Election Week 1

I think it's fair to say that I've become a little bit obsessed by the election. I've set up a whole new twitter account just to follow all the political tweets as there are so many I wouldn't be able to keep up with the usual people I follow.

I'm not about to start giving my view on the parties - lets just say there are some parties I would never vote for in a million years and there are others that I have voted for in the past and may vote for again in the future.

What interests me is the action and instant reaction to anything and everything. Look at the labour candidate in Scotland who has been removed because of his tweeting. If we weren't in a world of twitter and blogging he'd still be standing. (I don't think the comment about the banana was very impressive but the rest of them were mildly amusing and they were in the spirit of a personal twitter account - where you say random things). Instead he's been de-selected and I wonder if a twitter error is enough to end his political career. In that case the tweets were sent over the last year and someone has gone digging to find them, however, the instant reaction created by twitter and the blogosphere has caused a quick reaction and he's out.

The more I read, watch and listen to the more I wonder if any of the comments, rhetoric and debate is going to make a difference. It's all over so quickly - yes the reaction is instant - but things seem to move on at such speed keeping up with it (even with a dedicated twitter feed) is hard.

I'm looking forward to being canvassed by the candidates who are standing in my constituency. It'll be slower and will keep my attention at least. This is the first time I've lived anywhere marginal and I'm fully expecting to see at least one of the candidates on my doorstep at some point in the next 4 weeks. I love the Internet but I'd really like an old fashioned discussion where they have to work to convince me of their strong points.