Saturday, October 23, 2010

TB *Hearts* Nadine Dorries

Oh, Tory Bear - what's happened to you? You seem to have become a purely partisan blogger, slavishly defending the indefensible simply because she happens to be in the same party as you. And, ironically, you've adopted some of the traits that she uses.
TB swung by BBC Breakfast this morning to discuss the fact that despite being cleared by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Nadine Dorries is still being subjected to a vitriolic and partisan hounding online, especially from the more scummy, stalkerish elements of the otherwise maturing left-wing blogsphere.
There is nothing partisan about commenting on an MP whose lies have just been exposed. And since she is an elected representative paid from the public purse any vitriol against her owing to her deceit is more than acceptable.
Nadine claimed that she changed the names and locations of constituents she discussed in order to protect their privacy and her own. Funnily enough the BBC though this worthy of their airtime.
An MP lying about the details she shares with her constituents being newsworthy? Who'd have a thought it?
The quality is appalling, but someone managed to grab a recording of the discussion with lefty, but a nice one, Zoe Margolis.
I wonder what makes someone a nice "lefty"? And I wonder whether this particular "lefty" really wants to be considered "nice" by Tory Bear?

Anyhoo, at this point in his post TB has the video of his appearance on BBC Breakfast. He's right - the quality is appalling. As is his shirt - he seems to have adopted the two-tone shirts that one normally associates with bankers and Guido Fawkes.
Take note though Andrew Marr, not a basement dweller in sight. Though it's that sort of blogger keeping the attacks up.
No, it isn't - it is people like myself who keep the attacks going because we are sick to fucking death of politicians lie Dorries.
To those that say this isn't a left on right attack are wrong.
No, it isn't a left on right attack - I am neither left wing or right wing, and I am part of the attack. But even if I was right wing, I would still attack Dorries behaviour because for me, unlike TB, I'm not slavishly partisan.
It's precisely because of Nadine's views, that some might regard as controversial, that the left can whip themselves up into such a frenzy about her. But they are running out of attack lines, and funny how quiet they are about the accused fraudsters facing trial from their own side of the political divide.
Well, I object to Dorries's view on abortion, which are crass, illiberal and antediluvian. But that isn't the reason why I'm attacking her at the moment - it is because of her (self-confessed) mendacious behaviour. And I've not been silent on those expenses fiddlers who are facing trial - it is just that nothing is happening with that story, whereas with Dorries, this story is fresh and evolving.
Funny though that despite the countless attempts to bring her down, Nadine managed to increase her majority in May.
In a safe Tory constituency that has not returned anyone from another party since 1929* that isn't quite the achievement TB makes it out to be - particularly since in 2005 she was replacing an MP who had disgraced himself. And the increased swing towards her was only a bit more than the national swing towards the Conservatives. Quite how this current scandal will impact on her constituency vote next time remains to be seen, of course.
Something that along with her clearing by John Lyons is driving the local Labour Party and freaks many miles away in places like Guildford mad.
Well, she may have been cleared but in the process revealed that she has deceived people. It's not exactly a ringing endorsement of her behaviour now, is it?
She remains are popular local MP and would frankly be better ignoring the online nutters...
Well, her popularity may well take a bit of a battering over this. But that isn't the jarring moment in the final line. The use of the word "nutters" (which may well be tongue in cheek to some extent) is simply extending the banal insults thrown around by his fellow party member. Those who disagree with Dorries and call her on her lies are "nutters". The hypocrisy in TB's position should be clear to everyone - he's not a nutter when he attacks Labour politicians, but when someone attacks someone from his party... well, they must be mental.

TB is clearly a publicity hungry blogger determined to make himself into some sort of minor celebrity. Fair play. He's not doing badly at it. But he should bear in mind that there is nothing that damages a blogger's credibility quicker than being a slavish party loyalist. Nothing, that is, other than admitting that 70% of your blog's content is fiction...

UPDATE:
TB tells me in the comments section that he is not longer a Tory party member; sorry, my bad. However I still feel that tribal loyalty is playing a role in his judgement call on this one so when you read "same party" in the post above read "fellow right-winger" or similar instead.

*The boundaries of the constituency have changed over that period, of course.

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11 Comments:

At 6:30 pm , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great Fisking. TB was at his most shallow and partisan.

 
At 8:00 pm , Blogger asquith said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

 
At 8:02 pm , Blogger asquith said...

I have never had any time for him myself. In 2 years of being familiar with his output I never quite grasped how he became popular.

