The defecation may have hit the oscillation for Labour's election campaign.
Gordon Brown was being interviewed on live TV in Rochdale about his party's plans for the economy and their plans for tackling the deficit. During the dialogue with reporters, Gillian Duffy, a lifelong Labour supporter, heckled and challenged the prime minister to say he would tackle the debt. At the time, the prime minister paid her no attention. However, after the interview was over senior aides took him to meet the woman.
Mr. Brown clearly made an impression on her because she thought he was "a very nice man". Clearly, that's one vote in the bag. The prime minster, however, felt a little differently. He was still wired up a Sky News mic as he returned to his security detail. Once he got in the car he called the whole ordeal with the pensioner a "disaster" and "ridiculous". What's more is that he called poor Gillian a "bigoted woman". Ouch! Follow the link to the actual recording: http://tinyurl.com/35vzqsh.
As you can imagine, damage control was in full swing. Unfortunately, it was a little too late as the recording had already been aired on television. Commentators are saying that this will bring Brown's infamous temper and character back into the spotlight.
The prime minster's team did release a transcript of the exchange between the two. Now, I'm personally unable to comment because I wasn't there. But it appears that Mrs. Duffy made a comment on immigration and the amount of Easetern Europeans flocking to the country. She was possibly insinuating that the influx of Eastern Europeans affects jobs and benefits. If she did actually say that then I would also call her views bigoted. At the same time, I'm in no position to presume that her views are a natural extension of her personality.
In any case, Brown is now practically on his knees seeking atonement. But then again, it just shows how sensitive our society has become when we condemn our chosen leaders for the tiniest of transgressions. We look for fodder and sensationalize because we're all so deprived of entertainment. I can appreciate the complexity of the situation because of the election. However, a politican should be defined by his values, beliefs, and the methods he seeks to emply to improve the status quo. Now, if the woman turns out to actually be a bigot, then Brown will be regarded as a hero. In fact, after finding out about the prime minster's comments Gillian said that she would not be voting Labour. She is clearly the personification of fickleness. Earlier on she was on Labour's side because she agreed with their politics. And now that she feels insulted, she's back on the fence. Does a politican really want the vote of a person whose priorities can change in a heartbeat. I'm sure there have been variations of Labour politics over her lifetime which Mrs. Duffy didn't agree with but still backed. All I can say is stop voting with your hearts, guts and egos and learn to use your brain.
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