Who’s going to be the PB Poster of 2009?
December 23rd, 2009
Your chance to submit a nomination
It’s Christmas and time for our annual election for who has been the PB Poster of the Year. Please note that there will be a separate election next week for the PB betting tipster of the year - this first election is about politics purely and simple.
The selection process is in two parts: this thread when nominations are invited and then the online election itself.
Who has contributed most to your understanding of politics over the past twelve months? Which contributor has consistently produced insights that have enhanced your views? Whose posts do you never skip over.
Please name as many as you like giving reasons and examples if possible. A shortlist will then be drawn up for the vote.
Both the nomination process and the voting are open to everybody who visits PB - so don’t be put off if you are not a regular poster. This is for you as well.
Nominating ends tomorrow at noon and voting will take place over the following two days closing on December 27th.
Mike Smithson
MessageSpace Advertising
tim!
gabble!
Richie Rich!
All giants in their own right.
My nominations:
1) bunnco. Excellent, insightful posts and pb2 articles, and a very useful correspondent for the recent by-election.
2) Yellow Submarine. A Lib Dem with a sense of strategy and longterm thinking, and a proper understanding of how his party could prosper and usurp Labour as the party of the Left. Always objective, interesting and worth reading.
How could I forget Roger…
Yellow Submarine.
Regulars won’t need an explanation.
*cough* on a more serious note: Yellow Submarine certainly, for providing intelligent and non-partisan insight away from us herders.
Aww hell, I’m going to say Jack W too. Although his meanderings might not be my cup of tea, he also via JARHEAD and others provides a very important part of this community.
Stuart Dickson for keeping us a abreast of North Britain.
And Plato always makes me smile.
Ist among equals, Bunnco and Yellow Submarine
2 - I second both of those, MD. And nominate David Herdson as well.
Shortlist:
Yellow Submarine- Flying the flag for intelligent Lib-Demmery.
tim- Certainly provoked more comment than anyone else this year, and from time to time had some genuine insight to offer. “Good tim” one of the best posters, “Bad tim” among the worst.
David Herdson- Consistently worth reading.
And my wildcard nomination:
JohnLoony- For popping up at unholy times of the day with weird anecdotes, insights, and answers to questions asked two threads ago. Contributes more to the general air of surrealism of PB.com than anyone else.
I’ll nominate David Herdson once again this year and agree with YS also being nominated.
1. SB - I don’t think Mike would allow a suitable category for those three!
Yellow Submarine- Informed, sensible and non-partisan
Easteross - Interesting about a subject I am not very interested in
David Roe- Excellent on the tabloid media narrative
Tim- Can be amusing and always ready to set himself up as an Aunt Sally (I am convinced he is really a Tory)
I like lots of PB posters. There are several whose posts I never skip.
Too many people to remember, but Yellow Submarine stands out. I cannot remember a duff post by him this year, although he did go AWOL for several months.
Fully agree with almost all the nominations so far, but would like to add ‘alex (small a!!) and wibbler to the list. Both are fine posters.
JackW, for being institutionalised.
And because he’ll sulk if he’s not nominated….
I suspect familiarity has bred contempt which would be a shame. So we should remember the reigning champ SeanT. Consistantly funny and articulate and probably the best individual post of the year because of the “Knox Conundrum”.
David Herdson is consistantly excellent. I suspect he suffers from being a Contributer to lead articles rather than seen as a “poster” which is an artificial distinction. He deserves a nod.
ChristinaD and Easteross speak of an area they know well and I read every word because the on the ground knowledge shines through. On a site that deals with such broad sweeps its worth remembering that all politics is local. I don’t mean they are parochial i just mean a certain kind of activist integrity comes through as opposed to some of the more ideological right wing posters.
Antifrank deserves a nod because he is consistantly good and does betting stuff and surely at least one tipster needs to be in the running on a Politicalbetting site? seperate catergory existing or not?
At this point I’ll put my tin hat on and enter a couple of wild cards.
Stuart Dickson is prolific, post a great number of links which i know not everyone is interested in however add signifigant background to a topic often underrepresented on the site. I suspect his abbrasive tone and pugalistic style will win few friends but he stands his ground.
and finally to Tim. Who ever wins in terms of profile, setting agendas ,shaping threads in fact ” Full Spectrum Dominance” is there anyone other than Tim who could even claim to be Poster of the Year?
15 and finally to Tim. Who ever wins in terms of profile, setting agendas ,shaping threads in fact ” Full Spectrum Dominance” is there anyone other than Tim who could even claim to be Poster of the Year?
If only by quantity more than quality….one would have to agree.
David Herdson has had a ‘less good’ year IMHO. This close to an election it is very, very difficult to maintain an objective stance. David tried valiantly, but failed once too often.
I always read David Herdson for well written serious political analysis. I also always read SeanT for well written entertainment - and also because he’s on an interesting political journey.
Nick Palmer, one of the only people here who understands maths.
David Herdson for interesting and sensible analysis.
seanT again.
Yellow Submarine - for general insight
URW - for the gambling insight
SeanT - because he can still be very witty
tim - as the most improved poster of the year
I’m surprised that no-one’s mentioned Richard Nabavi yet. True he might be a bit too high Tory for the lefties’ tastes but his posts are always well argued and presented, and usually always - whatever he’s talking about - have a betting angle as well.
Also how can I forget shadsy - solely for offering Lady Ashton at the marvellous 50/1/
SeanT is always excellent but wasn’t he absent for most of the year ? Maybe he was only away for a couple of months and it just felt like more which must be a testament to how good he is.
Bunnco - how pbc should be all the time.
Team of the year - tim.
My top spot goes to SeanT. Whether he is being reasonable or beyond outrageous he never seems to write a boring sentence.
Ave It! must surely be WUM of the year. He is always so jovial, unlike those glum WUMs on the Left.
For sane, and always affable, voices in the background we are lucky to have EasterRoss, Plato and NPMP.
21. Well said - Tim and Richard N.
Wayne also for his insider info.
Yellow Submarine. I don’t always agree with him, but he is certianly thought-provoking. Bunnco, for the handful of posts he made regarding the goings-on in Norfolk. Any chance of getting him to broaden his horizons?
I reserve the right to come back and re-post with more names when I have given this nmore thought!
19: I used to understand maths, I have a degree in it, but I’ve forgotten it all.
SeanT for his entertaining style of writing, and obvious thought put in.
Yellow Submarine for some intriguing posts.
But, we are all winners!!
Main course – David Herdson
Dessert – SeanT
Most sensible - Yellow Submarine
Most persistent - Tim
Most outspoken - Martin Day
Yellow Submarine by a country mile for cogent insights into the Lib Dems and for a degree of neutrality which comes from not being tied to one of the blue or the red camps.
Honourable mentions go to Jack W, for all round contributions; bunnco, Easterross and ChristinaD for local insight; and antifrank for a fairly non-partisan take on political betting as a discipline (and for showing that very senior and successful City lawyers can still be extremely interesting - looking forward to lengthy posts about the civil partnership! I can guarantee that the two partners I work for will never have heard of pb.com!).
The two Peters are almost too closely identified with the site to count as posters (sorry!), but they are both superb.
tim is a conundrum. Certainly he is the poster who has had the single biggest influence on this site over the last year. However far too often that influence has been malign, and his posts snide. I would suggest that he has been a net negative in terms of both the quality of debate and the atmosphere - it’s good to have a diversity of opinion here, but not one represented in the manner he chooses.
I know not why he posts as he does, but he is exceedingly good at it [though it's a shame the same people fall for it again and again]. Time after time threads are diverted, kites are flown and his own prejudices are relentlessly (several times a thread!) portrayed as facts.
On the other hand, he is one of the true shrewdies on here when it comes to punting. Despite that colossal point in his favour, I could not in all conscience vote for him as PotY, but he probably deserves a nomination.
Evening Wear. - Nabavi.Antifrank.Wibbler.
Swim Wear. - Coxall URW Jack W
Travel the World and help people - Sean T
Stuart Dickson, regular and informative updates on everything happening north of Hadrian’s Wall!
Tim, provides the necessary balance that this site needs and is often very insightful.
Yellow Submarine, always worth a read!
On the non-betting side of things, I’m going in no particular order for for Marquee Mark (but shame about the football), Madasafish (but should be around more often) and Easterross.
URW has a superb betting brain. I’m in awe. Always worth reading but I guess he is likely to be a nomination for betting tipster of the year.
tough decison. need to think about it a bit more.
although i do like tim as he fights a hard battle defending the impossible with gusto. not always rationally but always there.
There seems to be a distinct lack of votes for Martin Day thus far. Martin Day = …?
:-D
35 - Is this a Poster of the Year with a Punter of the year to follow, or a combination?
Rod Crosby, for making people reassess their expectations, and think things through from first principles; SeanT when he isn’t being malicious, and Marquee Mark for being generally civilised (most of the time.)
Stuart Dickson might have had a chance but he disqualifies all English voters because of their ignorance of things north of the border.
Although they don’t post often, their contributions are invariable civil, pertinent and concise.
Andy Cooke
Edmund in Tokyo
Btw, I’ve added error bars to the Kalman filter.
http://www.titanictown.plus.com/hp/kalman.png
Tories losing about 0.5% per month, since August or even April 2009.
On course for my predicted share of 37% at the GE…
fpt:
Hey - Poorie Poor - how are those long £/$ positions going that you took out the day before the PBR?
It has to be Tim
Whilst giving me an insight into how Labour is thinking, he just makes me laugh - sometimes out loud (Mind so would all Labour voters if they were not so sad!)
OT:
Single best post of the year was from tim, just before polling opened on the day of the Euro elections, to the effect of … In five minutes pb.com posters across the land will be bursting into polling stations shouting ‘first’!
Still has me chuckling to this day.
Punter of the Year - Mike Smithson!
Off-topic: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8428074.stm
Should the feeble inquiry into Iraq postpone tea and biscuits with the PM and others in the run-up to the GE?
James Kelly
For keeping a viable left wing voice on this increasingly right wing website.
For standing up against anti-Scottish smears and bigotry on this increasingly right wing website.
For showing the right wing the intellectual inferiority of their positions on this increasingly right wing website.
For making ChristinaD and SeanT look hilariously stupid on this increasingly right wing website.
15. YS - “abbrasive tone and pugalistic style”
Err… I think that I can safely speak for all of PB’s SNP posters when I say that as soon as one of us sticks their head above the parapet they get solidly punched straight in the face. You try being un-pugilistic and unabrasive in such circumstances!
32 - ‘Fraid that’s my view too. At his best, he is very very good, but that’s more than outweighed by the tedious obsessions.
Weathercock picks.
Winter:……. Madasafish
Spring:……. David Herdson
Summer:…. SeanT
Autmn:……. JackW
For Betting: PtP
M. Smithson
For madness: Av It ‘O9
For most missed: Martin Day
46, Morris Dancer!
In fairness, I did tip Button at 70/1 for the title. That was entirely due to my brilliant insight and betting acumen, and not remotely the greatest fluke since Blair left office 7 seconds before the financial crisis.
Most Missed PBer of Times Gone By
I nominate Andrea.
Chippiest Poster of the Year:
I nominate ChristinaD.
I don’t post but am an avid reader so would like my two cents worth
Yellow Submarine-v.sensible and going on the comments above is likely to get it
SeanT-definitely worthy of a shout
SallyC hasn’t had a mention yet-keeps me entertained with witty comebacks
Its been ages since I posted last but I have to do say David Herdson, just a pity Sean Fear and the old gang aren’t on here as often as they used to be.
The truth is there are many posters who provide excellent insight. Some (such as Bunnco, already mentioned) are particularly strong on invaluable local information, and others (such as YS) focus more on the wider strategy.
