet is this guy a "great" politician.
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  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,341
    cjcp wrote:
    On no planet is this guy a "great" politician.


    Maybe on his home planet, you know like Superman in reverse.
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  • spen666
    spen666 Posts: 17,709
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    I....In truth Ed is an intellectual, I believe him when he says he wasnts to be fair, he wants to move Labour forward and I even believe he has the conviction and drive to do this. I believe Ed could lead this Country to prosperity. For the first time in Ed I think we may have found a genuine politician who has integrity. .....


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  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    I'd say Ed is a great politician as he does take Cameron to task during the questions. He did a stella job as Environmental Minister and he is intelligent.

    I stand by my belief that of the bunch he is the most genuine.

    I would rather vote for Chuka.
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    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    I'd say Ed is a great politician as he does take Cameron to task during the questions. .

    Not really.

    He's not super bad, but more often than not Cameron gets the upper hand.
    _
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    I'd say Ed is a great politician as he does take Cameron to task during the questions. He did a stella job as Environmental Minister and he is intelligent.

    I stand by my belief that of the bunch he is the most genuine.

    I would rather vote for Chuka.

    Are you kidding me, do you ever watch PMQ's - Cameron invariably takes Milibland to pieces.

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