THERE is such a thing as trying too hard, especially in politics. For example, take David Cameron.

The Conservative Party leader seems determined to outdo Tony Blair in futile campaigns, camouflaged as populist policies. Will they ever learn? I doubt it, as politicians live on a different planet to the one you and I inhabit.

One of Mr Cameron's latest utterances, in which he rose to the defence of "hoodies", was as daft, if not dafter, than anything his Labour counterpart has attempted in nine years of government. I'm unsure what he intended. His claim, if I read it correctly, that not all youngsters who wear hoods are bad and that we adults should try to understand and embrace youth culture, might have been acceptable had he not been describing a uniform which has become synonymous with criminal activity.

Teenage yobs who wear a hood do so because it conceals their identity. We live in an age where CCTV is everywhere. It has to be as violence is now endemic in our society. If you intend to mug someone in the street, or rob a lone shopkeeper at knifepoint, you will try your best to hide your face. A hood is the obvious answer to avoid identification.

Now, do we go along with Mr Cameron and concede that not everyone who wears a hood is a thug? There are those, possibly a percentage reading this column, who will agree with him. My point is, why wear the damn thing if you are a decent, law-abiding young person when you must surely be aware that you are sporting gear favoured by n'er do wells?

Mr Cameron's "hug a hoodie" exhortation won't have been met with much success on "sink" estates, where many residents, especially the elderly, live in mortal fear of teenage thugs. He should take it upon himself to test drive his campaign by sauntering, sans security, towards a bunch of them, holding out his arms and uttering the electioneering, politico-speech: "Hi. I'm David. Leader of the Tory Party. I'm here to hug a hoodie. Give us a squeeze, Rambo."

I'd give him five seconds, maximum, before he was set upon, punched and kicked senseless, robbed of cash, watch, mobile phone and credit cards, and most probably urinated upon, just to truly get home the message.

Ask people what most concerns them about life in Britain, circa 2006, and crime will almost certainly be the answer. I doubt if hugging a hoodie will figure highly on their reasons for voting Tory, so Mr Cameron should try a totally different tack, perhaps recommending a spell at "Boot Camp" for violent youngsters who flout the law, seemingly with impunity.

Locking up criminals has become a major problem, with prisons bursting at the seams and murderers and other serious offenders released early to kill, maim and rob again, so a spell in the military offers a possible solution.

The threat of being parachuted into Iraq or Afghanistan would surely be a powerful persuasion against anti-social behaviour. I can't see al-Qa'ida or the Taliban hugging a hoodie. Can you?