Leaving aside those (such as URW, Jack W, PtP, PfP, Aaron, stjohn etc) who will no doubt be prominent in the Tipster category, those whose comments I don’t skip over include the following (in no particular order), all of whom add insights even if I strongly disagree with many of them:
antifrank
Nick Palmer
Jonathan
runnymede (not to everyone’s taste, I appreciate, but I like his dependable cynicism, and he is superb on macro-economics)
tim (Actually I skip around two-thirds of his posts, but the remainder can be excellent)
David Herdson
Easterross
Stuart Dickson (when not in rant mode)
marcia (not a prolific poster, but always very well worth paying attention to)
ChristinaD
Hopi Sen (the thinking man’s Labour poster)
Andy Cooke (superb on statistics)
Edmund in Tokyo
SallyC
Martin Coxall
Sean Fear
Richard Tyndall (Wrong but Romantic)
Rod Crosby (Wrong but Well-Informed)
SeanT
Ted
jsfl
James Burdett
And many others. There was also the excellent Ken, but he seems to have gone quiet over the last few months.
Martin Day for “Lazarus” award.
Oops, I forgot Scott P.
Favourite Labour posters:
I like several, but I have a very soft sport for Roger (for being a human being) and for coldstone (who knows where the Tories keep their nuts, and just cannot help himself from booting them there time and time again. Ouch!!).
(Note: I am aware that Coldstone is voting Lib Dem this time, but that doesn’t mean he is not a Labour poster.)
Ave it, Mr Coxall and John R for always entertaining comments and making me laugh out loud. Bunnco for some great insights, he’ll be an even bigger star next year with his insights on some several seats that have betting implications. antifrank and Richard Nabavi for spotting some great betting markets, and last but not least Tim, for fighting the good fight when most others would have given up. Sir I salute your courage, your inde.. You know the rest
59. typo - …a very soft spot for Roger…
“Nominating ends tomorrow at noon and voting will take place over the following two days closing on December 27th.”
Awww. I’ll be staying over Christmas with family who don’t have the internet. What’s the procedure for applying a postal vote?
So, I can’t vote. OK. But I can at least nominate and so I’ll nominate tim - I don’t agree with him very often but I always find him an interesting read.
And Seth O Logue.
Amidst a board generally inhabited by sexual reprobates even if pretending) he gives a Trevor Howard 1950’s morality to proceedings.
Which probably means that in real life he’s a dungeon dwelling dominatrix.
30.
“Most sensible - Yellow Submarine”
Der Schiff!
“Most persistent - Tim”
Herpes is persistent, is it not?
“Most outspoken - Martin Day”
i thought only posters who use the upper end of their body for communication were considered?
“far too often that (tim) influence has been malign, and his posts snide.”
You mean. like his hero Tony Bliar, he is trying to camoflage himself among the Toryherd whose snideness knows no boundaries?
Martin Coxall is an incredibly balanced Tory. There always has to be an exception to the rules!
The “Tory herd” is another of tim’s successful memes, as it happens
I’m not sure if any membership lists exist - but no doubt they have herd immunity in terms of contracting botulism… 
Favourites in no particular order:
Politics and Principles,
Yellow Submarine,
David Herdson,
Roving Reporter
Bunnco, your man on the spot.
Weather Girl.
Plato.
Man in the North.
Stuart Dickson
Poker face.
URW
Weapons and Artillery
Morris Dancer.
All things gynaecological
SeanT
Newbie.
The Screaming Eagles.
Err, list to be updated when time allows.
THE CAT, THE LOCAL TRAMP, …..ANYONE BUT A BLOODY SOCIALIST !
67: I’m a proud herd member
Tim should win for being the dominant poster on this site.
Other personal favorites:
Richard Nabavi - always interesting, often sound, but suffers from a rather rose-tinted view of all thing Blue.
John O - The man has class, it’s great that he is now on day release.
Nick Palmer MP - For just sticking with the site and for buying me lunch.
Augustus Carp - Another class act.
Morris Dancer - I have no idea why , but sometimes he appeals. We all have our weaknesses.
And a special mention for anyone who is Labour. Acting as a sink for all that frustration from Tory posters is a genuine public service.
Politician of the Year : Gordon Brown
Still dominates the political weather.
40. Augustus
I agree about Rod Crosby: he is an absolutely essential element in the PB ensemble.
And like the best PBers you can knock Rod down 20 times in a day, but the wee bugger just keeps coming back for more!
A credit to Merseyside.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ …… We already know who is going to win FFS.
Whats the weather like in outer Mongolia, does anyone know???
Bunnco also clearly deserves a nomination.
I can’t support a nomination for tim - to me this should be an award either for the most readable posters (most of the time, he clearly fails this) or for those who make the biggest net contribution to the site (he makes a net negative contribution).
42. Rod Crosby
Agree re. Andy Cooke. Seen far too little, but I usually pay attention when I spot him post.
68. Wayne - or a tory for that matter. In Wokingham we have a celebrity tramp called “Steve the Tramp” who has a local cult following on the web:
http://www.stevethetramp.com/
I am not sure if he would be interested in pb.com though.
1. Richard Nabavi - for decent political commentary and insight. Always well informed and informative, and doesn’t ever let his opinions get opinionated.
2. Yellow Submarine - for original thinking. He takes his mind for a walk and you never quite know the destination.
3. Tie between SeanT and The Screaming Eagles - for being funny, daring and revealing and redressing any anorak tendencies.
4. fr - for the dryest of dry wit.
Re. Gaffe of the Year, surely there is only one contender. Gordon’s YouTube performance on expenses has to be the hands down winner.
Some great posters on this site.
antifrank
Richard Nabavi
The Peters, Punter and Putney
stjohn
tim
JackW
Bunnco and Meurig,superb local posters
Stuart Dickson,always willing.
Loads of others whose names will come to me eventually.
I think tim is the poster of the year but JackW is a less controversial choice.
tim is so much abused, just for being tim and takes it all on the chin and gives back twice what he gets.Also he is the only poster on here who remotely understands my more obscure posts.
JackW is by far the pleasantest poster.Even when I really disagree with his pleasantness (just once) I am still in awe of his demeanour…….Peter the Punter runs him close !
So its tim for me, followed by JackW and Richard Nabavi who has yet to put up a silly betting post.
Vain as I am, I wouldn’t have myself in the top ten and I took leave of absence in the summer months.
“tim is so much abused, just for being tim and takes it all on the chin and gives back twice what he gets”
I think you’ll find that tim usually gets his retaliation in first.
Meurig for his commentary on Welsh marginals which really should have been put on this site rather than hidden on PBC2.
I would like to argue against anyone being poster of the year who resorts to using the term ‘herd’ whenever someone disagrees with them
1. Yellow Submarine - Always compelling reading, reasoned argument and willing to criticise his own side as well as others, which I am sure doesn’t always come easily.
2. bunco - First of all a great catchphrase reminding me of US TV news (Action Live Eye Witness On the Spot News Channel 98 WHFD etc) but also for his ability to pass on information whilst bringing it alive.
3. Richard Nabavi - For being able to construct a logical argument and have you nod even when you disagree.
For sticking to a position under incoming fire from all around I might suggest James Kelly and Southern Observer. Whilst we may disagree in our brief encounters they have always been courteous, something missing on many political sites. I also would recommend NPMP for being unfailingly polite whilst being reminded of his potential upcoming P45.
financier talks the most sense and has correctly identified the issue which will dominate 2010 - the replunging economy
Also fr, JonathanD, Richard Nabavi. SeanT is not on average the best, but has hit some heights in the occasional genius post as ever. Also stropping off for a time must count against him
whatever happened to ken?
It’s a “two-horse race” between Yellow Submarine and tim.
80
It’s SOUTHAM observer.
It’s a town in Warwickshire. Where he lives presumably…
Sorry, but as a fellow Warwickshire lad it does wind me up
I would go for the three greatest contrarians.
Sean Fear, who used to be 100% Tory and is now half UKIP.
Tim, who is entirely Labour, but hates Brown and said that he was going to vote Lib Dem.
Yellow Sub, who is nastier about the Lib Dems than the whole Tory Herd put together.
78. fr - so true. You are zooming up the charts for me.
Aaron is the sharpest tool in the pb.com betting box. He is closest to me in his thinking but just that bit sharper.
Not POTY material because he could give a lot more than he does.
When Aaron speaks, you all should listen.
I nominate:
Morris Dancer
For his consistent good humour, his refusal to get bogged down in Tim’s sidetracks and obsessions, and his sound common sense. But most of all for his political manifesto.
My second choice would be:
Southam Observer
A poster whose politics I usually disagree with but whose posts often make me stop and think.
Special mention must go to those few who have posted tips on the horses this year from whose knowledge and insight I have made a few bob, and had a wonderful day at Goodwood.
http://tiny.cc/pbposteroftheyear
All these nominations for Tim give me some insight into how Gordon became party leader.
more files on politicans handed over to CPS - news 24 - no names.
Burying the bad news?
Poser of the year Tim.
Poster of the year TSE or Ave It 09.
Final thoughts from me.
- Another Richard hasn’t been mentioned. Superb analysis of individual seats coupled with politeness and warmth
- Morris Dancer hasn’t been mentioned enough. He’s actually very funny. I understand he is a fantasy writer and from some of the concepts he comes up with you can peek at a very flexible mind. I’d be facinated if he turned his attention seriously to Morley and Outwood. The intervention of very well organised Independent and BNP campaigns as well as balls and the national Tory swing make it a facinating seat.
- As mentioned up thread Runnymead is very strong on economics. I suspect he might be vaguely appalled at being Poster of the Year as he is so waspish however lets not forget the “Runnymead Senario”.
- I shouldn’t have missed Richard Nabavi off my original list. For consistant out put which includes detailed betting imput he should be on the short list.
In terms of catergories I do hope there is a Scottish catergory as there is so much talent on here ( James Kelly/Red Meteor deserves a mention ) and it risks getting swamped by the 80/20 problem.
A similar plea for a Labour/Centre left catergory.
I’d also like to see a ” Martin Day Award for the Gaiety of Nations” catergory for the funny stuff.
Poster of the year from:
Sean Fear - for a good take on the worries of the sensible right of Conservatism
Yellow Submarine - as so many have said, what an LD should be but so few are
Morris Dancer - if only for the enormo-haddock
Other awards:
Most tedious - Wage Slave
Most arrogant - URW
Most pointless - Wayne
Most people involved on one username (and yet still writing 90% nonsense) - tim
Actually, TSE does deserve some recognition for his gonzo account of his engagement, nuptials, honeymoon PB posting, and impending fatherhood. But that’s more a continuous entertainment.
I reckon I’ve learned most from Nick Palmer, LondonStatto and easterross.
Yellow Submarine - always on the button and should be running Lib Dem strategy
Richard Nabavi - a must read, great insight, spots nuances often missed by the rest and always a gentleman
SeanT - how to be immensely insulting and
at the same time.
There are so many contenders, wish I had more votes.
Special mentions for Morris Dancer’s artillery, Martin Coxall’s expletives and David Herdson who penne some of the very best articles I’ve seen this year.
Seriously now,
My nomination is for Richard Nabavi - He’s excellent!
95 - David Herdson is making articles out of pasta, Plato?
97. That’s not tortelli far-fetched…
For me, it is a two horse race between
a) Yellow Submarine - who always writes such interesting stuff, and has credibility when he praises his own side, due the fact that you know he will be honest and criticise his own side when he feels it is warranted,
b) Tim - who can be witty, give the odd good tip, and wrote a surprisingly good guest article.
The reason he is so successful at winding the conservatives up on the site, is because underlying what he posts (albeit sometimes in a less-than-praiseworthy manner) is the truth that politics is not black and white, but merely shades of grey. The Conservatives are not the good guys - merely the “less-bad” guys.
94 You learn more from Nick Pamler from what he doesn’t say than what he does.
I wonder how many of our most persistant contributors on here are/were only-childs…?
Anyhows….
Poster-of-the-year: Ted. Always concise, on-topic and entirely curteous. Honourable mention for YS.
