Alex Salmond.

[Gordon EF]

2 minutes ago, Detournement said:

If it isn't already ISP/AFI is dead in the water now.

The best thing about this is the Lib Dems will lose their list seat so whatever careerist weirdo is standing for them will need to make other plans. 

Unionist or nationalist, Sturgeonite or Salmondite, I'm sure we can all agree that seeing the Lib Dems squeezed out even further is funny and to be encouraged.

[The Ghost of B A R P]

3 minutes ago, Detournement said:

If it isn't already ISP/AFI is dead in the water now.

That has to happen, otherwise the idiotic ‘split the vote’ criticisms will have some traction.

Any Indy list strategy has to be predicated on it going to one place, through others withdrawing, merger, or pact.

[Gordon EF]

Just now, The Ghost of B A R P said:

I think the Greens may be about to take a hammering.

It really depends what % of their vote is only voting for them purely tactically and has nothing to do with the party itself beside independence. 

A pretty decent number of independence supporters who vote SNP/Green prefer the Greens to the SNP and another significant chunk at least like the Greens as a party. I'd say Alba has almost zero chance to taking many of those types of voters.

It is always the big question with the Greens though. What % of their vote is purely tactical Yes voters. Because those votes will be vulnerable to Alba if Alba can start to look like they can win seats.

[Gordon EF]

2 minutes ago, The Ghost of B A R P said:

That has to happen, otherwise the idiotic ‘split the vote’ criticisms will have some traction.

Any Indy list strategy has to be predicated on it going to one place, through others withdrawing, merger, or pact.

The ISP and AFI lot really should be disbanding.

[SANTAN]

10 minutes ago, Detournement said:

It'll be more than 3% of SNP list voters. 

The SNP NEC elections and the AUOB rallies show there is demand for an all out IndyRef2 tactic.

People are comparing him to Farage as if it's an insult. Farage won the war. 

 

The most annoying IRL disagreement I've had in my life was when I said after the Brexit vote that Farage is arguably one of the most successful campaigners in modern politics, the person was a bit dumb so just called him a c**t, like I agree he is a c**t, he made me as a potential Brexiteer vote Remain but you have to give him his dues when it comes to effectiveness. 

[The Ghost of B A R P]

Just now, Gordon EF said:

It really depends what % of their vote is only voting for them purely tactically and has nothing to do with the party itself beside independence. 

A pretty decent number of independence supporters who vote SNP/Green prefer the Greens to the SNP and another significant chunk at least like the Greens as a party. I'd say Alba has almost zero chance to taking many of those types of voters.

It is always the big question with the Greens though. What % of their vote is purely tactical Yes voters. Because those votes will be vulnerable to Alba if Alba can start to look like they can win seats.

That’s exactly the question. We’re about to find out the answer.

And the wee ‘if I dress up as Lenin, people will take me seriously’ man might already be regretting being so cavalier about the female vote...

[The Ghost of B A R P]

1 minute ago, Stormzy said:

The most annoying IRL disagreement I've had in my life was when I said after the Brexit vote that Farage is arguably one of the most successful campaigners in modern politics, the person was a bit dumb so just called him a c**t, like I agree he is a c**t, he made me as a potential Brexiteer vote Remain but you have to give him his dues when it comes to effectiveness. 

I despise Farage... but too many people forget what politics actually is.

[topcat(The most tip top)]

I get your point on a technical level but there are still some SNP members that are sympathetic to Salmond to the point there could still be some technical infighting if anyone kicks up a fuss, I don't think that's actually very likely tbf. 
I disagree about Davidson but would probably agree about Cherry over Ross but she's an MP anyway so perhaps I'm uninformed or missing something but she can't exactly hold Scottish Government to account anyway? 
I agree about the overall widening of electoral choices though. 
 

Cherry is my MP and was planning to replace Ruth Davidson and become my MSP this year.

She was, rightly or wrongly, rejected as a holyrood candidate by the SNP.

That’s the basic backstory to her involvement in this

[SANTAN]

30 minutes ago, Gordon EF said:

To be clear, I'm not saying I don't think Alba can take one seat off the Greens. I don't think they can replace Greens enough en masse to the point where the SNP are reliant on them to form a majority.

I'm sure there's at least one region where the Greens scraped the last list seat and it wouldn't take a huge number of votes to nick their second MSP.

That's a very fair post. I don't think they will sweep up at all I just think there are a significant portion of people that would have went green on the list that will go Alba. 

[NotThePars]

46 minutes ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

Malthusian fruitloops

Which specific Green candidates are "Malthusian fruitloops" out of interest?

[SANTAN]

20 minutes ago, The Ghost of B A R P said:

I despise Farage... but too many people forget what politics actually is.

Absolutely which is why even as a Unionist I like to read posts from yourself and a few others that actually challenge the tribal factions on their obvious preconceptions. The way in which people avoided the actual sincere scrutiny over the Salmond debacle and resorted to good guys/bad guys stances was quite unfortunately revealing of a lot of peoples grasp of the issue at hand.  

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Which specific Green candidates are "Malthusian fruitloops" out of interest?

I just knew you'd respond to that!!

[emoji1787][emoji1787][emoji1787][emoji1787]

[pandarilla]

I reckon the greens need to respond to this, and solidify their support for independence.

I'll consider voting for the da's party - depending on who they put up.

Is there a thread for predicting candidates?

[John Lambies Doos]

Finally, someone gets to ask me to explain a juvenile term everybody knows the meaning of to expose the pettiness of the term! 
I rate that. 
I think if I've got this correctly then the YesDas are the parallel to the Ultra *** yoonatic gammon... 
Basically the flag shaggers.

Yes, it can actually be summed up re. Older men attending Scotland matches wearing kilts & glengarry hats (yes das) and older men attending rugby wearing kilts and glengarry hats (ultra yooonatic gammons)

[renton]

24 minutes ago, pandarilla said:

I reckon the greens need to respond to this, and solidify their support for independence.

I'll consider voting for the da's party - depending on who they put up.

Is there a thread for predicting candidates?

You wonder how much vetting they will have managed. Deadline is Wednesday?

[Blue Brazil Forever]

Which Party, SNP or Alba has the most perverts ( could affect the feminist/gay/trans vote ) ??

 

[DukDukGoose]

2 hours ago, Stormzy said:

So in that theoretical situation do you think Bojo allows a referendum? 

I can easily see an election with the SNP throwing as much mud as they can at Alba, I think there is an easy (political) argument that would be made about a lack of unity. 

If the SNP embraced Alba it could be a different story, all ifs and buts right now but I think the part where we can agree is even as a Unionist I have empathy for the YesDas and the utterly stagnant approach the SNP seem to be going for. 

Why would the SNP sling mud at Alba?

[paolo2143]

2 minutes ago, Blue Brazil Forever said:

Which Party, SNP or Alba has the most perverts ( could affect the feminist/gay/trans vote ) ??

 

The Tory party is always the answer when it comes to "the most perverts"

[invergowrie arab]

What a day for the Yes bikers 

[paolo2143]

1 hour ago, Stormzy said:

That's a very fair post. I don't think they will sweep up at all I just think there are a significant portion of people that would have went green on the list that will go Alba. 

Let's just see what happens.

My hunch is that Alba will attract mainly all the YES voters who said they were planning to abstain in this election. I do think they will pick up about 3-4% of SNP list votes and maybe small number of Greens. That in itself might balance things out. I am actually not convinced it will change the final number or pro or anti Indy majority that much but i would love to be proved wrong if it means more Pro Indy MSP's.