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Last updated on March 6th, 2018 at 12:30 am
Regarding the British election, Randal Robinson inquires: “I’m looking forward to the letter writing campaign informing British voters how Americans and Aussies want them to vote. When do we get started?” Too late, Randal! The BBC is already running a Reverse Operation Clark County, as the Akron Beacon Journal reports:
A crew from the British Broadcasting Corp.’s Washington radio bureau flew into Columbus and drove west Wednesday. Their goal: to find out who Clark County residents think their jolly allies abroad should vote for in the upcoming parliamentary election.
The BBC is taking a cue from The Guardian, a 400,000-circulation left-leaning newspaper in England.
The Guardian began Operation Clark County in October, asking readers to send letters to people here regarding the presidential elections. It garnered international media attention but fell flat here.
The BBC’s effort is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, Tara Neill, BBC Washington bureau senior radio producer, said.
Despite the cheeky intentions, Justin Webb, senior correspondent for the BBC Washington bureau, said there is a message.
“It underlies the point the Guardian was trying to make,” Webb said. “It’s not fair that Americans have all the influence but we don’t have any say.”
Webb and Neill said they planned to talk to people on the streets to get their opinions.
“The problem is no one is the slightest bit interested,” Webb conceded.
There’s a shock.
- Awwwww, nobody in Ohio gives a rat’s ass in hell who the Brits vote for in British elections.
Did the mean ol’ Americans hurt the brave British broadcaster’s widdle feewings?
GOOD!
Posted by Barbara Skolaut on 03/09 at 11:23 PM • #
- I’d put an arm over the interviewer’s shoulder, look thoughtful for a moment, and say “The guys who’ll give you your guns back, I reckon.”Posted by Aaron – Freewill on 03/09 at 11:48 PM • #
- What’s the purpose? Is the BBC so angry that they didn’t get a say in U.S. elections that they feel the need to travel half way around the world just to tell Americans that they don’t have a say in British elections?
Is this one of those British comedy routines that nobody understands?
BBC accosting pedestrians in Ohio:
BBC – Who do you want to win the parliamentary elections?
Ped – Parliament? What do you mean Parliament?
BBC – The elections in Britain. England.
Ped – Oh. Um…
BBC – Ha ha ha ha ha! You don’t get an opinion you stupid American!
- This has been a world leftist theme for a while: that US sovereignty is unfair.
The BBC propaganda cult certainly would like it to be regarded as a matter of simple justice that the BBC should be influential in US elections. It is not right that journalism school should have prepared them for world domination, only for them to be stymied by vast landscapes of bored Ohioans.
- “It’s not fair that Americans have all the influence but we don’t have any say.”
Did he stamp his little foot to punctuate the word “fair”?
Posted by Jim Treacher on 03/09 at 11:58 PM • #
- There was great alarm among the BBC correspondents in Brooklyn when they found what the natives really meant when they said they were voting for Disraeli…
Maybe we can send some Ohio election workers to count the ballots? And Day Laborer in Chief Carter to over see the election?
Posted by richard mcenroe on 03/10 at 12:33 AM • #
- Come on, the Guardian ‘Operation Clark County’ was supposed to be a joke all along wasn’t it? I read somewhere (and i’m sorry that I don’t remember now where) that it was in an Entertainment or Lifestyle Section of the newspaper. You complain about the ‘lefties’ going on and on about the Plastic Turkey, perhaps it would be fair enough for you to leave ‘Operation Clark County’ alone?
- “It underlies the point the Guardian was trying to make,�? Webb said. “It’s not fair that Americans have all the influence but we don’t have any say.”
I wonder how 19th century British voters would have felt about, say for example, Mexicans complaining that Great Britain is a world power and they should have a say in how it’s run.
- IanMC, if you *read* the article, you might note that the BBC is the one not leaving Operation “Clark County” alone. It’s the lefties (well represented by the BBC) who can’t let go.
Although, to be fair, the BBC does characerize this as “tongue in cheek”. But that doesn’t mean “non-lefties” can’t laugh at it.
Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 03/10 at 01:58 AM • #
- IanMc
I’m sorry but you are very wrong. Operation Clark County was a very serious attempt by seriously stupid people to influence the outcome of voting in what the Guardian had identified as a “swing” county.
Come on, the Guardian ‘Operation Clark County’ was supposed to be a joke all along wasn’t it?
Ah yes, what lighthearted japery.
