Lib Dems, opportunist? Surely not...

Can you remember when there was more than just one famous Lib Dem? Can you? CF can.

Remember when - way back, in the distant mists of early-last-week - the reason you'd vote Lib Dem was supposedly Vince Cable?

You know, Vincey, the only man alive who foresaw the banking crash, the recession, the invention of Jeggings and the return of Manchester City to the top flight?

He was the main man, he was the safe pair of hands, and Calamity Clegg was just some boy who was hanging around at the back of the press conference.

Even when the General Election campaign began, Vince was to the fore. As the New Statesman points out, it was..

"..as if the Lib Dems feared leaving their young leader alone, the Tiggerish Clegg was forever trailed by the Eeyore-like Cable"

Remember the decoration on the Lib Dem battle bus? Both men were pictured on the side (although only Vince was given a lovely pair of Chrome 'n' Rubber tits)

But then came resurrection day: 'Lib Dem II, The Vengeance'. Clegg emerged from that debate as a mighty hero, sent from Heav'n to Save Us All.

Suddenly, people were talking about voting not for policy (and why would you, with the Lib Dems) but 'for Nick'.

"I'm voting for Nick" said a thousand confused but starry eyed housewives, utterly fucking oblivious to the fact that you can only actually vote for Nick if you live in a certain part of Sheffield.

But no matter - 'Nick' is the face of the Lib Dems. Fuck it, Nick is the Lib Dems.

Which, in a party as ruthlessly opportunistic as the Lib Dems, is bad news for the elderly gentleman. Even he hadn't foreseen this.

Over the weekend, there was a Stalinesque purge: poor ol' Vince suddenly vanished from the Lib Dem homepage. All that's there is now is a giant picture of .. yes ... St. Nicolas of Clegg.

And then, the final slap for the old boy with the Werthers' Orginals: he was due to appear with the young upstart today at Cardiff University, but mysteriously, he pulled out - or was pushed out - at the last minute.

Oh dear, poor old Vince.

Times have changed, eh?

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