Bloggers lift the poll day boredom

6 May 2005

It will be remembered as the election when politicians sent most of us to sleep – only in cyberspace did the poll really come alive.

Bored by Labours seemingly insurmountable lead in opinion polls, computer users were busy posting Web logs – or blogs. One blogger called ‘Don’t mention the war’, summed up the race in one word: ‘Depressing.’

On the nonapathetic.com site, bloggers posted excuses for why they did not vote. They ranged from the straight-to-the-point: ‘I’m not voting because there is no box on the form that says, “None of the above lying, two-faced, self-serving, power-mongering thieves”’ to the more tongue in cheek, ‘I don’t want the right to complain and my old Mum says if you don’t vote, you can’t complain.’ So I won’t.’

There were also blogs from the candidates themselves. Tony Blair’s online entry was topped with a certain amount of sugar: ‘Next stop was Gillingham where we stopped at Strand Park – an opportunity to treat ourselves to an ice cream!’

Parties with slightly less chance of success also got in on the act. The manifesto of the Church of the Militant Elvis Party read: ‘When elected, out MP will go to the Antarctic, stand in front of the icebergs and shout, “Stop melting you big, white bastards”. It’s more than Bush and Blair are doing.’

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