The first election I ever paid close attention to was the 1997 British election. I have been reminded of this election frequently over this last year of political insanity, for both the similarities and the differences. Here’s why.
First of all, there is the face that Tony Blair was up against a long-ruling, belligerent and incredibly conservative Conservative Party. The Conservative Party as Margaret Thatcher had left it was a bit of a shambles after they group-stabbed her Caesar-style, and after that long dominance people were sick of the lot of them. Blair was young, well-spoken (read: the most brilliant speaker and debater of his generation), and promised people a different sort of Labour Party, a party that wasn’t all about unions and, um, the people, but instead was young and hip. New Labour. Sound familiar yet?
Here are some of the concerns and differences I draw from that parallel:
Fear and trembling argument 1 – Look at what happened with Tony. If elected, will Obama suddenly become a regular politician with a messianic conviction, another one who thinks he doesn’t need anybody’s consent? I hope not. In fairness, at least Blair did his Messiah thing legally, and there is much to be said for that.
Fear and trembling argument 2 – Blair did not actually fix the National Health Service in the UK. Maybe it was not within his power, but if it wasn’t in his, then whose? One might plead with the possible future president: please do your research before you get entangled
with healthcare. It has thwarted wilier men than yourself.
Here’s the rub – the US is not the UK, not by a long stretch. In 1997, the Conservatives were voted out by a landslide. They were no more unpopular than the current US regime, and frankly, I would say the John Major’s failings were fewer than Bush’s. Why are we not seeing those effects in the US? Part of it, I think, is the fact that the Brits vote for parties, not people, but even that doesn’t cover it. It is hard to imagine the lacklustre Major beating Blair; but who knows; it probably helped Labour all the same.
Another possible factor is the American anti-intellectual stance – American voters don’t seem to fond of smart guys, or of good speakers. Qualities that would stand Obama in good stead in the UK seem to undermine him in America. It’s nothing new.