Best-newcomer: [Hope I got this right.] Bunnco. Excellent coverage from a-bloke-in-a-bow-tie.
Most improved: Ed in Tokyo. I used to skip your postings, but I have learnt the errors of my ways!
And to keep our Northern Parisheners happy….
SNP-poster: marcia. If only the rest of the clan could be as level-headed.
98. Andrew G.
If we have a big pasta pun-making session I might blow a fusilli.
For me it’s Yellow Submarine by a fair margin.
But honourable mention also to -
Richard Nabavi - consistently intelligent
Bunnco - very informative
Antifrank - always thoughtful and wry humour
Ghost of Harry Flashman - funniest poster for me, though that may reflect my own peculiar sense of humour
102 -We’re opening a cannelloni of worms here…
Richard Nabavi: always clear, concise, considered and courteous - and almost always proved right over time.
104 - That might be taking it a bit farfalline, Aaron.
As we have now moved to the Celtic fringes, the Welsh Poster of the Year surely has to be meurig for his wise and rather under-appreciated commentary on the Welsh seats at pb2.com.
For me, the most useful single posting was wibbler, whose tips for searching pb.com — nicely immortalised on the side-bar — are invaluable.
I nominate myself for best PB photoshopper of the year!
I think i win by default as nobody else does photoshopping
I have just been watching Only Fools and Horses and when I saw the three wheeled yellow van I thought of Politics!
So I thought I would use my only post of today to thank any of those people who had nominayed me for something! 
I really Salute Wage Slave and their contribution to PB, with two fingers of course!
BY the way I have taken to watching Gilt prices recently on the BBC website. Most day the UK ones seem to be red to varying degrees! I a m really starting to wonder whether Brown can get to an election without going to the IMF!
I thought his plan was just to leave it for the Tories to do.
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/fds/hi/business/market_data/gilt/default.stm
tim- for that joke about tories being good at collecting white powder in the West End -well made me laugh anyway
URW -for the unique mix of OTT and OCD betting posts and spotting anti-semites ‘under the bed’. Remind me again which cricketer visited him to write a book!!
yellow submarine for being far too sensible
Mike Smithson -for those dramatic ’suspension of posting rights’ interventions
Nick Palmer who despite posting quite a lot on here has managed to not say anything that will land him in trouble with ‘his people’
32.Aarron, totally agree with your view there. Sorry, but the guy has a very negative thing about Tory women, we are like a form of catnip which makes him behave quite aggressively on here to the detriment of various threads.
“Most Mood Swings” - Wayne
Messrs Dickson and Nabavi but I love everyone, including Tim.
Mike, what sort of voting system are we going to use? I want to have a Negative Vote - I want to specifically vote *against* some of the people proposed, rather than vote positively for one of the others.
109 But that is the trouble with NPMP - reading one of his posts is like getting stuck in an oil slick.
114 that might be my point Polly!!
On Sarah Brown Watch, the Today programme just gave a big plug for her newspaper wrapping paper stunt - no mention of the words shallow, PR, oppportunist. Words used only with reference to Cameron.
I wonder if she used the Sun, or particularly the Lettergate editions for Gordons presents?
Are we allowed one nomination or several? If just one I’ll have to - and sorry for being boringly predictable - go for the utterly indefatigable Stuart Dickson. But if we’re allowed several I’d also say John Loony (for keeping me entertained at the very strange hours I keep), Rod Crosby (astonishing data bank of knowledge), Seth O Logue (old world charm and courtesy), and last but not least Nick Palmer, for being unfailingly friendly and encouraging even to posters who hold views he doesn’t agree with. If all elected politicians were like him this country would be a better place!
Oh, and if there’s a comedy award this year, then with apologies to the man I lost a bet to a few months ago (also the inevitable winner) I think Mr Day shades it for me.
113. Nothing like spreading the spirit of Christmas is there Ebeneezer?
He hasn’t had a mention yet, but I think John Loony is quite exceptional.
Easily the most super-intelligent on the forum and what I like about him especially is that he is the best *reader* of other peoples’ posts.
I like to think that I am a good reader and have little regard for those who just post and don’t read.
oh and that guy who first thought of ‘gulags for slags’ after Brown’s conference sppech
I quite liked John R’s posts, they are entertaining.
I’m not sure what he said to get banned as it was deleted before i could read it.
Although I wouldn’t vote for NPMP in an election, I might vote for him as Poster of the Year (after YS of course).
First, he does considerably enrich the site by virtue of his participation. If not actually in the Corridors of Power, NPMP is at least waiting in Reception.
Second, he has taken an awful lot of machine-gun fire (some of it from me). And he is unfailingly courteous in response.
Cross post with JK ! Great minds think alike.
119. Oi, I mentioned Monsieur Loony at post #9.
Augustus perhaps Rod C could advise, but you know you should be supporting STV
David Herdson and Sean Fear for thoughtful and generally objective comment despite their declared political positions. tim for superhuman effort in fighting an entire herd and coming out at least even despite periods of relentless abuse. URW for understanding betting. Roger for cheerful partisanship even on dark days (which has been most of this year). seanT for being really interesting reading on everything except politics and betting.
I didn’t read that AndrewG. I am despising myself as we speak.
I have you down in my book (literally) as a ‘goodguy’.
The least skipable for me were
Seant - the most entertaining
PtP - reasoned, humorous, charming
Tim - sometimes funny, but too many posts
Nick Palmer - defends difficult positions with skill
Ave it - succinct, court jester
Ken - (remember him?) - good on finance, if a bit spiteful
Mike Smithson - lord of the manor
Plenty of others are also a good read too, of course.
URW@ 127. High praise indeed, old boy.
This is always such a tough one! There are too many great posters on here to mention, they all bring something to the site and make it what it is. You are a great bunch of boys and girls - Group hug!
Poster of the Year - Yellow Submarine, one of the most objective and at times entertaining posters on here with a great insight into the yellow peril. Posts are simple unmissable.
Wibbler, ScottP& Kristin - quite simple the best at sniffing out and posting relevant articles.
antifrank, Peter from Putney and StJohn for tempting me to punt because they sniffed out such tasty odds! Grrr.
Seant for shock and awe on the political and the sexual spectrum, and who says its only us women who change our minds depending on our mood.
He is an incredible talent as a writer of both fact and fiction.
On Scotland, its got to be Easterross and Marcia for not only great insight, but incredible knowledge of all politics Scottish. Watch out for Marcia’s prediction in the run up to polling day up here, must read. No one else will be more clued in on the ground than our Dundee lass!
NPMP- I have you down in my book as another ‘difficult boy’……think Jamie in Empire of the Sun.
I respect you and wish you well but you know why we fell out.
What I respect about you is that you *knew* the reason. That is a rare commodity on the internet.
Finally, you should be aware that I am the second most bullish Tory Backer of anyone who understands betting on pb.com.
86. URW - “When Aaron speaks, you all should listen.”
Wise words indeed.
I have not been mentioning the betting crowd. IMHO the betting crowd (small though it is) is far more informative than all the other PBers put together.
If I was to put my Scrooge hat on in these celebratory times it would be to say that anyone in the little flock who use the descriptor ‘herd’ should be excluded through a complete an utter failure of imagination.
In insult terms it is now the most tedious and vacuous around on Pb.com. Perhaps SeanT should start holding classes in the fine art of the insults for these people?
110. ChristinaD - quite right. Tim does have a special aversion in that respect.
111. Wayne -
I’d also like to nominate Morris Dancer, for his wonderful insights on F1 and all other subject matters.
David Cameron could ensure a landslide majority now if he implemented some of Morris Dancer’s ideas into the next tory manifesto
Most missed posters, Andrea, Long Tall Tim, Innocent Abroad, CymruMark and of course SBS.
Posters of Year this year?
Yellow Submarine - objective analysis from a Lib Dem.
Antifrank - sensible and with an eye on odds.
David Herdson - objective analysis from a Tory.
Richard Nabavi - always worth reading
Bunnco - our man among the Turnip Taliban
tim - non-objective analysis from a Labour man.
(well one of the tims, the one who doesn’t follow Gordon’s matra of announce, re-announce and go on announcing the same old thing endlessly but the one who makes one question and who does give good tips.)
ChristinaD - Scots Tory dimension and always readable
SallyC - if PTP stops flirting long enough to let her make the point
Stuart Dickson - no longer the lone voice for the Nats but still the best.
Screaming Eagles - makes me laugh out loud
Martin Coxall - makes me laugh out loud
John Loony - makes me laugh out loud & scratch my head
Roger - makes me laugh out loud as he skillfully sets up a trap for the Tories on here to fall in.
and of course the resident champions SeanT & JackW though the competition is fiercer now.
92,
Aspiring fantasy writer, the book’s finished, still hunting for an agent (very early days, had one submission rejected, but the rejection was quite long and did give me some room for confidence going forward). I don’t want to go into detail, but I’ve written a brief webcomic (comedy, it peaked and troughed a bit but had a few moments) and may shortly be working on a sci-fi webcomic with someone else (and yes, it will feature a space cannon, although not as you know it).
Regarding Morley & Outwood, I’m not sure if I have the political acumen or even any idea how I’d go about going about such a thing. Maybe I’ll e-mail Antony Calvert and request an interview via e-mail
Cheers to those who mentioned me. (Especially Jonathan, the lefty who cannot resist the fishy aroma of rightwing mirth).
I think it’s no contest for poster of the year 2009.
I’m glad that there is a separate category for punter of the year and it’s appropriate that this should be for the “political” punter. So my nominations for that are for another day.
But some posters fall into both categories and deserve a mention. My favourites this year as both excellent posters and excellent punting posters are Richard Nabavi and antifrank. My favourite posters, who aren’t so much punters, are David Herdson and Sean Fear. SeanT as ever also for wit.
But for the PB poster of the year, “Ryan Giggs lifetime achievement award” it has to be ….
“Nick Palmer!!!”
Nick is an invaluable resource to the site, always helpful, invariable courteous and on Labour Party matters the most reliable and best judge. (Not forgetting some notable howlers - Glenrothes, the election that never was etc.)
But as an elected MP, who has been prepared to post here on an almost a daily basis, under his own name, for a number of years, in what I suspect is his final year as an MP, Nick is the clear winner in my book.
Vote Nick Palmer! You know it makes sense.
Can I nominate all “the women of pb.com” collectively for an all-women shortlist? They need some positive assistance to reward their efforts - after all, trying to find time to post whilst doing all that washing, cleaning, cooking, ironing and other “wifely duties”…it can’t be easy, bless their collective pretty little heads.
Can’t we just agree to give the title to JackW? He’ll only fix it anyway, and it will save his poor wife and servants from having to hang round Harpenden’s internet cafes when voting is on.
If not Jack, then Sally C, but only on condition she wears her slippers and dolphin-friendly tights for the award ceremony.
Oh, and before I forget, I must also put in a word for my mate Ezio Auditore da Firenze, who burnt like a PB.com shooting star before being (apparently) outrageously banned for making an unflattering comment about SeanT. Can’t be right, surely? Release the Renaissance One!
F1: still going to wait for full driver lineup to be made known prior to my next F1 article on pb2.
I’ve had a little (£2) on Massa, Rosberg and Schumacher, but am waiting, and would advocate others do the same, until at least early testing is done (begins 1 February) before putting on more than a pittance.
Everyone said Brawn came from nowhere, but that’s actually bullshit. The testing times were shit hot. Brawn’s early dominance was predictable. It may be that Mercedes or Ferrari will be likewise (or McLaren, or Red Bull).
141. “If not Jack, then Sally C, but only on condition she wears her slippers and dolphin-friendly tights for the award ceremony.”
I hope Marcia isn’t around to spot that you’ve jilted her.
132 oh no URW is off on one of his ‘riddles’
139 “Vote Nick Palmer”
While you still can…
140 - I think I should be on that shortlist. Considering I’ve cooking, cleaning, ironing, feeding and massaging the feet of she who must be obeyed since Sunday.
