More talk today about the possibility of a General Election next month. Could even be called next Thursday. Would stuff our Party Conference. Almost everyone I know in the party in Wales isn't expecting this to happen. All I can say is that October 25th is Brown's best chance of victory - so I'm working on the assumption that the 25th it will be. So we've been out in Montgomery leafleting tonight - so late to my keyboard again.
Canvassing does provide lessons about human nature. Tonight, three people went to the trouble of telling me how grateful they were for help I had given them during my years as an Assembly Member. All very satisfying. And then I approached one of the biggest houses in Montgomery. A smartly dressed middle aged man (whom I took to be the resident) was walking from his car towards the house, so I offered him my introductory leaflet rather than posting it. He looked at me as if I was some form of lesser being, read my leaflet without taking it, looked at me again with painful disdain, shook his head, and walked off without saying a word. In several years of canvassing this was the rudest response I have ever received - and that includes a man in 1997 who told me to "f*** off" and another man who chased me up his drive wearing just his Y-fronts and wielding a garden fork. It does take all sorts - and if you want to be a politician, you've got to be ready to accept this variety.
4 comments:
Don't worry Glyn, things are going your way. Tonight the BBC even did a piece on Grope-it in Hello magazine this week. Very significant. This idiot deserves to lose and we're all confident that you're the man to get rid of him. He's a joke. Come round to Llanfair and you'll get a very warm welcome. We're all rooting for you.
I once had a man drag a leaflet from my hand - which I was posting through his letter box - open the door, spit on it, scrunch it up and throw it back in my face. We recorded that he probably wasn't a Plaid supporter... On another occassion someone threatened to set his dog on me if I didn't get off his land. I did also once commit the ultimate faux pas by telling a middle aged lady that she had a lovely cat. Why I used the term "pussy" I shall never know... but I did get her vote though!
Brown will not call an October election because of the financial crisis and the uncertainty of the opinion polls.
But by next year it will be too late for him...
anon 1 - quite a funny story about Llanfair if I have a chance to blog tonight. Probably won't because I'm off to spend the evening with Ken Clarke shortly.
anon 2 - interesting tactic which I think I should pass on. My penchant for sexual innuendo as a form of humour has already caused me a bit of mockery by the Spin Doctor in the Wales on Sunday - so I think any reference to voter's feline friends will have to be off limits.
mountjoy - I agree with you - but I thoink its wise to work on the assumption of 25th Oct - just in case.
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