Why did the televised election debate make such a difference?

They got a podium and were presented as an alternative. While I certainly agree with your statement 'You don't vote for personalities or for a leader of a party, you vote for a set of policies held by a political party.' I'm afraid it's not as true and self evident as you/ we would like it to be. People don't always act rationally.

The surge in popularity shows part of the electorate can be swayed by empty gimmicks like personalities. Happens throughout the world and inevitably leads to a right wing advantage in my view. The less people understand the more they are likely to vote against their own best interests.

I also understand the establishment media in the UK framed the debate as a victory for the liberal Democrats.

'The Independent declared that Clegg “broke the duopoly in British politics… The Liberal Democrat leader seized the moment”.

The Telegraph wrote of his “confident performance and mastery of the debate format” giving him “overall victory.”

The Guardian editorial focused on his “leaving his two rivals in his wake,” while Patrick Wintour and Polly Curtis spoke of his ability to “change the political landscape” by his “revelatory performance”.

Anyone who witnessed the tortured debate would be baffled by such panegyrics. After all Clegg benefited primarily from not being Gordon Brown or David Cameron.

This response accorded to him is because he is now considered important in the political calculations of the bourgeoisie. The Liberal Democrats are being cultivated for a possible role in government for the first time since the Liberal Labour coalition in 1977, which was used in order to impose cuts dictated by the International Monetary Fund. Its role in a government formed after May 6 would be to impose the far more “savage cuts” to which Clegg is pledged.

The leaders’ debate serves to confirm the appraisal made by Britain’s Socialist Equality Party in its election manifesto: “This general election is a political fraud. Whatever the make-up of the next government, its agenda has already been determined. The international financial institutions, the major corporations and all the official parties intend to make working people foot the bill for an economic crisis that is not of their making.”

Politics today is monopolised by a fabulously wealthy financial oligarchy, which controls all of the major parties and determines their policies. This situation can only be challenged through the mobilisation of an independent political and social movement of the working class, under the leadership of its own socialist party—one that must of necessity develop outside of the sclerotic structures of the parliamentary system.'

The UK electoral system isn't meant to be about the leaders and it isn't presidential. However there are alot of people that don't understand that and still more who would like it to be.

Nick Clegg had a good performance in the debate and he came out of it well so now there are more people who would like to see him as PM, especially since his party has no record of mistakes as the other two do.

If you're looking for differences in policies the Liberal Democrats would reform the voting system to proportional representation, hold an amnesty for illegal immigrants, take us into the Euro and scrap the country's Nuclear Weapons. They would also try to aim the tax system towards the wealthy and middle classes and would also change the law to emphasise civil rights over state control.

Whether you think it is the new emphasis on Lib Dem policies or the popularity of Clegg that has led to the swing in support I think the debate made a difference because it was a refreshing approach to politics.

I think a lot of people don't consider the Lib Dems so they must have been delighted for Nick Clegg to be up there with the other two. It made it feel less like a two horse race and I think Clegg presented himself and his party very effectively. While Brown and Cameron bickered, he actually seemed to make more effort to answer the questions. I liked his comment about the more they argue the more they look the same! It's often easy to think that.

a million. fake 2. fake 3. television visitors stated that Kennedy won the controversy, together as radio listeners stated that Nixon won the controversy 4. Interpretation 5. people under 30 6. Boston Transcript 7. Investigative reporting 8. Authoritarian states 9. 1920 10. Radio act of 1927

the media wasn't paying as much attention to the lib Dem's and this debate helps us compare the policies of all three big parties and because of that lots of people liked the lib Dem's policies.