Need a bit of advice folks, when should be the best time to tell her, I think we should hire a swedish au pair, to help when the twins arrive.
147 - When she’s asleep
147, uh oh. You failed to capitalise She Who Must Be Obeyed. Tsk tsk.
I should wait until she’s actually giving birth. She’ll be too distracted to say no.
Hehe, getting nervous, Mr. Eagles?
Can I just say that I MISS WOOLIES! Christmas tree lights went yesterday, it was just unthinking, told the other half to nip into Woolies cos they were the most handy place in town and were bound to have them. Totally forgot they were no more.
140 Agreed, we need more of the distaff voice on here.
Was going to put Marquee Mark on my list but consumed by jealousy considering all the good places you get to and decided life had rewarded you already!
150, don’t worry, their demise was merely the birth pang of a new global order.
An additional nomination for me:
Most amusing relevations
Mr Screaming Eagles
And finally - two posters who I always read and frequently LOL out - Marquee Mark and GOHF.
A special mention to Patrick for entertaining and considered posts, and the amazing wibbler who sniffs out interesting articles like no one else.
147.TSE, she will already be one step ahead of you there, and will of course expect to have the final veto on who should be hired.
148 - Good advice
149 - Good advice too.
Nervous me? A little bit, but looking forward to it.
147 when the curvacious viking has signed a contract . Then you can say it will be too late to do anything about it
tim for being hilarious, a superb contrarian, and a very fine tipster
Jack W for the same reasons.
Yellow Submarine for generally writing very cogently and cleverly
bunnco, meurig and Easterross for their superb local analysis on PB2 - especially meurig for a superbly detailed analysis of Welsh seats.
Nick Palmer MP, Richard Nabavi, antifrank, another richard, URW, Scott P, Stuart Dickson, ChristinaD, URW, alex, SeanT, Goupillon, David Roe, marcia, Anthony Wells, oldnat, The Screaming Eagles, the sadly erstwhile Hopi Sen and HenryG Manson… the list of great posters goes on and on. I’m sure I’ve missed dozens off that. Not to mention those associated with the site: PfP, PtP, marf, Morus, David Herdson, Double Carpet, …
All the bookies deserve honourable mention too. shadsy, aaron, Red Jester, … thanks! Though I think shadsy wins most helpful bookie without much controversy.
Is there any chance we can have more than one category, as we did last year?
153 Crikey - relevations = revelations :O
Poster of the Year - Bunnco,great insight into the goings on in East Anglia this year.
Also I’d like to mention Richard Nabavi and Stuart Dickson,Dickson in particular offers a good insight into the machinations North of the Border.
Dickhead of the Year - Mac Gabble,totally tedious,i skip over every post he bothers to put on here.
I do like Tim though,he makes me laugh sometimes and i do agree with him every now and then.He’s far better than the other resident lefties
Comedian of the year - Richie Rich,closely followed by Roger
Special thanks though to OGH for running such a great website,far and away the best Political site on the Net.
Right off again, stress levels rising and I know that I must sound like a fish wife today directing the poor males in the house to various chores. I am sure I caught fitaloon trying to nick one of the kids ipods and headphones, I believe they drown out my dulcet tones very nicely.
155, good to hear. Are they both boys? I keep forgetting, and also whether they’re identical or not.
140. I nominate Marquee Mark for his brilliant impression of Sir Jeremy Bagge!
158 - I prefer relevations
161 - One boy (Sebastian Morris) and one girl (Emily Temperance)
After SBS death last July, several posters suggested to give is name to the prize for best poster of the year. His insights and amazing frankness and dignity regarding his illness have really provided a great example of what this site can be about at its best.
I still support this idea, were the prize to go to one of the long list of excellent posters: Yellow Submarine, Richard Nabavi, Sean Fear, David Herdson,URW, Morus, stjohn, JohnO, Morris Dancer, Bunnco, stuuart dickson, Andy Cooke, Martin Coxall, the two Peters, Nick Palmer… (I also really like to read the late night posts from John Loony)
But frankly, as a long-time reader of this blog (I started reading in late 2004), I would really be saddened if the prize goes to Tim. I don’t have anything against him personally, but he symbolizes the evolution of the site from a forum where I read every comment every single day to one where almost half of posts are completely pointless and only related to feuds between posters and playground squabbling. Rewarding that would be sad.
As a new visitor to the site I am unaware of some of the battles , conflicts and past “issues” that some posters clearly have with each other. So I am basing my votes entirely on what I have seen over the past few months.
I enjoy the threads when the following contribute, in no particular order: Eagles, Runnymede,Coldstone, Easteross, ChristinaD, URW, Richard Nabavi,PtP, Pfrom Putney, Antifrank, Morris Dancer, Sth London Nick, David Herdson and Stuart Dickson.
Some can be a bit one dimensional-there is no “best” poster on politics as evreybody has their strengths but in terms of all round interest I would vote for Yellow Submarine for politics and Stuart Dickson for betting as he posts outside my comfort zone.
Bah. Just got an e-mail from a golf store (I am not a golfist, but my dad is so they send me stuff because I’ve sometimes bought him golfist presents) saying their January sale starts on the 27th of December.
If I had a grammar hammer I’d pulverise them with it.
It’s not the question, but as others are going into other fields:
I quite like the Punic conversations me and Bob have, although I must confess mild annoyance that he’s read *every* classical history I have and quite a few more
Mr. Eagles is always a pleasant fellow, and it’s nice to know that I’m not the only (or indeed the worst) offender when it comes to ogling secretaries etc.
I also hope James Burdett finds his job a little less stressful, and, if possible, can come on here a bit more.
164,
I do like the names.
165, tim can occasionally post something insightful but I agree that most of the time his purpose is to derail threads by spamming deliberately misleading statements to annoy most of the readership.
Rod Crosby
URW
Nick Palmer
Yellow Submarine
oldnat for the Nits in the hope that the nomination will annoy Stuart Dickson.
Ezio Auditore da Firenze (Retd.) because it will annoy Ave It 09.
Morus in an attempt to undermine the establishment.
John R for showing SeanT how to insult without needing to be loved.
Another Richard for occasionally making Nabavi and Fear’s research look amateur.
ChristinaD for showing tim how it should be done.
Martin Day for understanding the Lib Dems even better than Yellow Submarine.
antifrank for being more decisive than Wayne.
So how about shadsy pricing up a charity market?
151 Top honours to Ted for admitting being motivated in his voting by spite!
If only some politicians were as honest in admitting they were trying to harness that…
126. Funnily enough, I’m just in the middle of writing an article for my blog on this topic.
For a single winner election AV is the best ranking system, although Range Voting (as used by IMDB to rate films) is intriguing and very nuanced. It incorporates elements of negative voting.
Sean T is most entertaining definatly.
Sorry forgot to say when he isnt banging away on one point Tim is interesting as is Red Crosby although I think the swingback calculator thing is Bollocks!
147 TSE
Beware!
Mrs Nat did a teacher exchange with a Danish woman whereby they were to live in each others houses. I thought this was potentially interesting.
Bloody woman drank my whisky without opening her duty free, and was of such proportions and aggression that she could single-handedly reconquered the Danelaw!
Chris (from Bethesda) to be added to the list forthwith, for his sagacity as displayed at post 165.
I forgot to mention Ted on my list! He is about the best and most insightful poster on here when it comes to understanding the media and how they report our politics.
171 Seth O Logue does even better than me!
150 Christina, come see Dyed Woolies and I’ll set you up with some nice fairy lights
Where Labour fails, Norfolk Woolie Dudes save the day
177 Chris
I’m not a great believer in the concept of a poster of the year in general. What makes this site great are all the different people who contribute - and there have been many fantastic contributors who have not been named by anyone, which rather proves my point.
However, this year, two posters in particular quite unconsciously gave advice and opinions on one topic that proved of enormous personal benefit at a time when I really needed it, so it would be churlish not to name them as my personal posters of the year (although I suspect both would take slight umbrage at being bracketed with the other): Sean Fear and tim.
Chris (from Bethesda)’s last paragraph at 165 completely nails it for me. Well said, sir.
180 that was a blush, but seeing it displayed struck me it could be adopted by tim as shorthand for David “the red faced” Cameron….
Ken was certainly the poster I enjoyed most during the first half of the year, shame he seems to have disappeared of late. Tim should get a special mention for the reaction he provokes. And of course Tapestry should get a vote for his unfailing attempts to wake the rest of us up to the dire state of the world.
I would price it as follows:
Yellow Submarine 4/6
Richard Nabavi 2/1
Nick Palmer 3/1
David Herdson 4/1
5/1 bar.
185 OVEROUND!!!
Many thanks for the kind words. I find it hard to single out any one individual or individuals, as there are a lot of posters whose contributions I read with pleasure and/or interest, and who I haven’t mentioned below.
Most entertaining - Sean T,
Best Labour contributor (even though he’s fed up with them) - Southam Observer
Best Conservative contributor - David Herdson
Best Lib Dem - Yellow Submarine
Best unaligned contributor - Morus
Best American contributor - Sea Shanty Irish
Best nationalist contributor - Meurig.
But, there are plenty more who I could mention.
….and where is the Snowflake of yesteryear?
181. “and there have been many fantastic contributors who have not been named by anyone, which rather proves my point.”
I think one slight (probably unavoidable) problem is that it becomes effectively the ‘Poster of December’ award, because an excellent poster in March who later disappears isn’t really going to be remembered. I can think of a couple of people in particular who I can’t believe haven’t been mentioned yet. Perhaps there should be monthly/quarterly nominations that are totted up at the end of the year?
It should go to Bunnco or antifrank on the basis of their being from Norfolk, clearly Norfolk ‘N Good is the primary factor in consideration here.
189. James Kelly: I can think of a couple of people in particular who I can’t believe haven’t been mentioned yet.
In which case I suggest you mention them…
Can any of the Lib Dems on here, make me a “The Screaming Eagles winning here” bar chart and related campaiging materials?
Might help me win
Not a regular so I don’t know people’s political leanings, but I always enjoy:
- Richard Nabavi
- David Herdson
- SeanT
*I skip anything scottish, and most posts US.
*I also quite enjoy Mike’s posts spiking the trolls like Tim, RitchieRich etc.
191. “In which case I suggest you mention them… :)”
I didn’t say they would be my own personal nominations! Just people who have been very popular and prolific in the past who I’m surprised have been overlooked.
193 - That’s the thing, many times Tim isn’t a troll and says interesting things. It is why he’s so frustrating as there are many useful contributions in among the attacking random Tories.
192, or in 100 years of trying you might get less than a fifth of the vote
Barack Obama must be in with a chance of this award surely?
He is pretty f***** shibby and has wicked cool comment skills.
179.Dyed Woolie, I might just head down on my sleigh.
186 Have a heart, Right! You forget that evil JackW is out there somewhere ready to rig it.
It’s a brave bookie who would put up any kind of odds!
198 I’ll get the kettle on
Honourable mention in the Darwin Awards for these clowns:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8428656.stm
[Hat tip to ARRSE].
It is probably easier to say the posters I do not enjoy/have not enjoyed reading the likes of Martin Day and Londonstatto.
But I do not want to dwell on the negative and those who do not contribute as this is a great place. It is great to read well written posts and comments from people of all political persuasions that both reinforce and challenge your own views.
Certainly as someone who regularly reads but mainly lurks I really enjoy the articles and most people’s posts. In no order I would big up
Mr Herdson
Mr Nabavi
Mr Fear
Mr Palmer MP (hate his Party but he always makes his points intelligently)
Morus
Antifrank
Yellowsubmarine
Plato
Easterross (a great perspective on Scottish Politics)
Christina D
Bunnco
Antifrank
Augustus Carp
Morris Dancer
Oh, and I missed off David Roe. Very insightful.