I read somewhere (and i’m sorry that I don’t remember now where) that it was in an Entertainment or Lifestyle Section of the newspaper.
Well, the website says “U.S. Elections 2004.”
Posted by Jim Treacher on 03/10 at 02:55 AM • #
- Well, OK, what are the choices?
Sensible Party vs. Silly Party?
Well there’s a swing here to the Silly Party…but how big a swing I’m not going to tell you.
(cue Swing-o-Meter)
Well, if I may…I think the interesting thing here is the big swing to the Silly Party and of course the very large swing back to the Sensible Party…and a tendency to wobble up and down in the middle because the screw’s loose.
Posted by Spiny Norman on 03/10 at 03:29 AM • #
- the BBC need to track down Puce in clock county . he’ll speak power to truth.Posted by Deo Vindice on 03/10 at 03:47 AM • #
- Rereading these contributions from John le Carre, Antonia Fraser and Richard Dawkins it is difficult to believe that they are not spoofs. Much easier to understand how their condescension proved counterproductive.
Here’s John le Carre bringing Clark Count residents up to date with the facts:
While Bush was waging his father’s war at your expense, he was also ruining your country.
Lady Antonia’s literary approach must have had them scratching their heads:
O duty
Why hast thou not the visage of a sweetie or a cutie … ?
Why art thou so different from Venus?
And why do thou and I have so few interests in common between us?
Best of all was Professor Dawkins with a contemporary reference tailored to his target audience – and with a helpful explanation of the reference in case his blistering point was missed:
Now that all other justifications for the war are known to be lies, the warmongers are thrown back on one, endlessly repeated: the world is a better place without Saddam. No doubt it is. But that’s the Tony Martin school of foreign policy [Martin was a householder who shot dead a burglar who had broken into his house in 1999].
“The Tony Martin school of foreign policy” indeed. Get back in the lab.
- By the way, I recommend listening to the whole Monty Python sketch from which my preceding quote originated. I found a copy online; It’s in two parts, both smallish zip files that expand into mp3 files. It’s really worth a listen if you’ve never heard it. Part One (3 mb) and Part Two (2.6 mb)
- goldsmith,
The results are in:
Alan Jones…
On the left, Sensible Party
9,112Kevin Phillips-Bong…
On the right, Slightly Silly.
NoughtTarquin Fin- tim- lin- bin- whin- bim- lin- bus- stop- F’tang- F’tang- Olé-Biscuitbarrel…
Silly
12,441.There you have it: the Silly Party take Luton.
Posted by Spiny Norman on 03/10 at 04:23 AM • #
- Come on, the Guardian ‘Operation Clark County’ was supposed to be a joke all along wasn’t it? I read somewhere (and i’m sorry that I don’t remember now where) that it was in an Entertainment or Lifestyle Section of the newspaper. You complain about the ‘lefties’ going on and on about the Plastic Turkey, perhaps it would be fair enough for you to leave ‘Operation Clark County’ alone?
Sure. First we want them to admit about the turkey. Then about the gaucherie of their Clark County Gambit.
Nightfly! Here is your new pet.
- Yeah, Treacher, where is Puce when we need him? Sic ‘im on the BBC!!!!Posted by The_Real_JeffS on 03/10 at 05:22 AM • #
- Want to vote in U.S. elections? Vote for a party advocating that your country ask for admission as a state or states to the Union.Posted by Warmongering Lunatic on 03/10 at 05:31 AM • #
- I don’t know, it sounds like classic BBC self-deprecating humor to me. I know it sounds doubtful that they have any today, but they used to. Is it April 1 in Britain by any chance?
It’s certainly true that nobody cares what government Britain has. I assume they have a King or something still. Canadians would know.
- Actually, I’m very interested in who will become the next Minister of Silly Walks.Posted by Tommy Shanks on 03/10 at 06:58 AM • #
- I’d tell the man from British Pravda that the Brits should vote for Mr Hilter of the National Bocialist Party, with his policy of boncentration bamps for BBC employees.Posted by Jim Geones on 03/10 at 07:20 AM • #
- “I’m throwing my considerable weight in support of the Earl of Sandwich”
Michael Moore
Posted by Some0Seppo on 03/10 at 10:15 AM • #
- Not only was Operation Clark County a failure, it so annoyed Ohioans that it may have helped swing Ohio to Bush. The BBC may have helped Bush win the whole enchilada.
