Two Doctors: Media: April 2008 Archives

Media: April 2008 Archives

Cybernat army stalks cybernat army story

on April 25, 2008 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

David Maddox has a piece in today's Scotsman about the limited number of participants on the Scottish Government's so-called "National Conversation". George Foulkes is quoted in the article discussing "the small army of cybernats who bombard media and political websites in Scotland".

Anyone ever visiting the Scotsman or the Herald's political articles is familiar with the phenomenon.

So is it any surprise that the army strikes in the comments to this very story, and strikes hard? You have to laugh at their touching faith in the power of ranting to deliver independence.

Ranting, and also always renaming. Even more than the Trots, this particular section of the Nat ecosphere loves to rename. It was always Tony Bliar, from Nu Liebour (even in this set of comments), however dull and pointless that kind of "humour" sounded the nineteen thousandth time. So in this story the Scotsman becomes "DeadManWalkingsMan" or the "CringeMan", Foulkes becomes "Lord Zebedee" and "Lord Foulking Drunk", while Wendy is "Bendy Wendy" and the "Mouth of the South."

The irony is I can't imagine anything more likely to drive the floating voters away from the SNP as they float across the websites of our national papers. Keep it up, troops!

I'm sure you know what you're doing, First Minister

James

on April 19, 2008 6:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In Salmond's Brian Taylor interview this weekend, he said something pretty revealing: that if the SNP got 20 seats in the next UK general election "we could make Westminster dance to a Scottish jig" (24:10 in this webcast).

Now, I'm sure that wasn't the message his determined phalanx of press officers sent him in with.

Is the First Minister not worried about the effect that comments like that might have on anti-Scottish sentiment down south (examples: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)? Does he even perhaps relish any increase in the desire from the English to "see the back of the Scots"?

I don't know. But imagine a hung Parliament where the SNP held some influence. If an English Tory MP in those circumstances complained that "The SNP are making Westminster dance to a Scottish jig" there'd be an SNP release slating this as another obvious example of anti-Scottish prejudice on the wires within ten minutes.

Update: apparently he did mean to say it, because he said it again in his address to conference. Silly me. However, I still think it's ill-judged.

What's more, he also implied that STV no longer made programmes (same webcast, at 29:55). Perhaps he thinks Michael Crow either won't watch Brian's interview. I doubt that. Although STV are grown-up enough not to take offence, if I were an SNP press officer I'd nevertheless be dreading the next time I have to ring them.