Mr. Bojangles

I loved the bit where the woman was saying that people in Bute probably weren't sure where Westminster was, and there was a chance they had heard of Edinburgh.

Maybe she meant that we need to see 53% in the polling to be sure we're actually ahead (3% +/- deviation)

Fantastic point. Yeah, I signed up to Yougov and Panelbase because I was interested in politics. Couldn't care less about the ones where I have to say which kind of vacuum cleaner or fabric softener I've heard of (but I fill them in anyway). Come to think of it, why are either side even listening to the polls at all for this campaign?

That debate was weird. Many seem to be for Scottish independence, but because they think it's a good idea for Scotland rather than spite you sometimes see. I do love how exasperated Christine Graham gets.

So is the Duke of Northumberland (or whoever he was) still an important figure or something? I mean, he's been on a few times already. EDIT: And Scotland isn't just the Borders region.

I'm confused. Where's the scaremongering? The NE England vision of an independent Scotland sounds even better than my wildest dreams! EDIT: There we go. No investment on either side of the border because......reasons.

I went through a dry spell, but I'm suddenly getting tonnes of them.

He's the Derek Adams of the forum. If things aren't going well he says something outrageous to get everyone talking about him instead. Much like Adams, though, he can't seem to switch it off.

Honestly, that's not too far from it. There was a few questions about fears on both sides. There was even a bit about whether I thought MI5 was causing trouble in Scotland.

I forgot to say, I filled in another Yougov independence poll yesterday. It was much shorter this time.

Really? I've never seen data on that.

As fascinating a character as H_B is, I think I missed the LOL march talk.

When did you join? I've been doing it for years, and I think there was some sort of political ban for new users.

I took a yougov poll today. Interesting questions for sure. There were gauges on how likely you were to vote, change your mind, how long you've been of that opinion etc.

It was HB who brought him up. And I think you'll find you should have said "There have been some toppers" Source: Anthony C. Pick: http://www.discourseandfunction.com/chapters/discourse_and_function.pdf The guy's a modern day renaissance man!

So I'm guessing your argument is that a nation is only defined by language? I have trouble believing the veracity of something where little research was put into the introduction. Britain and France were Empires at that point, and I hardly think that Bangalore was predominantly English speaking (Or Da Nang - French). More importantly (as I suspect you'll argue that colonies are different) Sweden and Norway had just joined together in a union before that treaty was signed (but it was more like an annexation). He does state earlier in the introduction that language isn't everything, and nobody would argue that Mexico and Spain are the same nation. While there are similarities between England, Scotland and Wales; I would say that there are equal similarities with Canada (where I was brought up), Ireland and New Zealand. When I'm in England or Wales I feel 'foreign' in a way I don't when I'm in any part of Scotland (except Glasgow).

Yeah, I also don't shop at Tesco for similar reasons, but I know where they are.

We really need a new poll to talk about.

I've heard of Populus before. In fact, I'd be amazed if you've never heard of them. I'm surprised if this is their first poll on this. EDIT: Also, I did a yougov poll a couple of nights ago. A lot of questions before the actual independence question, but other than that, the questions weren't quite as leading as usual.

That's a lie! H_B cares!

Considering how much that always annoys me, I can't believe I didn't think of that. I wonder if the commentators will be told to tone it down this time. Which will of course lead to a backlash from the 'Engerland' types.

I'd be amazed if I was the only one who has noticed this. I mean, Yes are behind in every poll (though it is getting closer). People are much more likely to be confident that others will agree with them if the side they believe in are regularly shown to be in the lead. The people who are speaking loudly about this always talk loudly about everything, but I've never heard anyone talk loudly about agreeing with anything the yes campaign or the SNP have said. The way those on the yes side find each other, it seems, is by putting out feelers either saying something the yes side have said would be quite nice to have (usually the childcare stuff) or that something Better Together have said is stupid. This is mostly second hand on the cloak and dagger stuff, but I do hear people speaking together as I wait about. My ear p***k up when someone says something about the debate like my dog's if someone mentions food. If anyone doesn't have kids, let me tell you that dropping off the kids at school is a very surreal experience. The kids all run around playing together until the bell rings and the parents are all expected to stand about and talk together in a very ITV daytime programming way until the bell sets us free. Even then a lot of them hang around setting up coffee mornings together. Little cliques form and you're suddenly transported back to the same drama crap from when you were a kid. Or maybe that's just the school my kid goes to. Thankfully I don't have to put up with it too often. My wife has had similar experience at her work, but they have an unofficial "No politics" line, so it only gets brought up very occasionally when someone says they're going to move to Wales or England if there's a yes vote. Everyone else gets uncomfortable and changes the subject. She does know a few of the others are voting yes because of the same cloak and dagger sign and countersign stuff that goes on at my kid's school, but most of them she has no idea. I work with hardcore right wingers mostly, so I don't expect much. I don't see the point in bringing them up since it's a pretty rare view in Scotland. It's all very open, and there's a lot of the "Fat Salmond" stuff. It might be something like 20% yes to 70% no. I'm doing my best to convert the softer ones, but it's a hard slog.

Those three all seem to merge into one.

Was it you or Reynard that was saying that people at a funeral were ranting about being no voters? When I drop my kid off at school I overhear the conversations of no voters. It would actually be really hard not to hear them. Those who speak about voting yes do it in hushed tones. I'm one of them.

I'm not sure where the shy no stuff is coming from. Maybe online, I could see that because online there is a lot of Yes traffic. In real life yes voters seem to be quieter, as far as I can see, and no voters are incredibly in your face about it. Maybe it's just where I live, though.