Here is an interesting take on the the Swedish referendum results I haven’t seen elsewhere:
Undecideds routed in Swedish EMU referendum
Sun September 14, 2003 08:28 PM ET
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden dealt a stunning blow to the undecided movement today in a referendum on Sweden's proposed entry into the European Monetary Union, with an overwhelming 97.4% of voters voicing a clear opinion. Only 2.1% of voters were unable or refused to hold an opinion, a stunning collapse from the nearly 20% predicted by polls only a few weeks ago.
Although fully one third of ballots made available at polling stations had the word "blank" printed on them, voters shunned these in droves, instead stuffing either the "yes" or "no" ballots into their voting envelopes.
"See if I care," said Apatipartiet (ap) leader Stig Slöströmming, who maintained a a defiantly indifferent stance in the wake of the defeat. "If Swedes want to hold clear views about politics, they're welcome to them. Just leave us out of the EMU debate."
But when pressed to explain the collapse of the apathist vote in the final few weeks before the referendum, Slöströmming admitted mistakes were made. "We didn't run a good campaign. Or any campaign at all, for that matter."
Analysts tonight were pinning some of the blame on a party leadership divided between the don't knows and the don't cares. Asked which faction Slöströmming belonged to, he replied only, "Don't know, don't care."
But what is clear from the result tonight is that many of the party rank and file only pretended not to care, when in fact they were steadily forming opinions which they had no qualms about voicing today.
The Swedish result is sure to boost the opinionated across Europe. Already tonight Welsh Defeatist Party leader Eurof Uppington came out in favor of opinions, though he assured his supporters he would only choose unelectable ones.
With a tip of the hat to the imicable imitable The Onion.
“imicable”? hmmm.
“inimicable” means hostile, from the latin inimicus, enemy. do you feel threatened by the onion? do you think them cleverer than you? better bloggers? do you have delusions of grandeur? i wonder if they feel threatened by you?
“inimitable” means you can’t imitate the onion. which is even stupider, as you just did, er imitate it.
you quite often use words you don’t understand, and some which don’t exist, don’t you? be thankful your readership is small.
There are also two “stunnings” in your lede. You need to fire your copy editor.
Oh, and Eurof, what’s your plan later this month? You’re coming over here? I only ask because you seem determined to ignore all my emails. Seeing as how the lure of voicing opinions about how no-one ought to have any is too great for you to resist, I was assuming you’d probably see this little note before you ever found my email in your stupid Yahoo account.
It’s supposed to look like a reuters story.
Stefan, you know how much Eurof hates it when people ex-post re-post so his post looks postal. Should have left the error as was. Matty, I want to come to NY, too.
Charles, site policy here is that if you point out mistakes in my posts before I notice them, I will strike through the error when I correct it. Of course, I sometimes leave errors in my copy as an incentive for my more anal friends to read my blog – I am well aware how much Eurof looks forwards to this quotidian pleasure.
oh nice try. of course you put intentional mistakes in your blog that make you look like an idiot. how stupid we all were to think otherwise.
i don’t think anyone who knows me thinks i’m anal. i point out your “quotidian” mistakes because i am snide, not pedantic.
See, I knew you’d pick up on the overly florid “quotidian”.
I don’t think you’re anal, Eurof, I think you’re lovely. And you, too, Stefan, I think you’re lovely, as well. But a bit obscure on stefangeens.com. Here you have an eponymous website, yet you still don’t report enough on what you are actually doing and/or why. Reading your posts is like the Kremlin wall on May Day exercise. For e.g., has he moved to Ireland permanently (surely yes, he’s worrying about his broadband connection in Dublin), or is it just a summer break? Your posts lack context, character development, that kind of thing.
PS, matty, you’re lovely too.
You’re very kind. Do we think Stefan needs to actually develop his character in real life before he starts tinkering with it in his blog? When are you coming to NY?
Anybody hear any dead Anna Lindh jokes yet? I can’t wait!!!
Msatty– thanks for asking, even if only after a request for you to ask. Sometimes you just have to squeeze out the love. Soon, I hope, you will be second to know.
I realize that none of you have posted here in a good three years, but it is a comfort to know that you are just as tiresome as you always were…or at least you were three years ago. Damned Brits! And, yes, Eurof is correct in noting that “snide” is the proper word to define his demeanor. Now then, back to raising my child.