Election: Highlights of the day

Esoteric odds of the day

Nick Clegg's dashing strokeplay in the leaders' debate has sent the bookies into frenzy ahead of round two on Thursday. Ladbrokes is offering 2/1 on David Cameron or Gordon Brown muttering those now familiar words: "I agree with Nick." That's equal odds, incidentally, to the leaders referring to Iceland's volcanic ash. If none of that sets the world alight, how about the likelihood of a hung parliament? Odds-on at 4/6.

Dodgy viral of the day

Confusion at Tory headquarters over the mysterious prankster behind the "Cameron Girls" video. The barely viewable three-minute YouTube clip features a pair of dizzy blonde teenagers waltzing through London crooning their adoration for Big Dave – "I can wear an apron and make you tea, I'll even wear a hoodie if you'll hug me". Created to imitate a film that helped Barack Obama on his way to the White House, the video's response yesterday was not quite as encouraging as some might have hoped. Viewer comments included: "Kill me now", and "I feel physically ill". Tory HQ, unsurprisingly, denies any involvement.

Election flashback of the day

Victory is anything but a certainty, especially for the party in pole position. So Alastair Campbell reminds David Cameron in an ironically worded letter which begins by recalling some of Labour's more jittery moments. "I suppose the manifesto launch in 2001 has to rank close to the top," he recalls. "Launch goes well. Then TB gets monstered by Sharon Storer, Jack Straw gets slow-handclapped by the cops and finally JP decides to take literally our instruction that senior figures need to connect with the electorate." It all seems like yesterday.

Wives words of the day

Much contemplation over the higher purpose of a politician's wife, this time from the Business Secretary. "I'm sure Sarah Brown is a great wife and a wonderful mother, but by having her on his arm Gordon isn't going to win the election," Lord Mandelson bluntly told The People. "If you appear to be using your wife too much and this distracts from your own character and policies, it could even end up being a hindrance." No such introspective thinking from David Cameron yesterday, as his wife turned 39. "In order to keep my marriage healthy and strong I think it's time to go and spend some time with her," he told voters in Swindon.

Self-critic of the day

The post-debate award for unrelenting self-flagellation goes to Gordon Brown, for his unseemly self-critical assessment of his performance in the leaders' debate. "People thought it was a closed book to start with. I lost on presentation. I lost on style. Maybe I lost on smiling," he said yesterday. "Some may think I'm a sort of a tough headteacher, I don't know." Enough existential self-pity, Gordon. There's always this week – and next – for you to put it right.