I have an article on Guardian Unlimited looking at the selling of Sir Menzies Campbell. I take the line that we should beware of trying to sell him as something he is not.
A couple of acknowledgements...
I was going to say an ironic "thanks a bunch" to Peter Black for having his comments on Ming's leadership reproduced on the Guardian's Comment is Free blog over the weekend. I had planned to write about those internal changes too. On reflection my article is better for being more tightly focused on the PR angle, so the thanks are genuine now.
I was convinced that I coined "Let Ming be Ming" back in June, but I find that Alex Wilcock used it as early as February during the leadership campaign. So respect to him.
Please not Gavin Grant....last time I saw him he came to UKC trying to force UKC Liberals to affiliate to his ULS & not NLYL.
ReplyDeleteIsn't "Let Ming be Ming" just a reference to The West Wing ("Let Bartlet be Bartlet")?
ReplyDeleteNot in my case, but you will have to ask Alex.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the plug, Jonathan!
ReplyDeleteAnd it was indeed, Gavin. I didn't mention it on that particular piece (it was full enough as it was), but I did plug the episode on my little tribute to The West Wing when the final episode aired in the States. Lots of bloggers mourning it for the UK this weekend; funny how no-one even noticed the last episode of its lacklustre 'replacement' Commander in Chief creeping out, isn't it?
I think you're unfair on Ming regarding the watching dancing on TV anecdote.
ReplyDeleteAs was pointed out in comments on Iain Dale's blog at the time, Dancing on Ice was on TV at the right time, and given the story was retold second-hand it's hardly surprising if the TV show's name got mangled into something else.
Can I be the first to coin the phrase "On a Ming and a Prayer"?
ReplyDeleteI take the line that we should beware of trying to sell him as something he is not.
ReplyDeletePresumably you think the Lib Dems shouldn't be marketing him as a potential Prime Minister, then?
Ming can no longer be Ming unless he can find a way to couple that with presenting an inspiring figure to non lib - dem voter (especially those like me who abandoned the party for the Greens because there was too much pussyfooting around instead of attacking the Thatcherite policies of Blair and go. The lib dems have been presented with opportunity after opportunity and have blown them all because libdem leaders are so determined to see the value of everybody's point of view.
ReplyDeleteAs neither main party is going to grant PR without a fight, the third party needs an absolute bastard who will put the boot in at every opportunity.