Patrick, because he has so often crafted the perfect on-topic response early on in the thread.
His knowledge and insight, particularly on economic and financial matters, is as good as any other poster, and the clarity and lucidity of his conclusions make most subsequent contributions redundant.
SeanT remains totally unskippable, and is the best writer and wit by an enormous margin, and the site is lucky to have him.
For good or bad, and usually bad, tim (or the tim team) has had a disproportionate influence on the site. As a reminder of how unpleasant Labour people can be behind the sanctimonious exterior, tim is unmatched. He has done more than anyone else on the site to reinforce the perception of Labour as the nasty party.
If there is a category for the poster who has done the most to drive the independent minded towards the Conservatives, and harden the resolve of those who are already committed, then tim wins that one hands down.
I think it is very difficult because of the wide variety of posts and posters. Some posts are factual and well researched while others are entertaining (in some cases I suspect unintentionally). Some posters write very serious pieces while others write very effective humorous responses. Some posters are very strong on one issue or locality. All (or nearly all) of those nominated so far have a real claim to the title of poster of the year and this is going to make voting very difficult and very interesting.
I do have some doubts about one or two posters mentioned however as I sometimes think that some usernames might actually the name of a PC in a political party office somewhere which are used by party activists for propaganda purposes.
One of the great joys of PB is the richness of our little community :
It is rich in its knowledge and insight of the political scene.
It is rich in its betting forsight to the pleasure of many.
It is rich in its fellowship to each other.
It is rich in its abundance of decency.
From such richness we had a vast array of candidates for ‘Poster of the Year’ - Truly an abundance of riches of both the old and bold and newbies ensuring we remain the formost political site of the UK.
For my part it is one of lifes great pleasures to be a small part of such a wonderful and glorious institution.
I thank those who have nominated me for PotY and probably would do so for PTotY, however I’ve had a good run of honours on the site and accordingly I ask Mike not to put my name forward for either accolade. It is time for others to wear the laurels.
In those well paraphrased words of President Lyndon Johnson :
“I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my colleagues for another term as your PotY.”
…………………………………………….
Signing off for the Yuletide festivities and wishing all on PB …. and I do mean all, a most splendid and peaceful Christmas and a heartily prosperous New Year.
Cheers !!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s a wide field this year.
A lot of the best have already been suggested above. I’d like to add in nominations that I haven’t seen yet but I think are merited:
- Timothy (likes zebras)
- Kieran [despite sadly vanishing]
- Peter the Punter
There’s many above that I’d like to reiterate, but I’d end up forgetting a few that I’d like to mention. Although I will say that I like stjohn’s suggested odds on Yellow Submarine
(On voting methods, how about Eurovision’s 12,10,8,6,5,4,3,2,1? Or, from when I was at university, the ICSF’s method of multiple Anti-Vote [vote against as many candidates as you like]?)
204 - To be fair to the many, many people who make up the tim character, Broxtowe Cat, the likes of Gabble, Richie Rich and the never to be forgotten - how on earth did someone so uneducated even manage to switch on the interweb let alone make up such an outlandish tale as that? - Susanna are much worse examples of why the Labour Party as it currently stands deserves everything that comes their way in 2010.
I would say tim is a good poster if it wasn’t for him constantly showing his prejudices, making out his opinion to be fact on a regular basis, and slagging off a variety of people (such as Kirstie Allsopp, his fixation is creepy) simply because they’re slightly linked to the tory party. His obsession with saying the IHT threshold would be £2 million under the tories was weird, despite it obviously not being that he still kept claiming it was and completely ignored any arguement to the contrary. Plus his smearing of Damien Green is still pathetic.
Enough of this collective self-indulgence, where’s the politics?
I se that a certain M Gove has been lined up to play Gordo when Khammeroen rehearses for his TV debates. So that’s the wart on Gordo’s nose settled, now who will play the rest of him?
199 PtP It’s a brave bookie who would put up any kind of odds!
Particularly when Jack W is not the favourite!
A few of the names who should have been on my list of great posters at 157: Ted, Ed in Tokyo, Kristin/LTL, Morris Dancer, runnymede, ukpaul, Martin Coxall, LondonStatto, Jonathan, Andy Cooke, Plato, the much missed ken, Sean Fear, jsfl, Southam Observer, Ave It, Morris Dancer, Socrates, Patrick (West Ham fan with some desperately troubled political message in parenthesis), … I will still have forgotten loads though!
Our international posters deserve deserve great credit too - I’ve really enjoyed the contributions by Phillippe Magnan, Stars and Stripes, Sea Shanty Irish, TimB and TimT. me posts great articles.
We should also give a huge round of applause to robert for keeping the site alive, not to mention VIPA - which, like it or loathe it, is a serious piece of work.
Finally, how could I forget JohnLoony?
Nevertheless, if I had to make a single nomination, it would be tim.
207. Good suggestions Andy - I always wondered what AV really meant.
206 Better repeat the Sherman formula as well if you wish to be certain.
210 - And most unpleasant poster of the year pops up to nominate himself
If Jack W really is out of the running then it has to be Peter the Punter or John O or Sean Fear or Nick Palmer or Ed in Tokyo or one of the other posters who manage to be interesting and relevant whenever the rest of us lapse into off-topic madness.
I didn’t realise antifrank was from Norfolk. Mike, can you put us in touch.
OnTopic - Thanks for all your kind comments. So much happened in Norfolk this year# I was in the right place at the right time and was able to report it as I saw it. Politics is a serious business but there’s no reason why it can’t be fun too.
# norwich north by election,
Liz Truss,
Gen Sir Richard Dannatt,
Charles Clarke rocking the boat
climategate.
Unitary Local Govt attempt and Hazel Blears attempt to rig it.
I just got lucky.
Last year, Sir Richard Dannatt was president of the Royal Norfolk Show. (A big deal in these parts). Next Year it’s Sir Jeremy Bagge. Seriously.
More news to follow….
Bunnco - your man on the spot.
206. Jack W - thanks Jack and I am now raising a glass of The 10 year old Auchentannach to wish you the best.
211 That’s right, Richard.
I see he has ’stepped aside’ this year. Can’t afford the bung money, more like. Recession is biting very deep this year.
Thanks for all the kind mentions, but I wouldn’t give it to me, even if I were allowed to coronate myself, cause
1. I have been distracted this year, by work, travel, fatherhood, and weird political apathy, so I haven’t been able to put the effort in like I used to
and
2. I won it last year anyway. *shucks*
Who would I give it to?
Mentioned in despatches: Morris Dancer - and his always finely crafted commentary
David Herdson for level-headed eloquence and insight
Morus for being annoyingly young and brilliant - and remember his advice on Ashton for EU FM?? What a long-distance punt that was
Yellow Submarine for some piercing truths and candour despite the handicap of being a Lib Dem
John Loony for being eponymously fun…
which leaves two strong contenders to duke it out in the final.
tim, of course. He brings a much needed vigour to the site, and is a welcome dissonant voice when the Tory chorus is halfway through a cantata. He can also be very funny, occasionally, and is blessed with quite acute political vision.
However I’m not sure we should be rewarding someone who spends 16 hours a day every day relentlessly spinning in the site; it’s unhealthy, for him, for us, for the mental health of Margaret Thatcher Fan. And his anonymity annoys, especially as he is sometimes so malicious behind that screen.
So tim should get the silver medal, or a coconut for being an amusing wanker.
First prize, for me, goes to Robert Smithson, for simply maintaining the site, and for giving us VIPA, which was one of the most intriguing psephological developments of the year.
And VIPA in turn gave Rod Crosby conniptions, which is never a bad thing.
212, you mentioned me twice, not that I’m complaining
A problem with this sort of thread is that people feel the need to have big lists because they don’t want to slight friends and the good.
I hope the nominee list isn’t too exhaustive. 6-8 would be fine.
A thought on the voting
We are going to end up with a short-list of possibly 15. Rather than people having single votes what about doing it with voters being able to choose as many as they wish from the list?
This would probably produce a better consensus.
How does that sound?
Sounds a soft Liberal idea!
221 Don’t care how you do it, as long as Jack doesn’t win.
221 Mike…. “First past the post” is the only way
221. STV perhaps?
221. I think either preferential voting or giving everyone a maximum number of votes (say three) would be better. If some people are voting for one out of fifteen and others are voting for twelve it would be a bit chaotic.
213, Goupillon,
Thanks - but just to clear up potential confusion: “AV” usually refers to “Alternative Vote” - where you list your preferred candidates in order (e.g. Yellow Submarine might be your favourite, but bunnco might be your second choice if YS is eliminated, etc.).
I wonder if we could have a first round with everyone mentioned in the thread and a multiple weighted vote (ie Eurovision vote) or multiple Anti-Vote to get down to the top 5 or so and then an AV (Alternative Vote) final.
I’m with James.
If everyone limits to three it would be simpler to count.
My nominees are:
Yellow Submarine: for being a most non-partisan and informative poster
Bunnco: PB2 poster of the year
David Herdson: for writing such genuinely thought proviking weekend articles
Stuart Dickson: Scottish PBer of the year for genuinely ensuring Scotland is never overlooked
Tim: Joker of the Year
Jack W: Veteran Poster of the Year
221 Mike - How many votes does Martin Day get this year?
I would give every voter 10 votes, with a maximum of 5 to be awarded to any one candidate. I am sure Mr Swingback could rustle us up a web-based entry form.
Let’s do it like the Eurovision contest. 12 points down to 1, Person with the most points wins.
221 - How about two or three positive votes to be made from the selection provided and one permitted negative vote which will reduce any balance of positive votes for a particular nominee.
That way, whilst some posters may nominate and vote for someone (or some group of persons acting under one name), the potential for a strong negative feeling towards that person (or persons) could also be reflected.
221 Mike Smithson
Different categories worked really well last year.
Some posters are great tipsters, others are just funny, others are insightful, yet others are informative. I think there should definitely be, at the minimum, a “punter of the year” award as well as “poster of the year” - though I liked the “newcomer of the year” and “funniest poster of the year” categories too.
A much better way to spread the love around…
For the record, we should have FPTP voting in each category. If not, then I support a limit of 3 votes per person.
SeanT - well done for all that 2009 has brought you and all the best to you in the future especially in fulfilling your life as a good father.
Tortola awaits, PBers : the only place really worth going to to avoid Cashmass.
Here’s something for seanT to consider if his money machine takes over him:
http://www.countrylife.co.uk/news/article/435196/Incredible-Caribbean-island-for-sale-in-BVI.html
Q. Where are the British Virgin Aisles?
A. Not at any church where Sean T’s been to a wedding!
Tim should win with the same kind of landslide that Labour will enjoy in 2010.
232 Lordy, do we have to sit around for days as the votes come in?
“And now the vote form the Rod Crosby jury. Good evening, Rod…”
“And good evening Bedford - Crosby her. And may I just say what an excellent show you have put on for us this year….”
234 that sounds like a good way to corral the votes mentioned so far.
Not sure about ‘newcomer’ myself - I’d rather vote on quality rather than newbieness.
237.
well at least you didn’t say he should be buried under it!
207. “(On voting methods, how about Eurovision’s 12,10,8,6,5,4,3,2,1? Or, from when I was at university, the ICSF’s method of multiple Anti-Vote [vote against as many candidates as you like]?)”
Nah, the Borda-style Eurovision is crap (there’s a 7 in there as well, btw). Borda himself said “my system is only intended for honest men” which begs the question of why he bothered to invent it!
Anti-Voting is similar to Approval Voting, which is a limited form of Range Voting on [0,1]. RV is superior and richer.
237, Richie Rich, you are Sion Simon and I will fire you into space from some sort of giant artillery gun.
http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/conference/2007/09/labour-majority-increase
237 Well that’s his chances buggered then
237 Are we allowing postal votes then?
227. Andy - sounds great but I am not sure if the pb electorate are quite ready for it yet.
238 - Is “Crosby her” a form of assault, MM? What does it mean to do a “Crosby”?
