Some Saturday morning fun. I have realised from Twitter that people like polls. So with some help from Andy Moyle, who runs the tech on this site for me, some polling software has been added to the site so that opinion can be shared on issues like this:
Did Boris Johnson mislead the Commons?
- Yes (98%, 493 Votes)
- No (1%, 7 Votes)
- Not sure (1%, 3 Votes)
Total Voters: 503
Loading ...Thoughts?
Do you like the idea of polling on this site?
- Yes (92%, 398 Votes)
- No (7%, 31 Votes)
- I won’t vote if you do it (1%, 4 Votes)
Total Voters: 433
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The only real question about Johnson’s dishonesty goes something like this:
Is Boris Johnson
(a) a certifiable psychopath with no concept of truth, integrity and compassion, like Trump.
(b) a man who realised as a school boy that constantly lying in support of the rich and powerful is a free pass and means that you will never be held to account.
Both.
Aaargh!
Binary options (Yes / ‘No in various flavours’) on a blog that is de facto opionated? I thought you sought to deter trolls! I guess that judicious usage might help you on controversial topics, though.
If you are making changes, I would love the opportunity to indicate my appreciation of some of your contributors. I read a Comment from Mike Parr or PSR or … but can’t let them know how much I have learned from them (anonymously) without posting something – that doesn’t add to the debate yet creates moderation work for you.
My tuppence-worth.
Thanks
I am aware of the risk of trolling – but they can only vote once and I will be curious to see of it happens
Questions may also get more sophisticated in due course….I will see
As to your other theme, I agree
The idea of a poll is good. However, it will be skewed as is the sample type of visitors. You could try getting some demographics of visitors: gender, age range, left/right leaning, income bracket, which people may respond to if they think (or are told) that it is anonymous.
Then I’d be curious who people might vote for, have voted for, Corbyn vs Starmer, who’s heard of MMT (and if they have, how do they rate it) etc
I can’t overcome the sample bias
This is of interest to me and those who visit here
I am thinking of questions to ask…
Of course he misled parliament, many many times. So often in fact that either he was deliberately dishonest, or he was reckless as to the truth. Whether he is incapable of telling the difference between truth and falsehood, or has adopted a strategy of lying whenever it might help him in the moment, is irrelevant.
The skill here is to come up with questions of such sophistication that they produce a fairly equal response, say in the 60-40 range. You could award yourself a subtlety bonus for hitting exactly 52%-48%.
Your second of the day
Polls are fun but more so when the questions and results are meaningful.
For example, the Johnson question is a foregone conclusion on your website. The visitors here are not [insert word for daily mail/the Sun readers].
A better question, and this is just an example off the top of my head: Should left-leaning politicians and powerful figures begin a new party to pressure Starmer’s Labour in the way UKIP pressured and changed the Tories?
Maybe I will do that
They are trying. The Peace and Justice Support Group could be said to be the nearest at the moment. That’s why Starmer has said no CLP can affiliate to it.
A party that fields candidates is TUSC, which has been going since 2010, set up by Bob Crow. It’s anti-austerity and pro socialism.
https://www.tusc.org.uk/18288/13-12-2022/an-application-form-a-guide-to-the-rules-could-you-be-a-tusc-candidate-in-2023/
May I say that @Kristy’s suggestion is a stroke of genius
I am surprised and disappointed so few voted YES
Yes voting feeeels good ! But what would really be good , would be to be able to uptick ( or whatever you might call it ) comments etc . Your blog is often interesting, but the ensuing comment threads can be most absorbing too , being able to nod in agreement or naysay to something would be “inclusifying” for many of us not in a position to say much . It would show how your audience is reacting /participating.
It is now on our agenda
It did not work when we tried it previously but there are better options available now
https://subscribe.bylinetimes.com/product/the-little-black-book-of-lying-boris-johnson/
For those who aren’t sure whether he lied or not, although I can’t bring myself to buy it.
I have their book on Data and Democracy.
Peter Oborne’s book is also very good
Here’s another very good book about Johnson.
https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/St-Pancreas-Defendat-Me–The-Boris-Letters-by-Michael-Rosen/27687655
Johnson also gets the chance to give his dad a knighthood. If I were his dad I would refuse, especially after having read the latest group of whatsapps about him being a threat to the party and the PM.
https://ippl.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=02f5530b79a90612e716ee2bc&id=972d15b861&e=ccecb9d46b