We've had two leaflets through the door. One from Andrew Stunell, the sitting Liberal Democrat MP. The other is from David Cameron. No mention is made of the local candidate. So far it looks like being a low key scrap to get the incumbent back in. Even on a busy day in Marple there was no sign of any campaigning this afternoon. Maybe they were knocking on doors in Hazel Grove. I haven't seen a single poster yet for any local candidate.
There's plenty of noise on Twitter, mostly from Labour supporters, and there are some very insightful blogs, but the notion that this is a whole new type of election is fanciful.
Nationally, so far I've been irritated by the self-regarding narcisissm of Nick Robinson and that annoying arts correspondent Will Gompertz. They seem to place their management of the daily agenda over all other concerns. The leaders debates should at least allow the public to see them as they are without being constantly picked over and interpreted by Robinson and whoever else.
The other irritant is the obsession with vox pop interviews with members of the public. Especially the kind who are wandering around, say, Chester city centre at 3pm on a weekday. One said he wouldn't be voting because: "I don't believe in it." It wasn't clear whether his lack of belief was an existential point - like belief in the tooth fairy or Father Christmas; or possibly he believes in feudalism.
It is a great pity that voter engagement is so low, but it is too easy to just blame the greedy politicians, part of the blame must also fall at the feet of the news media, national and local.
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