To top it off, although BBC never admitted it, the idea for the Operation WAS originally a joke—conceived of by Tim Blair himself! It is why Tim is in the Karl Rove league of cunning!
- Well, I’m an Ohioan so I asked my colleagues and relatives who they would vote for. Admittedly they know relatively few British, but here’s the list by order of popularity:
1. Tony Blair
2. Blackadder
3. Basil Fawty
4. Austin Powers
5. Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet)When I pointed out to several responders that some of the above were not, exactly, actual people, they opined that the same could be said for several members of the Tory Party.
The list goes on with the last being comprised of:
896. Any of those Green Party protesters who were told to go “sod off swampy!”
897. Dr. Evil
898. Michael HowardPlease keep in mind this was not a scientific poll.
Posted by wronwright on 03/10 at 10:52 AM • #
- rhhardin, in response to #33…
Please don’t drag us Canadian’s into it. We have enough trouble getting our population to think rationally about our own (corrupt) government without trying to figure out how the British Torries are now more left-wingnutted than Labour.
Posted by whiteotter on 03/10 at 11:28 AM • #
- Bruce – if he was a crack shot, he wouldn’t have missed dinner and put that stray shot into the turf. And you’d need a crowded room for all the fictional characters turning out to be foreign royals – in fact, some think that Prince Charles is one himself.
Blogstrop – thanks! He’s swell. Andrea, can I keep him?
- I’d vote for QueenPosted by Jack from Montreal on 03/10 at 02:05 PM • #
- If I had to give advice to the British, hrmm . . .
UKIP? Will they be running? Because otherwise I’d have to suggest Labour.
Posted by Warmongering Lunatic on 03/10 at 02:46 PM • #
- “It underlies the point the Guardian was trying to make,�? Webb said. “It’s not fair that Americans have all the influence but we don’t have any say.”
When will Europeans understand that the amount of influence one has is directly dependent on the amount of interest and action one puts into an issue.
It’s works the same as the nieces and nephews who care for an elderly aunt. There is always that one good hearted niece who takes responsibility for caring for the old lady. She goes to see her every day, she cleans her house, does her errands, buys her groceries, pays her bills, takes her to church, and makes sure she’s well fed and in good health and spirits. This is usually done at considerable sacrifice, both financially and with time and leisure, and with virtually no credit given to her by anyone, let alone her extended family.
And no matter how often and how ardently she pleas for assistance from her fellow cousins, all of which has as much responsibility to care for the old aunt as her, only poor excuses are offered up. And if a friend asks her why does she do it, she will only say “she needs me, it needs to be done, and who else will do it”.
And yet when an important decision must be made, especially one that could potentially affect them, invariably the cousins will want if not demand the same say in the decision making as the niece who does all the hard work.
To that I say, you want a say in the decisions that will be made? Then spend the money, take the risks, put your life and well being at stake. The more you do that, the more influence you will have, and more say you will be given.
Otherwise, you’re just another Belgium, Ireland, or Canada and you get the say you’re entitled to.
Posted by wronwright on 03/10 at 03:17 PM • #
- [ADMIN OT] Hey, whiteotter, I am getting bounced auto-reply emails from your email address the_whiteotter@yahoo.com with the message “This user doesn’t have a yahoo.com account.” You need to use a real email address to post here. Please put a real email address in, or else check your settings. You may modify your email with something like “NOSPAM” but if you do so please follow the directions about turning off the automatic notification of follow-up comments.Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 03/10 at 06:27 PM • #
- I see that this topic has been approached here in the comments from a multitude of perspectives; perhaps I can add one more.
It seems to me that the intentions of the BBC in undertaking this little exercise are not as innocuous as they would like to pretend.
Is there not behind this facade of “tongue-in-cheek” levity a faintly audible desire to influence the upcoming General Election?
Were the Americans to express a preference for Tony Blair (as they may well be expected to do) the BBC would immediately proclaim: The same people who voted George W. Bush into office now want you to vote for Tony Blair. Thus leaving the hapless electorate—conditioned by one or two decades of Anti-Americanism—to draw the proper conclusion: Say No to Blair.
- So far British television personalities seem to be outdoing Tony Blair here by a wide margin.Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 03/10 at 08:42 PM • #
- The sound of hoofbeats cross the glade
Good folk, lock up your son and daughter
Beware the deadly flashing blade
Unless you want to end up shorterBlack Adder! Black Adder!
