Salmond Vs. Darling - The Debate

[scottsdad]

This whole week - the #DarlingWIn and the week of currency bombardment are the only time the No campaign has had anything like momentum. This is Better Together's Cleggmania. And like that, it'll soon be over.

[Confidemus]

This whole week - the #DarlingWIn and the week of currency bombardment are the only time the No campaign has had anything like momentum. This is Better Together's Cleggmania. And like that, it'll soon be over.

Not that the naysayers are crowing about it or anything. No, siree.

[Hedgecutter]

Watched the Debate again whilst faffing in the early hours and I still have no idea how come away saying that it was a Darling win.

In fact, although there wasn't anything new to be learned, it's acted as a decent reminder of a lot of the issues from the mouths of Salmond / Darling and I now have to admit that I'm out of the undecided camp and will most likely be voting Yes (unless some major revelation surfaces).

[ayrmad]

Watched the Debate again whilst faffing in the early hours and I still have no idea how come away saying that it was a Darling win.

In fact, although there wasn't anything new to be learned, it's acted as a decent reminder of a lot of the issues from the mouths of Salmond / Darling and I now have to admit that I'm out of the undecided camp and will most likely be voting Yes (unless some major revelation surfaces).

I was going to watch again this morning but I got distracted, it's like Ayr fans after Saturday, most of us went along expecting a scudding, we did ok and scraped a victory, go and look at the positivity from Ayr fans after 4:45pm on Saturday.

We had bring it on on the Killie Ayr thread for example, I on the other hand realise that the game could have been very very different if Morton had taken one of their chances earlier in the match.

I had the debate down as a draw even although Darling was poor on quite a few issues.

[harry94]

I'm calling some kind of BS here.

If you cast your mind back to the debate, quite a lot, in fact I'd say the majority, of comments made by people in the audience seemed to be Yes leaning. The audience was supposed to be 40-40-20, but it appeared as though a larger than that proportion of actual comments made were by those who were at very least sympathetic to the yes cause.

Now it could be that IPSOS messed up originally and had to replace a few yes voters with no/undecided voters then I could believe that, but to suggest that most/all yes voters were denied entry is plain bollocks.

This. I don't think anyone is lying about their experience but it's no conspiracy. I'd be surprised if an event like this didn't go off without a few blunders,

[ecto]

Watched the Debate again whilst faffing in the early hours and I still have no idea how come away saying that it was a Darling win.

In fact, although there wasn't anything new to be learned, it's acted as a decent reminder of a lot of the issues from the mouths of Salmond / Darling and I now have to admit that I'm out of the undecided camp and will most likely be voting Yes (unless some major revelation surfaces).

you must have been watching it with your eyes shut, Darling the clear winner, he managed to beat Salmond at his own game, but the fact you are now more likely to vote yes, would suggest your view is a little biased, just saying

[Crùbag]

you must have been watching it with your eyes shut, Darling the clear winner, he managed to beat Salmond at his own game, but the fact you are now more likely to vote yes, would suggest your view is a little biased, just saying

Darling was typical Darling. Floundered badly under questioning from Ponsonby on greater powers and his only 'trump' was to stutter 'Plan B?' like a broken record. If anything Salmond's failing was not to hammer home the 5 options laid out in the WP while correctly saying he'd argue for a CU as the public have consistently expressed in polls. AS should perhaps have asked AD that in the event of a Yes vote, would he still argue against a formal CU?

Salmond's other failing was not to pull up - Ponsonby should've done this too - Darling's blatant lie about Ireland and Iceland being 'bust'. It's raised a few eyebrows in Ireland apparently. Indeed both of these small nations have come out of the financial crisis stronger than UK and according to international prosperity data, are doing better than the UK. Something for us to aim for, no?

Could also have been mentioned that Iceland jailed the bankers while London rewarded them with bigger bonuses. Or maybe Darling has forgotten about creating a 'Workers' Republic'?

The whole 'Plan B' thing was pounced upon by a Unionist media and Darling's failings ignored. It's already showing signs of backfiring and Darling would be a fool to play that card again. In which case... what IS his positive case for the Union? Cos I didn't hear one last time.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Darling was typical Darling. Floundered badly under questioning from Ponsonby on greater powers and his only 'trump' was to stutter 'Plan B?' like a broken record. If anything Salmond's failing was not to hammer home the 5 options laid out in the WP while correctly saying he'd argue for a CU as the public have consistently expressed in polls. AS should perhaps have asked AD that in the event of a Yes vote, would he still argue against a formal CU?

Salmond's other failing was not to pull up - Ponsonby should've done this too - Darling's blatant lie about Ireland and Iceland being 'bust'. It's raised a few eyebrows in Ireland apparently. Indeed both of these small nations have come out of the financial crisis stronger than UK and according to international prosperity data, are doing better than the UK. Something for us to aim for, no?

Could also have been mentioned that Iceland jailed the bankers while London rewarded them with bigger bonuses. Or maybe Darling has forgotten about creating a 'Workers' Republic'?

The whole 'Plan B' thing was pounced upon by a Unionist media and Darling's failings ignored. It's already showing signs of backfiring and Darling would be a fool to play that card again. In which case... what IS his positive case for the Union? Cos I didn't hear one last time.

