This election is more like the plot of a political novel than the expected events of the democratic process. Gordon Brown, survivor of coup attempts and one-time superstar of Labour, is third in the polls. Tory David Cameron, once dreaming of walking into Downing St as PM, saw his lead crumble after one lacklustre tv performance. And the Lib Dems have soared in the polls after one strong tv performance and a manifesto launch.
Gordon Brown has had his crisis (which did not go ahead without some negative headlines), the Tories have trashed a party political broadcast and the ghost of elections past, Norman Tebbitt, is on the warpath. Now, of all people, the generals have come out in support of Lib Dem policy on Trident.
For Labour and especially the Tories, these comments could not come at a worse time. Tomorrow is the next Leaders' debate and it's on foreign policy. Tory attempts to nuke us on our Trident policy could end up with their own attacks on us exploding in the missile silo before they even launch the missiles at us!
Meanwhile the unemployment figures bring bad news for Labour, as well as those out of work. They have just been published and show a rise of over 40,000. No doubt Labour will point to the figures for those showing a fall in the claimant count (that's the more convenient count that removes unemployed people who inconveniently get in the way of a good news story for Labour).
I keep thinking however that one day we will wake up and things will be back to how they were. At the moment however - am enjoying the dream.
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