ninme

Except instead of calling them battleground states (due to the lack of states, I’m sure), they’re called “marginal.”

Times Online - Make your vote count, easy as 1-2-3, by Martin Samuel: In our ludicrous system we know we don’t matter and the candidates know it too

We hear a lot about voter apathy, but less than ever on how to attack it, beyond transient, inconsequential movements such as Rock the Vote.That the young people of Britain feel motivated to choose pop idols ahead of prime ministers explodes Blair’s education, education, education pledge, but addressing generation no-X is only a small part of the problem. If getting teens to vote is stage one, stage two is how to keep them voting once they are worldly enough to realise that in two thirds of the country their trip to the polling booth is as relevant as Melanie C’s new album.

Pff.

Important place, Dorset. Dorset South, Dorset West and Dorset Mid & Poole North are all marginal. If you see a politician around east Dorset, he’s either passing through or lost. Nobody cares about east Dorset — or Christchurch, as it is known — with its Conservative majority of 13,544. It is like my corner of Essex. You could shoot a cannon down the high street and not so much as wing a politician. Believe me, I’ve tried.

hehe