|
We Americans may have declared our independence from Britain in 1776, but there are still similar rhythms in British and American politics. Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan both came to power amid the ruins of the 1970s and restored their nations' economies and spirits in the 1980s. Bill Clinton and Tony Blair both developed "third-way" politics that transformed unelectable leftist parties into center-left political colossuses in the 1990s
So it's not unreasonable to look for lessons for America's politicians in the British election last Thursday. As I write, the outcome is unclear. Conservatives just missed getting a majority of seats in the House of Commons but appear headed for a deal with the third-party Liberal Democrats that will install Conservative leader David Cameron in Number 10 Downing Street Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/In-Britain_-a-cautionary-tale-for-U_S_-parties-93150699.html#ixzz0nXNvu4OgOne thing in common between the two countries is the contempt expressed for all politicians, sparked in Britain by parliamentary expense account scandals. "Best of a bad lot" was a phrase I heard on sidewalks and polling stations in Watford, Birmingham and Hammersmith. Read more at the Washington Examiner here. Read more at the Washington Examiner here. |
