Obstrobogulous overt opportunism...

"The best publicity Brown is ever likely to get".[Link] as Fraser Nelson calls it in The Spectator. Probably, almost certainly, but the question remains WHY is Brown allowed to do it? With an election looming how is it possible to get a national, prime-time, touchy-feely, super-hyped and incessantly pre-plugged (due to his [genuine...] tears) interview that is patently obvious electioneering. Let's not forget that Brown was Chancellor for ten years, he's been Prime Minister for nearly three more (13 fucking years of this lying, bullying, charlatan). The fact remains that Piers Morgan's Life Stories show is a chat show, entertainment, with ex sports stars, TV celebs and singers...WTF is going on?

It was a production featuring not just Brown, but the planet's entire inventory of people who like him... ...all the stops were being pulled out because they all see this as a campaign device. Sarah, easily Brown's no.1 weapon, was on full display. The camera kept cutting to her, as if they are a joint ticket.

Very presidential electionish in the US style. As Fraser goes on to write, "Prepare for plenty more of this in the campaign", indeed. As if to say 'look how nice and normal Sarah is, Gordon must be decent.' Well, that's obviously the intent and no doubt many thousands of morons will be convinced by it.

"It's unusual, in a democracy, to see such a favourable piece of television for a government leader - the audience were almost indecently supportive. God knows where they found them from."

I'll say it's unusual! Iain Dale writes:

"As an interview it stank. And I say this with some regret because I actually think Piers Morgan can be a very talented interviewer. But there was no probing, no exploring, nothing. It was just an hour long party political broadcast on behalf of the Gordon Brown Party".

And Iain goes on to say that it "clearly breaches various aspects of the OFCOM code". Well, we'll see if anything gets done...

Another Iain, Martin in his WSJ blog raises an interesting point about the contradiction revealed in how Brown reacted to the death of the then Labour leader John Smith, oddly enough I think the new version that he immediately phoned Blair to discuss the leadership is far nearer the probable truth than the "Brownite image... ...of a Brown immobilised by grief at the death of his friend Smith and incapable of thinking clearly about the politics of the situation". IM also seems to think that because no politics was mentioned in the interview that,

"In the end it was a lame interview and amounted to a considerable journalistic failure. After all, here was a Prime Minister 'opening up' for an hour of popular television. But out of it Morgan got no revelation, interesting insight or truly fresh perspective."

...but I think it is clear that this wasn't the aim at all, far from it: the politics was left out on purpose, after all, on any political question the real ogre that Brown is would reemerge and that is precisely what dear Piers was intentionally avoiding.

So, as the title suggest I think this was gross opportunistic and excrutiating; therefore I think plans for Cameron to do the same should be avoided at all cost.

PLEASE, Conservatives, DO NOT do this shit!

Update 4pm: I quite like the daily Mash's take, HERE: "GORDON Brown was today waiting for opinion poll results that will reveal whether or not Britain really is that stupid."