I did badger OGH back in July to open-up PB2 for more thoughtful ‘reference’ pieces that were less about the cut-and-thrust but more thoughtful.
I’d like to suggest that the nominees are give posting rights on PB2 so that PB can have a daily-commentary on the main site in the GE campaign but we don’t lose longer more detailed articles on the wider betting environment.
242.
“I will fire you into space from some sort of giant artillery gun.”
…. where you will form a heavenly body which will seriously worry Lembit Opik to the point where he feels vast amounts of taxpayers’ money should be expended to prevent dangerous collisions.
Hi- my nominations are;
Tim
Jack W
seanT
sean fear
one of the peters- the punter or from putney
Agree with the first half of chris’s post at 165 that we should name it as the SBS award, disagree completely with his second point. Go Tim go!
Of course, the Eurovision voting system isn’t really all that fair. I mean it’s not as though individual voters can pick up the phone and say that they’d like to award 12 points to Albania, 10 to Germany, 8 to Portugal etc.
221 Mike - 15 finalists would be far too many, there should be no more than 8-10. Having glanced through the posts it’s clear who at least 6 of these should be.
One vote per person please - let’s keep it simple.
Great idea upthread to name the annual award in honour of SBS.
I think a simple one vote per person or three votes per person is fine. If anyone starts suggest a D’Hondt method they should be taken outside and reminded of their idiocy.
237 - Are they filling the mince pies with Diamond White mixed in with Smirnoff already?
246.
“What does it mean to do a “Crosby”?
Take you pick:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6pphVs8bF0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUbU5hD0rrM
Nelson has an interesting piece regarding Brown not appearing before the inquiry and Hague’s response. However, I disagree with his view that it’s missed a trick.
Cameron can ask those questions at PMQs, after all.
http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/5662271/identifying-browns-culpability-in-iraq.thtml
Ah Pfp I would like to nominate you for at least a couple of excellent tips this year - thanks especially for X Factor and William Hill’s strange determination to stick on 11/2 for a hung parliament for such a long time.
I forgot to mention in Despatches: Martin Coxall, for being funny, and John R, for introducing us to the word “buttockular”.
And Martin Day for being in recovery. And Peter the Punter for calming us down. And Stuart Dickson for his impressively idiotic loyalty to a hopeless cause.
And and and..
and I am off to Sainsburys to buy some scotch. Ta-ra for the mo.
Richard Nabavi is easily Tory poster of the Year
Wayne is Tory optimist of the year on account of his guess on polls always being a touch on the optimistic side
Although I hope he gets thrashed at the GE because he is a Labour MP sitting in a safe Tory seat, I must declare my admiration for Nick Palmer posting week in and week out taking a great deal of abuse from the rest of us when he could so easily have hidden behind an alias as I am certain some parliamentarians who visit PB regularly do.
The great thing about PB is that although we often take out bad moods and bad news on our fellow PBers, almost all act with the greatest of good humour and respect.
I am glad the Tory PB answer to Tim, i.e. Martin Day has returned to the fold. Martin if you are reading this, just tone it down and let your obviously bright and incisive side show through. I sincerely hope you find a decent new career in 2010, you deserve it.
I haven’t mentioned Sean T this year because most of the time he has been absent but perhaps Tom Knox should be nominated in the PB Bonkbuster of the Year category!
221 and 231.
No, No, No! Block and Cumulative Voting are clumsy, retrograde electoral systems with many pathologies, including later-no-harm failure, meaning your favourite can be defeated by your own votes cast for lesser choices.
Range is nicely well behaved. You can express negative, positive or no opinion on a fine scale.
http://vote.superduperapps.com/
Otherwise, AV.
O/T: HM Treasury sends out Christmas card without stamp:
http://blogs.channel4.com/snowblog/2009/12/23/and-a-very-frugal-christmas-from-guess-who/
257. I’ve found SeanT somewhat dull and predictable this year, by his own standards.
254 - I’m surprised at Nelson’s angle on that as well. Quite why he thinks reeling out a list of questions 2 days before Christmas is going to get more attention than doing it week in, week out at PMQs is certainly odd for him.
261 Raven - In addition, I’m not sure that it would be appropriate for the Conservatives to jump in to this issue in a highly partisan way; better to let the Inquiry run its course. People will make their own minds up (in fact, they probably already have).
241, Maybe - but Eurovision-style is fun, and there’s little need to have to go into too much detail to explain it. Good for large fields, because you don’t have to agonise too much on your votes.
And it’s all meant in the spirit of fun, right? We’re not electing the UK executive, here.
I missed out Easterross from my list in my post No. 50.
He is always good for Scottish news and views
O/T An interesting article on the recession’s impact on internal migration in the US, with consequences on the next congressional redistricting (after the 2010 census, with effect for 2012 election).
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/24/us/24census.html
Updated projection:
Texas + 3 seats
Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah and Washington + 1 seat each
Iowa, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania -1 seat each
Ohio - 2 seats
(just for fun, with this new distribution of electoral votes, Obama would have won last year by 359 to 179, and not 365 to 173)
OT With Christmas in the air - how about scaring children into thinking Santa will have no home, along with the polar bears and elves.
This is beyond satire
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100020658/build-a-bear-the-sinister-green-plot-to-turn-our-kids-into-eco-fascist-manchurian-candidates/comment-page-1/#comment-100113668
I dont want to be blasted into space and the activity did bring tears to my late father’s eyes so Morris Dancer for the hours of joy his lists of nominees for that cannon.
SBS deserves a special mention. He has undergone the most severe medical test of his metal and his wonderful humour and resiliance shown through like a beacon.
If I nominated Roger will he bribe me with a case of fine French wine
Martin Day
..for encapsulating the actual relationship between libdems and the electorate with the Parable of ShaggerDog.
Wow, upthread I got slagged off by someone I can’t remember ever reading a post by!
I do feel honoured.
As a Welshman, I always enjoy Gwylfa and Morus` contributions .
267, thou shalt be spared, wise Easterross
What I cannot understand is why anyone would want to vote for tim, Gabble or any one of those Bot’s either Labour or Tory.
It must be pretty obvious by now that tim works this site so assiduously, and for such long hours, is because he is earning his wage on PB. He really must love the bunker.
re 221 Mike I’d favour AV.
The must be one of the most miraculously on-topic threads ever.
272.
“He really must love the bunker.”
and the chance, perhaps, to use this opportunity to get up close and personal with so many of Pb.coms Torybots?
If we are to have regional votes, can I nominate Alex Salmond?
P.S. Yokel has been unfairly omitted
Surely we should be looking to have a FPTP-style election to find the 3 more popular candidates? Then we can have an awesome series of LIVE DEBATES - to be moderated by Morus, PtP and finally OGH.
re 276 No. Some of the fringe candidates appealing to only 10% of th electorate would be bound to object to that.
267 Oh well, if we are talking bribes…. Anyone want a trip with me to Equatorial Guinea next time I go there?
(No warranty given that you won’t end up in Black Beach prison, mind you….)
272-You got to admire Tim, he’s able to annoy pretty much everyone and still be one of favorites to win the poster of the year competition.
Considering the sophistication of the electorate, it would be wise to use a system that is “strategy-resistant.”
AV and Range best meet that criterion.
279. Me.
That’s what happens when people can’t tell the difference between quality and quantity.
277 - Or 25% of the electorate in a minor territory…
Poster of the Year (or POTY, as it should rightly be called, in keeping with the august nature of the award) nominations:
Morus. Some inspired and (behind the whimsy) astute columns earlier in the year before his departure to the US. Also a superb tip re Ashton.
- Richard Nabavi. Always well worth reading.
- URW on betting.
- Yellow Sub. Please surface more.
- Morris Dancer on F1 and siege artillery.
- Meurig on Wales.
- Stuart Dickson for quality Scottish commentary and SNP partisanship.
- Easterross, marcia and ChristinaD for further Scottish contributions (why don’t we have any Scottish Labour contributors?)
- NickP for giving us good insight into what’s happening in his patch and providing useful information, if sometimes well disguised. Also for being a good bloke, even if he is turning ever further left.
- Jonathan for other good commentary from a Labour viewpoint.
- bunnco for a whole series of quality posts from Norfolk. Perhaps he’s lucky that a lot’s gone on there this year; we’re lucky he was the man on the spot to give us the insight.
- PfP. Always worth reading.
- PtP. The high priest of reason.
- antifrank. An asset to the site despite having a name like a subatomic particle.
If I had to pick one out this year, it would be buncco.
Note - SeanF, SeanT and JackW not nominated due to previous wins or ineligibility but all would be.
Note 2 - It would be completely unfair not to do my appreciations without mentioning Mike and Robert.
Finally, to those who’ve mentioned me, grazi for the generally pleasant comments so far.
282 Aaron
I demand that the debates should include Irfan Ahmed, the leader of the PB2 independence movement.
284-
Funniest? Martin Day adding the number 31 to items Clegg was engaged with or thinking about.
284 - I suspect after his travails elsewhere he may well be currently on the Yellow October hiding from pretty much everyone.
Brogan’s Christmas missive:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/benedict-brogan/6874888/David-Cameron-must-act-quickly-but-not-hastily-in-2010.html
The indefatigable Mike Smithson gets my vote.
By the way, have you all checked to make sure your wives’ and girlfriends’ champagne glasses are nice and full? That she’s not weeping over the wrapping to be done? I don’t know, I worry about everyone, everywhere.
275. Yes, very good point. I nominate Yokel as well.
If I’ve missed you off my nominations, there’s a good chance it’s because I’ve been equally forgetful. Not you though, tim: you have so much more potential.
i would like to mention Stars and Stripes — who help me losing money on the Nj gubernatorial (I’m getting it back however with my bettings on Obama’s declining approval ratings…
).
Antifrank deserves nomination (and I think to win) for being consistently interesting, opinionated and insightful. He is also one of the few who is not overtly party political.
Bunnco was excellent on Norfolk matters throughout the year.
Richard Nabavi the Tory Poster of the Year
Yellow Submarine the Lib Dem Poster of the Year
Tim “Man of the Year” in the Time Magazine sense for dominating almost every thread, irrespective of whether or not he is posting (usually he is). One can only admire his courage, his strength, his indefag….
oh! And a wink to chris from b, and Punter as well for the Gubernatorials — and to stjohn and Yokel and Double Carpet and NPmp for the German Elections — and to Nabavi and … for the Irish Ref.
The voting system and the chambers to be elected to, should be handled in the best traditions of British Democracy.
While we can all give our opinions, OGL (L=Leader) will nod sagely, then make up his own mind. The rest of us then do as we’re told!
and a mean look at Tapestry — who was So wrong in forecasting the Irish ref. !!!
288.
“David Cameron must act quickly, but not hastily”
so which week in the new year should he choose to ditch GideO?
the 2 Peters were also helpful. A deep genuine bow to Mike S.
The most important thread of the year!!!!
I say:
Lab = tim (for persistence and occasional humour)
Con = The Screaming Eagles (for often providing humour on some tense threads!)
LDs/Jacobite/1845 = I want to post JackW particularly for his lovely supportive post to Martin in his darkest hour! But if you are not standing Jack then I respect that and wish you happy christmas/new year!
Random = John R top poster!
Spanner award = Ave.. er sorry malcolmg!!!!
Keep nominating!!!!
Will there be any opinion polls on this vote?
and a jolly salute to Morus for the amazing 50-1 winning tip !!!
299 - Ipsos-Mori have done a poll, however they are trying to sell it to the papers. Last I heard, The Daily Sport had offered the most.
294 oldnat
Every post of yours reinforces admiration for your wisdom.
If it weren’t for Jack W, I’d nominate you for PB 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award.
My tactical concern with your proposal is that Mike might find an unknown Lib Dem councillor in his home town to end up with the award.
How about a two stage process?
