Vince Cable: An irresistible economic force?
With all the talk about televised debates and the impact of social media on the general election, there was something strangely reassuring to see that the Lib Dems have a battle bus.
Whether we see such emphasis on three battle buses charging around the country as in previous elections remains to be seen - I half expect Gordon Brown or David Cameron to announce they'll tootle round in a Toyota Prius to try and capture the green vote.
But it's who is on the bus, rather than inside the bus, which tells us most about the way the election campaign is expected to go.
Alongside a giant head and shoulders image of Nick Clegg is an equally large head and shoulders images of Vince Cable.
I can't think of another occasion where a party's finance spokesman has received such equal billing alongside a leader in such a way.
Certainly, previous elections for Labour have been dominated by gossip about rows between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and talk of *that* deal.
And there have been previous elections where the Tories have actively tried to keep their shadow chancellor out of the media spotlight at all costs.
Cable, for me, is the reason why the Lib Dems are such an intriguing prospect this time out.
While the Tories and Labour squabble over who is best placed to get the country out of its economic mess, the Lib Dems are the only party people seem to warm to on the economy. Time and time again, polls specifically asking about who'd they'd trust to run the economy, Clegg and Cable beat Brown and Darling and Cameron and Osborne.
But is it enough to get people to vote Lib Dem? In theory, the economy is the one and only election issue this time out - snd the presence of the three TV debates gives the Lib Dems an equal footing in many ways.
The polls suggest the Lib Dems are still knocking around on 20%. That could yet be enough to hand the Lib Dems the balance of power come May 7. By hook or by crook, the presence of the Cable in the Lib Dems may result in the party being handed the keys to at least some power - and the Lib Dems aren't shy about showing off their prized asset.
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David Higgerson - David Higgerson has covered local and national politics for much of his career as a journalist. This blog aims to look at Westminister from the outside in, at a time when it appears very few are looking out from the inside.
I don't pretend to know too much about politics.
But with the general election just around the corner and most of the country thinking Brown and Cameron are at best useless, do you think the Lib Dems fully understand that they may just have a chance of winning this thing this time?
Maybe they haven't? I could be showing my ignorance and naivety.
I know very little about them other than Paddy Pantsdown used to be in charge and that ginger scottish fella had a few issues.
I know very little about them as a party though.
Is my lack of knowledge on them a fault on their behalf or mine?
Probably a bit of both.