The 3 post-debate polls would indicate otherwise.

Even the most fervent of Yes supporters here have admitted that Salmond's performance was well below expectations.

For me it wasn't just the currency but that his debating style was rather lacklustre - a real surprise - been said elsewhere that quoting about aliens and driving on the right side of the road makes people question if you are fit to be leader.

If (I won't say when - leave that to H_B) Yes lose then I can see the knives being out for the FM.

[Confidemus]

The 3 post-debate polls would indicate otherwise.

Even the most fervent of Yes supporters here have admitted that Salmond's performance was well below expectations.

For me it wasn't just the currency that his debating style was weak on - been said elsewhere that quoting about aliens and driving on the right side of the road makes people question if you are fit to be leader.

If (I won't say when - leave that to H_B) Yes lose then I can see the knives being out for the FM.

True, but even Darling at his absolute best couldn't beat Salmond at his absolute worst.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

True, but even Darling at his absolute best couldn't beat Salmond at his absolute worst.

I had it as a score draw.

I think the expectation from all was that Darling was going to get destroyed - the early part the debate in particular is bound to have stuck in some voters minds.

[Confidemus]

I had it as a score draw.

I think the expectation from all was that Darling was going to get destroyed - the early part the debate in particular is bound to have stuck in some voters minds.

There is no doubt Salmond was off form. He concentrated on the jokes too much, was ill prepared and not near as decisive as he needed to be. However, there's still another debate and 5 weeks to go.

Time yet.

[chomp my root]

I had it as a score draw.

I think the expectation from all was that Darling was going to get destroyed - the early part the debate in particular is bound to have stuck in some voters minds.

I had it as a nil nil from a viewers point of view. Both wanted to speak all the time but say nothing and while I would agree that I expected Salmond to have Darling in a headlock, Salmond was poorer than I expected but I maybe just had high expectations, I've thought for a while he's probably the best orator in UK polictics.

[scothmist]

I had it as a nil nil from a viewers point of view. Both wanted to speak all the time but say nothing and while I would agree that I expected Salmond to have Darling in a headlock, Salmond was poorer than I expected but I maybe just had high expectations, I've thought for a while he's probably the best orator in UK polictics.

He sounds more like a barrack room lawyer than an orator.

[ecto]

Darling was typical Darling. Floundered badly under questioning from Ponsonby on greater powers and his only 'trump' was to stutter 'Plan B?' like a broken record. If anything Salmond's failing was not to hammer home the 5 options laid out in the WP while correctly saying he'd argue for a CU as the public have consistently expressed in polls. AS should perhaps have asked AD that in the event of a Yes vote, would he still argue against a formal CU?

Salmond's other failing was not to pull up - Ponsonby should've done this too - Darling's blatant lie about Ireland and Iceland being 'bust'. It's raised a few eyebrows in Ireland apparently. Indeed both of these small nations have come out of the financial crisis stronger than UK and according to international prosperity data, are doing better than the UK. Something for us to aim for, no?

Could also have been mentioned that Iceland jailed the bankers while London rewarded them with bigger bonuses. Or maybe Darling has forgotten about creating a 'Workers' Republic'?

The whole 'Plan B' thing was pounced upon by a Unionist media and Darling's failings ignored. It's already showing signs of backfiring and Darling would be a fool to play that card again. In which case... what IS his positive case for the Union? Cos I didn't hear one last time.

You obviously did not watch it either

[Hedgecutter]

you must have been watching it with your eyes shut, Darling the clear winner

You obviously did not watch it either

Snigger

It was a draw at the very best, never mind a clear win. I think your idea of 'win' is Darling not get the skelping which was predicted, hence coming out better than expected. That's not a debate win.

I watched that with an open mind and Darling being shown up for suddenly changing his opinion to suit his campaign was just one major factor for me. It was much worse than Jim Traynor changing his view on RIP Rangers to get a job at Ibrox. How can anyone, never mind someone on the fence, trust an obvious liar and take anything they say seriously after that?

Darling was typical Darling. Floundered badly under questioning from Ponsonby on greater powers and his only 'trump' was to stutter 'Plan B?' like a broken record. If anything Salmond's failing was not to hammer home the 5 options laid out in the WP while correctly saying he'd argue for a CU as the public have consistently expressed in polls. AS should perhaps have asked AD that in the event of a Yes vote, would he still argue against a formal CU?

Salmond's other failing was not to pull up - Ponsonby should've done this too - Darling's blatant lie about Ireland and Iceland being 'bust'. It's raised a few eyebrows in Ireland apparently. Indeed both of these small nations have come out of the financial crisis stronger than UK and according to international prosperity data, are doing better than the UK. Something for us to aim for, no?

Could also have been mentioned that Iceland jailed the bankers while London rewarded them with bigger bonuses. Or maybe Darling has forgotten about creating a 'Workers' Republic'?

The whole 'Plan B' thing was pounced upon by a Unionist media and Darling's failings ignored.

I can only agree with this. It's obvious that ecto watched it not with his eyes shut but through double lens BT specs.