Range to select the finalists. Just about every name could go in to the pot, and would give everyone a good idea of the impression (if any) they make on people.
Then AV to elect the winner.
Labour posters. Tim. This year probably on his own. Prolific intelligent and witty. What more would you expect from a Labour poster. Nick P is always worth reading but I’m not sure his heart has been in it this year. Coldstone. Finds the best anti Tory links bar none.
Tory. Ted and alex. Ted always polite and intelligent. Definately the acceptable face of Toryism. alex is PB’s own Dr Spock. If SeanT and even more absurdly Casino Royale claim an IQ of 140 then alex must be touching 300. I also like Seth O and Fr who are two rare Tory wits. David H and Sean F are both high standard Tory posters.
Stuart Dickenson is the sort of poster PB cant do without. A Scottish wit with a Scottish bullheadedness. The other Scottish poster I’d mention is Easteross. A delightful snob in the nicest possible way.
Non alligned. JackW. A one off. Enough said. URW. Another one off who I always read and despite some controvercial views the board would be weaker without Rod Crosby.
More to follow…
304. Roger.
Very telling that your two nominations for Labour poster of the year never actually support Labour, merely bashing the Tories instead.
Can we have a ‘herd’ award? To be chosen by tim??
304 - So that’s Tim, Nick P, Coldstone, Ted, alex, Seth O Logue, Fr, Stuart Dickson, Easterross, URW and Rod Crosby out of the running then.
In what has been an amazing year I am writing to give my full support in the PB Poster of the year competition to Richard Nabavi, Yellow Submarine,David Herdson,Jack W,URW,Antifrank,Ted, SeanT,SeanF,Yokel,TSE,Ave It,Sturt Dickson, Morris Dancer and Robert Smithson.
Best Wishes.
Gordon Brown
308
ty gordon!
Mark Senior
tim
Martin Coxall
ken
nominations
bunnco - some very intersting posts
Yellow Submarine - A poster who is both informative and actually gives us his views rather than what his party line is. He is the must read person on this site for me.
303,
I like the range voting concept, but I think a system which has to be explained and/or is unfamiliar to most will have too much take-up inertia.
Which is why I like the Eurovision system. You get the chance to put weighted votes to multiple candidates - and you don’t have to spend time explaining the system. Most people here will be familiar with it. Just say that you’ve got to assign 12,10,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 to your preferred candidates and bingo.
But I do support the everyone-in-stage-one, top-few-in-an-AV-stage-2 concept. However, when all’s said and done, we’re in a Discworld/Patrician democracy here. One Man One Vote. Mike Smithson is the One Man. He has the One Vote for whichever system he likes.
308 It’s the right thing to do …
312. AndyCooke.
Well, I’m with you in favouring MBAV.
308 - That can’t be a genuine letter from Gordon, he spelt all the names right.
315 And it didn’t arrive two years late….
The might-be-Deputy PM-be-we’re-not-sure sends a Christmas greeting:
http://www.labourlist.org/christmas-message-from-harriet-harman?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LabourListLatestPosts+%28The+Labour+List%3A+Latest+Posts%29
314,
That’s ‘cos you were also brainwashed at ICSF …
312. Range isn’t hard to explain.
Instead of fixed weights, like Borda/Eurovision, the voter decides the relative weights anywhere from 0 to 99, and can ignore a candidate they know nothing about [allowing the wisdom to others to prevail.] It should encourage more honest opinions.
The top ones are the ones with the highest average score, or if you want to exclude people from winning with high scores but few actual votes, use a quota re-weighting system like IMDB. It’s simple enough to set up, and I hereby offer my services.
318. Andy Cooke.
I prefer to think of it as “being shown the Light”, not “brainwashing”.
“Cameron under pressure to explain £100,000 funding linked to Lebanese former arms dealer”
“David Cameron was facing pressure tonight to explain whether the Conservatives have complied with the spirit of electoral law after the party accepted £100,000 from the British wing of a company controlled by a multibillionaire Lebanese former arms dealer.
Labour accused the Tories of returning to the era of sleaze after the party accepted two donations of £50,000 from the British arm of Future Pipe Industries, controlled by Fouad Makhzoumi, an ally of the disgraced former Conservative cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/dec/23/conservative-arms-dealer-donor-makhzoumi
Well we know one of the Tories immediate priorities is to choke off the recovery in 50 days with an emergency budget.
+++++++BREAKING NEWS++++++++
The French have agreed to support Gordon Brown’s choice for pb.com poster of the year with the only conditions being that it is not an A-League bot and that they are able to choose the British Chancellor and Foreign Secretaty in perpetuity.
Another vital position sewn up by the greatest PM of the post-Blair era we have yet been blessed with.
322 - What effing recovery? We’re still in recession.
Just on the off chance they haven’t been nominated yet
Yellow submarine
Bunnco
David Herdson
324 TSE relax richie is one of our ‘labour comedy posters’!
Who let the dogs out?
Many good posters, but if I had to narrow it right down:
Ball-by-ball commentary
Richard Nabavi
antifrank
Summarizer
Yellow Submarine
Also, it wasn’t a post but a headline article, but Dan Hamilton’s piece on Brazil was imo the best thing to appear on PB this year.
http://politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2009/08/02/the-brazilian-futures-market/
321.
“David Cameron was facing pressure tonight”
No doubt he will reply with the “sword of truth….”
But then he always did have a penchant for top-notch Lebanese!
326 Arm the cats Ave It, there’s a doings afoot
324 Lets await GDP Q4 2009 data,due on Friday 29th January 2010..
321 - And the bit you missed out (surprise, surprise)…
The Tories said the donations were legal. A spokesman said: “Our compliance unit applies two strict tests to all company donations in accordance with Electoral Commission guidance. They are: is the company UK-registered and is the company carrying on business in the UK? These donations met those tests and were therefore legal and permissible.”
But John Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw, asked the Electoral Commission to examine whether they were within the spirit of the law.”
NB. Dennis MacShane is involved and the Guardian have tied into Aitken (their favourite Tory).
330 Election news
This voter wants to vote tim:
http://www.pandabubba.com/images/scared%20cat.jpg
331 - My gut feeling is it will show minor growth unless the country has gone Credit Card happy over Christmas. Frankly the economic signals appear to be all over the place still….
308. tim December 23rd, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Nobbled the opposition I see
321 - what about Labour taking money from Indian steel magnates? Or making non-dom chums Privy Councillors, or all that money pumped into the unions from the government and then pumped back into Labour? Just asking…
331 - I’m more interested in what Q1 2010 figures will show.
333 That voter needs to be reconditioned PDQ.
Talking of such things, I watched the re-runs of Kirstie’s Homemade Christmas the other day, wonderful stuff.
326 - I thought all Labour posters were comedy posters.
Can we stop talking about politics for just one night?
Some of us want to give greater consideration to Rod Crosby’s mathematical constructs.
He is rarely given a fair hearing on pb.com.
Further to Fraser’s article earlier on…
“Davey “appalled” by delay in Brown testimony to Iraq inquiry”
http://page.politicshome.com/uk/article/4669/davey_appalled_brown_isnt_appearing_before_the_election.html
“Hague condemns delay to Brown testimony to Iraq inquiry”
http://page.politicshome.com/uk/article/4668/hague_condemns_delay_to_brown_testimony_to_iraq_inquiry.html
I suspect this would have become a bit of a scandal. However it is Christmas Eve-eve so it will sink without a trace…
332 - Mann is Labour’s most notorious rent-a-shit, with the exception of Stephen Pound.
I am impressed by the large number of nominations for different people; I find it difficult to remember enough about each individual to be able to judge who the best ones are. I tend to respond to what people have written without necessarily noticing or remembering who they were.
I nominate SeanT for being witty in his insults and for his wide knowledge of the world (and of course his unorthodox research methods (being kidnapped and beaten up in random continents instead of going on package holidays like normal people)),
and RodCrosby for his rigid adherence of his swingback/hung parliament theory based on rational analysis and mathematical calculations rather than what people “feel” as a gut instinct in the short term. It may be a rubbish theory, but he defends it logically in spite of loads of other people criticising it.
Definitely Rod Crosby for his gallant attempts at trying to prove with swing back that 2+2 does after all = 5!!
Cheers and a Happy Christmas to you all
Peter
336.
Quite right too! Corruption and crookery should be an (official) Conservative monopoly! I am still waiting for the DC announcement that Karzei will be invited by a future Conservative government to head-up the Electoral Commission.
339
331. Patrick Hammer.
If that doesn’t show positive growth, then Sir Richard Mottram’s most famous monologue would be appropriate.
331 should show growth although retail was crap in November and the better than expected Q3 construction data makes it hard to maintain upward momentum in that sector.
no better than positive 0.4 growth and no worse than flat. Q1 2010 will be grim.
340 - Agreed.
One thing I’d like to ask Rod, if he’s about is this, you seem certain that there will be a hung parliament.
What are the event(s) that would stop a hung parliament? Either to allow an outright Tory or Labour majority?
304. Roger December 23rd, 2009 at 7:13 pm
“Stuart Dickenson is the sort of poster PB cant do without.”
Would like to say that I agree with this. I don’t know a lot about Scottish politics and I’ve found Stuart’s posts very informative. Partisan, of course, but informative.
If there were a group award in this competition I would see the SNP delegation as strong contenders: SD, James Kelly, oldnat and marcia - always worth reading.
302 Seth O. Logue
“My tactical concern with your proposal is that Mike might find an unknown Lib Dem councillor in his home town to end up with the award.”
You mean Mike might find an equivalent to Baroness Scotland? Shock! Horror!
341.
Who wins the 2009 end of the year ’stating the obvious’ competition?
Hague: ” Gordon Brown’s efforts to delay the inquiry have been the very opposite of open and accountable government”
or Davey: ” Tony Blair…had no respect for international law.”
No thread on PB.com would be a proper thread without someone going wildly off-topic, so I also want to nominate the sublimely talented Hyacinthe de Moulins and Régis Mengus for doing this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjtVDG0drG0
351.
Mike might find an equivalent to Baroness Scotland? Shock! Horror!”
Indeed. She’d take him to the cleaners.
353.
Is there any other archive footage of Mandelson and GideO at that age?
The next thread should be where we all nominate which electoral system we want to be used to elect the POTY. The thread after that should be where we all nominate which electoral system we want to use to decide which electoral system should be used to elect the POTY. For the latter choice, I nominate Second-Past-The-Post (it’s the same as FPTP except that the winner is the candidate with the second-highest number of votes, not the highest).
Should I just declare a winner based on this thread?
The great thing about this discussion is that in the true spirit of Xmas everybody (almost) is talking in positive terms about the contributions that dozens of PBers have made in the past year.
I think that Richard Nabavi sums it up well here -
http://www2.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2009/12/23/whos-going-to-be-the-pb-poster-of-2009/comment-page-3/#comment-1358371
so what about it - me to declare a winner with a list of other honourable mentions?
357 Mike
Why not?
Then we can have another thread in which we attack the vicious unfairness and venality of the government of this site. That should take us through to Hogmanay!
357. OGH.
I wouldn’t advise doing that if it’s to be a controversial choice (I think you know who I mean!)
FWIW, if I were you I would deem ineligible anyone I had had to yellow card during the year.
357, see how the supposedly objective Lib Dem immediately makes a grab for untrammelled executive power at the first opportunity!
I’d prefer a vote.
347/8 Agree that non-positive would be ’stick your head in the oven’ time for many people,whatever their politcal hue.