He rides a pitch-black steed
Black Adder! Black Adder!
He’s very bad indeedBlack: His gloves of finest mole
Black: His codpiece made of metal
His horse is blacker than a vole
His pot is blacker than his kettleBlack Adder! Black Adder!
With many a cunning plan
Black Adder! Black Adder!
You horrid little man
He would be my choice for prime minister. Oh why won’t Great Britain allowed this man from Ohio to vote for him?Posted by wronwright on 03/10 at 09:05 PM • #
- golly, what a hot topic ! 2 points…
The BBC’s effort is meant to be tongue-in-cheek
most in UK would appreciate the dry humour of young Justin’s efforts…(and not surprised Tim B et al totally misread it – its a cultural thing)
and wasn’t there an opinion poll in USA showing Blair was more popular there than GWB ?
- The least you could do would be to show a mild interest in the affairs of one of your main allies . . .
There’s a difference between being interested and in thinking the Brits need advice on who to vote for. They’ve done a fine job of choosing their own leaders for the last few centuries (with the unfortunate exception of Mr. Chamberlain), I’m sure they will keep on doing so, with the occasional mistake. I can’t really criticize them for the mistakes, though- after all, we elected Jimmy Carter, once.
- clock county voters MUST support tommy cooper in his quest for ‘limey head cheese’. how could you resist a candidate who wears/wore a fez.Posted by Deo Vindice on 03/11 at 02:22 AM • #
- Although they were giving away a trip to Ohio, that’s kind of funny.
I can assure you that Ohio is a very nice place to go on a vacation. Beautiful forests, rolling hills, there are worse places.
As far as Clark County itself goes, there is a very nice restaurant just north of Yellow Springs called Young’s Dairy Restaurant. You can buy a very nice rib dinner (voted Best in Greene County no less!, although technically the restaurant is located a 100 yards or so just within the Clark County boundary) for $18. Best yet, you can top it off with a fantastic ice cream sundae that is the best I’ve ever eaten.
Well worth a flight from London. Or Sydney.
Posted by wronwright on 03/11 at 09:19 AM • #
- Wronwright,
Your poll results are great. I expect Hyacinth Bucket to try on the conservative ticket (and she could hardly be worse than what they have now), but for the life of me I can’t figure out which party Edmund Blackadder would join, or which would want him. I mean, he’s too slimy even for the BNP.Let’s see, a Blackadder win probably would make Lord Percy Defense Minister, Lord Melchett foreign secretary, and Baldrick the behind-the-scenes political strategist. I’m not sure the world is ready for that sort of government.
Posted by Michael Lonie on 03/11 at 07:24 PM • #
- [B]ut for the life of me I can’t figure out which party Edmund Blackadder would join, or which would want him.
Well let’s think about this, shall we. How could we describe Lord Blackadder:
1. devious
2. sly and clever
3. has no scruples nor respects any boundaries
4. has no care or respect for his fellow man
5. cares only for himselfWho does that describe? Why the Republican Party of course. Bush is undoubtedly disgusted with the Tory Party (hey, who isn’t) so he’s instructed his Baldrick (Rove, the bearer of a very cunning plan) to carry his franchise to the mother country.
First, Parliament. Then, the prime minister. The ultimate prize: the royal throne.
Would someone please start listening to me, we must stop Bush NOW! No? Well, fine, become Blair sheep. For me, I shall take the facts over to the Daily Kos. They’ll listen to reason there.
Posted by wronwright on 03/11 at 07:56 PM • #
Well, tra la la! Tim, you slithy tove. Better brush up on the old dart in order to avoid more cock-ups on the cultural front. Eh, What?
mr blogstrop, do I detect a note of jocularity ? could you perchance be striving for comic effect ?
No doubt many colonials appreciate your talented mimicry and are now giggling insanely. Can I commend to them the works of P.G. Wodehouse, an American with a similar bent. Toodle-pip
- P.G. Wodehouse, a most excellent writer. My wife bought me 3 Bertie and Jeeves books for my birthday. I thought I was going to get a stupid tie. I was most happy.
But Maria, I thought they said on Masterpiece Theatre that Wodehouse was British but had moved to the US during WWII. Maybe I should ask Jeeves?
Posted by wronwright on 03/12 at 08:49 AM • #
Wow, could the concept of minding one’s own business be sinking in among the Limey Leftoid Media?