 
At 8:09 pm , Blogger Harry Cole said...

Two things. One dry cleaning day tomorrow. Getting to the back of the wardrobe.

Two haven't been a member of the tory party for a long time and never refrained from sticking it to them even when I was.

Disagree with me on this case by all means but don't try boxing my arguement like that. I support Nadine because I believe she is being treated horrendously not because we once wore the same badge.

Ta

 
At 8:53 pm , Blogger The Nameless Libertarian said...

TB,

Didn't know you were no longer a member of the Tory party. My assumption was based on your online monicker (although I guess you're not a bear either...) and the fact that your post and appearance on TV appeared to be reproducing Dorries' line on this scandal word for word.

I know in the past you've criticised politicians of all parties, including the Tories, which is why I was surprised to see you backing Dorries as she admits to deception. And I can't help but wonder whether a little residual tribal (rather than party) loyalty isn't clouding your judgement - it would be interesting to see how you would have responded had it been a left-wing Labour politician (say, ooo, I don't know, Kerry McCarthy) in this position. I know tribal loyalty and left-right identification remains a potent motivator for many, even after they have left the main parties.

But that's by the by - for me, Dorries' actions are indefensible, so I guess I was never going to agree with your defence of her.

TNL

 
At 9:13 pm , Blogger The Cowboy Online said...

A great fisking? Really? It seems that Nadine is being persecuted here, after all, changing details on a blog - to conceal the identity of members of the public - would seem, to me at least, to be a laudable act.

I'm sorry, but this seems like clutching at the tiniest of imagined transgressions to vent your dislike of politicians. I wouldn't say I like politicians, but this smacks of the same kind of behaviour as the continued vitriol directed at Sarah Palin.

 
At 9:28 pm , Blogger The Nameless Libertarian said...

Not quite sure how a politician admitting they have deceived their constituents is the same as the anger against Sarah Palin - which is generally about what she stands for rather than what she has done. Surely you'e not trying to lump politicians together because of their gender?

But there is nothing philanthropic about what Dorries has done as far as I can see - she is attempting to duck legitimate questions from those who disagree with her - not protect the public. No persecution here - just an expectation that politicians should be subject to scrutiny and willing to engage with the voting public. Oh, and also that they be honest...

TNL

 
At 9:37 pm , Blogger The Cowboy Online said...

Are you one of Nadine's constituents? I am and I don't feel deceived, I feel it's a bit of a non-event. It just seems to me that she's being picked upon because her beliefs antagonise other people, hence mentioning Sarah Palin.

By all means, if you feel you're "holding her to account", go for it. You've said that's what you're doing, I still don't see it that way.

 
At 11:35 pm , Blogger The Nameless Libertarian said...

Why should it matter whether or not I am one of Dorries' constituents? If we allow her to get away with deceit then it sets a dangerous precedent for other politicians in this country.

The beliefs of almost all politicians antagonise someone somewhere - you may as well have compared Dorries to Obama.

I'm frankly amazed that the completely justified outrage at Dorries' behaviour is seen as some kind of persecution. Do you actually believe that this is acceptable from a politician? There is nothing laudable or acceptable in her pathetic, cowardly actions.

TNL

 
At 11:43 am , Anonymous Wilf said...

I saw the interview with TB on the BBC and thought at the time that we was trying too hard to defend Dorries. The other fat lump being interviewed was slightly more balanced but TB was embarrassing trying to defend the mendacious Nad.

I realised after the interview why I don't bother with his blog much. Pompous c*nt.

 
At 4:23 pm , Blogger TheBoilingFrog said...

@thecowboyonline It seems that Nadine is being persecuted here, after all, changing details on a blog - to conceal the identity of members of the public - would seem, to me at least, to be a laudable act.

A couple of points:

1) Nadine Dorries said 70% of her blog was fiction. Looking at her posts this covers far far more than locations and names of constituents. So she must be lying about loads of other things too.

2) Fair enough protecting names, so why is there not a disclaimer to this effect? And why did she not come forward with this way before now when she was first investigated?

3) Nadine now says on her blog:
I would also like to state that every word written on my blog is absolutely true. Yep 'every word', which contradicts her previous statement. Now we know for sure, she is either blatantly lying to her constituents or to the Commissioner

4) Nadine has a impressive long list of being less than candid, as highlighted by other MPs such as Tom Harris

Nadine is a liar and smears her own constituents - her conduct is not that one should expect of an MP. She deserves all the criticism that comes her way.

 

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