One slight-side point-earlier this year many prediceted unemploymeny would be > 3 million now-its around the 2.5 million mark as I recall-a tragedy which I experienced in the early 1990s recession myself,so I wish everyone affected all the very,very best for 2010,and beyond-whatever happens poltically
Wind-up merchant of the year - Coldstone
Our man with his finger on the pulse - Bunnco
Poster with the thickest skin - Tim
Obsessives of the year - those posters endlessly after Tim - MTF and EdP (yawn)
Poster I always read - Edmund from Tokyo
Most overrated poster - Ken - a victory of quantity over quality
Best poster those quickly scanning a long thread - Sean Fear - very concise
Wishfull thinker of the year - St John for his one person campaign for Milliband senior
Trivia. What is the Lib Dem position on PR. They’re in favour but are they committed to a referendum before any legislation so in theory people could elect them and then vote to keep FPTP. What is it?
363, does it matter? They promised a referendum on Lisbon then voted against it.
363. Trivia. What is the Lib Dem position on PR.
Clegg bending over and alowed to be shafted by anyone that will offer it.
357 Mike Smithson
Supporters of Mir Hussein Submarine would not be happy if Ayatollah Smithson decided to unilaterally coronate Mahmoud tim…
A vote would let lurkers give their opinions too…
357. Oh, mike - you can’t deny us an election, please?
363. Surely if a Lib Dem government were elected with a majority of MPs, it would have a mandate to introduce STV directly without any further referendum. If it were part of a coalition government in a hung parliament, it might agree to a referendum as part of a deal or compromise; but that would not be its starting point for negotiations. Same goes for a UKIP government getting out of the EU without a referendum.
305.LondonS…”Very telling that your two nominations for Labour poster of the year never actually support Labour, merely bashing the Tories instead”
If there was a Labour poster with the ability not only to damn the Tories but to find something positive to say about Labour I’d nominate them for Labour leader never mind poster of the year!
Couldn’t we have Mike’s Poster(s) of the year (selected by OGH) and a posters’ poster of the year (chosen by a vote on here)?
368 Provided they have said they would if elected legislate for that immediately and regard election as endorsement then yes. But if they say if elected we promise to legislate for a referendum asking permission to change the voting system then certainly not I guess. They have to clearly state what they need to do it.
369 - Even Roger can find nothing positive to say about a Labour government after 12 years nor can he think of anyone else who could. We need have reached a consensus then. Labour have been a terrible government. The sooner they are replaced the better.
357 boo i’m not on richard’s post!!!!
369 - As a self-described “Bot for the Reelection of Brown” (or something similar) I’m sure that as an erudite man you could achieve this.
Loving PB.com as I do, the greatest shame is that no-one has yet to appear that can give a strong, rational argument beyond “They’re not Tories”….
372 did not need the “need”.
Deep thanks to YS and Seth for mentioning me. I will endevour to comment in future with the ‘politeness and warmth’ that YS has somehow detected in me.
I’m sure everyone who has been mentioned feels deeply honoured but one of the things that makes this site so good is the great variety of commenters from different backgrounds and different beliefs. So along with the front rank of commenters everyone deserves credit.
Two people I don’t think have been mentioned yet are:
Keith Jenner, always gives interesting reports of being a Conservative activist among the Barnsley mining villages.
Mark Senior, the sage of Sussex has his critics but he has given some excellent analysis of opinion polls.
Have Stodge and Gwynfa been mentioned yet? If not they should have been.
I am going to issue my satirical round up of the political year on 31st Dec.
I am just putting the final touches to this truly seam bursting piece!!
My choice is Yellow Submarine. Always interesting, often his (?) post gets to the nub of the discussion and he is willing to see all sides of the argument without being partisan.
Richard Nabavi speaks a lot of sense, and is a calming counterpoint to the frenetic atmosphere that sometimes comes to the fore.
And a special mention to Marf for the cartoons.
If Mike is taking soundings from this thread before sending the white smoke from his Bedford chimney I’d suggest Tim is odds on……
379. Nah, it’ll be Yellow Submarine. Haven’t you learned your lesson about predictions yet?
Mike - best let the voting take its course. For my money, having read this thread, there appear to be three outstanding front-runners for POTY whose names I dare not mention, suffice it to say they comprise one supporter from each of the three major parties.
That said, stranger things have happened on year-end POTY polls, haven’t they PtP?
365.
“What is the Lib Dem position on PR.”
As our GP trainees are taught early on, it is easiest if the patient lies on his side and the digit is well-lubricated - then well-lubricated again.
381.Peter from Putney
That’s why I’ve tried to keep off the thread as much as possible today. I know I probably am in the top5 and probably second favorite. However winning isn’t everything !
F1: Schumacher down to less than 5/1. Closing on Alonso fast.
I note from the Brown’s Xmas card (no, I didn’t get one) that they have made environmental improvements to No 10. “Recent measures include the introduction of a vegetable garden, a wormery, bee boxes, Fairtrade products, a sustainable fish policy ……”
I presume the “sustainable fish policy” involves concealing haddock behind the skirting boards to greet the new occupant.
385, ah, Fairtrade. Costs a little extra, but comes with a nice helping of self-satisfaction.
Also, people who donate to charity (fine) but then pretend it’s a present (look, here’s your present, a desk for an African person) need to be fired into space.
385 - it means Sarah keeps her legs shut.
Too much?
387 Raven
Can you find your coat?
385: oldnat @ 20:37
‘I note from the Brown’s Xmas card (no, I didn’t get one) that they have made environmental improvements to No 10. “Recent measures include the introduction of a vegetable garden, a wormery, bee boxes, Fairtrade products, a sustainable fish policy ……”’
I am sorry but I do not believe you. No Prime Minsiter of Great Britain and Northern Ireland would ever send out a Christmas card containing such nonsense.
387.
That is a Fawkes posting gone astray.
387 - You are exiled to conhome for the rest of the year.
Some of us are trying to eat.
383. Wayne. I was wondering whether Mike might have a special prize for sectioned posters. It would have been a close run thing between you and Tapestry.
391.
“You are exiled to conhome for the rest of the year”
Trust the colonials to advocate cruel and unusual punishment.
389 HurstLlama
http://www.labourlist.org/christmas-e-card-from-gordon-and-sarah-brown?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LabourListLatestPosts+%28The+Labour+List%3A+Latest+Posts%29
389 - http://www.number10.gov.uk/showhomepost/21604
361. WHP
Firstly can I say how much I’ve enjoyed your comments this year.
As to unemployment I sense that we live in such an impatient world now that some people expected 3 million unemployment overnight. Comparing the January to January numbers of unemployed shows that things aren’t good:
1979 +104,000
1980 +809,000
1981 +462,000
1982 +196,000
1983 +217,000
1984 -20,000
1990 +238,000
1991 +491,000
1992 +290,000
1993 -177,000
2008 +508,000
2009 +364,000 (8 months only)
1980 must have been a hellish year but the largest ever monthly increase came in April 2009.
It remains to be seen whether we have several years of rising unemployment as in the early 1980s or whether unemployment falls quickly as the economy recovers, as in the early 1990s.
I suspect it will be the former and that there will be a rapid rise in unemployment during the next few months.
387: Which reminds me, does anyone know if it is again legal to sell Bombay Duck in the UK?
Any Lib Dems know the answer to the PR Trivia question?
396, I wonder if it’s been renamed Mumbai Duck. Why do cities rename themselves? It’s silly. York wouldn’t do something like that. Nor would Jorvik. Or Eoferwic. Eboracum certainly wouldn’t.
398 - To be fair to Mumbai, Kolkota et al, in India they were changed back to their original names, due to the Anglicisations of the name.
It would be if the Germans invaded Britain, stayed for a couple of hundred years, and Leeds became Lidds during that time.
398 - Or New Amsterdam, so poor they named it once.
398 Mumbai is never easy on the tongue or ear imho. Bombay sounds more like a city
398. Would be beautifully comic (and very human) if we looked at the name “Bombay Duck” and thought it was the first word that looked a bit, well, wrong.
O/T The Conservatives have appointed two parliamentary candidates for the two Oldham seats.
Oldham East and Saddleworth has Kashif Ali and former Labour man Kamran Ghafoor has been put in for Oldham West and Royton.
How many postal votes were cast?
I think cities shoudl have middle names and even surnames
London Johnson Walker or
Helsinki Jorten Mortensen
Paris Hilton MErde
399, bah. How long were the Vikings rulers of Jorvik?
Anyway, Britain wouldn’t lose a war to Germany. We aren’t France.
404 - Paris is a lovely city, I spent my honeymoon there. I’d quite happily spend a long time there.
The voting system
There will be two rounds. The first is a long list of 30 names when you will be able to vote for as many as you wish.
Then the top four will go into a first past the post final run-off.
Previous winners have been excluded.
406 no choice if you have a eurostar ticket
405 - I know, on both counts.
394: oldnat @ 20:47
Thank you for posting your link to the alleged Christmas Card from the Prime Minister and his wife.
Having had the chance to take sight of an enlargement of your posted image, I am now certain that this is a spoof. Firstly, no real Prime Minister would boast about growing vegetables in the back garden of No.10, which is any case too small to be of any use in that respect. Secondly the office of Prime Minister is too serous to boast, officially, of having a “wormery” let alone a “bee-box”. However, the real clincher is the handwriting; clearly this has been done by some semi-literate 14 year old.
403. ‘Kamran’ == ‘Khameroen’?
407, sounds like a good system.
399 It is interesting though that many key institutions like the Stock Exchange refused to change from Bombay and stayed with that so there is a fair bit of confusion.
407 sounds like the weekend football coupon at ladbrokes. Now shall i do a 30 team acca or be less ambiious and settle on a super Heinz?
408 - Same applies to Paris Hilton, even if you have a eurostar ticket.
Mike Smithson at 407 “Previous winners have been excluded.”
On what grounds? It’d be interesting we introduced such a principle for General Elections wouldn’t it?
I’ve only been visiting this site for a short time but I think perhaps Nick Palmer should get my nomination for being the only MP to post on here openly and always making interesting comments. (There may be others using pseudonyms for all I know).
413 - Some of the reasons for the name change was down to Bash the British, always a vote winner on the sub continent.
404. rightisright December 23rd, 2009 at 8:57 pm
“I think cities shoudl have middle names and even surnames”
What they should have is sponsors, like football competitions.
“Welcome to Dynorod Hull”.
418 if thats the case its failed becasue the British in general (not them BBC of course) still call it Bombay and that makes us sound even more aloof and arrogant which will surely annoy the indians even more
Shamelessly stolen from twitter- a joke in the mould of the notorious “kipper tie” gag.
In Birmingham it’s apparently illegal *not* to buy your children fake Christmas presents- because all proper toys is theft.
398 - In Leicester and Stoke it’s still called Bombay Duck duck
419.
““Welcome to Dynorod Hull””
Further references here to Prezza’s sexual techniques will not be tolerated!
419 the announcement at the airport could be
‘Welcome to Luton . This city is brought to you by John Lewis’
424.
“This city is brought to you by John Lewis’”
….and is best represented from Southampton, apparently.
Mind you, that was before Esther.
422 It would be good form to ask the duck tbf
“The AA would like to announce that its sponsorhip deal with Basingstoke will not be renewed”
418 In certain circles yes, but it was interesting that many insitutions and quite a large number if people ignored the change and carried on with the old name. I think the postal service still accepts either name as an address.
427.
That would be a bit hard on halcoholics in hampshire?
any city that wanted accenture or gillette to sponsor it would have to stop shagging around
any city that wanted accenture or gillette to sponsor it would have to stop shagging around.
430 - What is this shagging around you talk off?
410 - brilliant observation.
Oh, dear. My question about Bombay Duck was prompted by Mr. Eagles commnt at 385, commented upon (with some justice by the Raven at 387).
Clearly many of the posters here have never tasted this very sporty dried fish product (which the EU have banned).
431.
“shagging around.”
Is this a Berluskoni technique involving rotation contemporaneous with reciprocation?
432.
“What is this shagging around”
Golfers recommend using stiff Woods to penetrate a fairway with the minimum number of strokes to the hole.
The voting starts
399. If you want to know Lib Dem policy, ask a Tory (or better still a SNPer) - they are more obsessed with it than we are.
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