Icon Magazine may not be the most notable source for views on modern politics, but it does brilliantly point out that: "In contemporary politics, there is an absence of argument. In its place we have image. Politics has become totally aestheticised."
Politics are no longer just rhetoric and big "labour doesn't work", it's cycling, smart suits, the right weight, green credentials, and SamCam's kid. The ability to give rousing speeches seems to still vary (Tony Blair, to Gordon Brown), but style and lifestyle are pretty key.
Whilst good morals and a lack of extramarital affairs are important things, there's a vile amount of spin about - in the same way women's mags (a good target at any point in time) can make Jennifer Aniston happy or heartbroken depending on which direction the paparazzi shoot her from.
If politics and ideas are more your sort of thing, a new site called Vote For Policies gives you the chance to take a break from it all. It's essentially a blind test, asking you to pick your close-to-heart policies - or those you wish to compare - and pick from six party options, all completely anonymously.
So who would we vote for on policies alone? Results show it's the Green Party. In my own voting, I found the same with a hint of Labour, and there's no doubt a host of reasons for this, ignoring my own internal policies which I don't intend to preach.
For a start, it's not completely anonymous with some glaringly obvious white-supremacy style options from the BNP, and to the well-learned observer, they're probably all quite distinguishable. However, what I found was that whilst a number of options offered serious overhaul, part of which occasionally made me think "But everything will change!"
Perhaps that's why on policies the Green Party is doing so well - people want sensible solutions not radical change, and perhaps if you drop a mention of "bicycles" in here and there, you're sorted. This is all pretty interesting if you look at Electoral Calculus which shows - in theory - how we're all feeling. Strangely the Conservatives are doing well.
Whilst the Green Party's risen in fame over the years, with a good deal of notice taken to their image, the Conservatives are still at the top. There's a strange jarring between policies and ideals, and presentation - perhaps we want a persuasive leader, or perhaps we're just very pleased with the arrival of mini-SamCam. Are your votes what you expected?
Image via Conservatives.com