Cable unplugged

It's an intriguing question. One bald sexagenarian with a background in Scotland gets thrown down the toilet by the media for being too old to lead a political party. Along comes another bald sexagenarian with a background in Scotland to lead the same party and he is feted as the best thing since sliced bread - profiles in the Mail on Sunday and a guest appearance on the Christmas edition of Strictly Come Dancing....an inch from National Luvvy Treasuredom.

Why?

Well, let's be frank. Vince Cable is no Stephen Fry. From interviewing him this evening with other bloggers, he comes across as a technocrat. Simon Hoggart describes him as sounding like a "sheep with tummy ache". So why has he hit the media jackpot as Ming Campbell makes his way from the political U-bend down the stream?

It's almost intangible. It's something to do with being on the front foot, as opposed to being on the back foot, in boxing terms. A little bit of "aggression", forcefulness...a bit of derring-do. It helps to be intellectually on top of the economics brief, while being remarkably politically savvy about it. It helps to be sharp with questions and to think in terms of imagery which normal people relate to.

Whatever it is, the party needs to learn from this latest "Ming, bad - Vince good" scenario, as Vince himself said this evening.

The new leader needs to be very fast out of the traps, he said. Being seen everyday. Capturing the initiative.