Where’s the surprise?

Am I the only one who’d care for a bit more uncertainty and surprise when it comes to the election campaign?  I mean, yesterday, Labour released a manifesto which had been heavily trailed for weeks, even months, in advance.  And, today, it looks as though the Conservatives are going to do likewise – with the political barometer saying that their Invitation to Join the Government of Britain won’t contain anything substantially new.  Its cover was even published last night.  And, if you want an sense of what Cameron will say today, then just read his article in this morning’s Times.

Of course, it’s the job of a well-oiled campaign machine to build anticipation in advance, and to keep feeding the media beast along the way.  And its job, also, to ensure that the majority of the ideas in the manifesto have had enough time to root themselves into the public consciousness.