E.J. Dionne Jr.: Is Gordon Brown Great Britain's Harry Truman?
Could Prime Minister Gordon Brown become the Harry Truman of British politics?
For many long months, Brown and his Labor Party were written off as sure losers in this year's election, likely to be set for May 6. David Cameron, the young, energetic and empathetic Conservative Party leader, was all but handed Brown's job by the chattering classes, so consistent and formidable had been his lead in the polls.
But suddenly, Cameron doesn't seem quite so inevitable. One recent poll showed Brown's party within two points of Cameron's. While other surveys show a larger Conservative lead, it is no longer an absurd idea that Brown could push his way into an unexpected new term in office. Truman won the world's most famous upset over Tom Dewey in 1948. A Brown triumph this year would be of comparable magnitude....
Britain's bookies, often better electoral prognosticators than the pollsters, are not yet convinced of the Brown comeback story and still give decent odds to Cameron. For his part, the Conservative leader has reason to count on public exhaustion with Brown and also with a Labor Party that has held power for 13 years.
So, yes, an outright win by Brown still seems a long shot. But then Harry Truman was supposed to lose, too.
Read entire article at WaPo
For many long months, Brown and his Labor Party were written off as sure losers in this year's election, likely to be set for May 6. David Cameron, the young, energetic and empathetic Conservative Party leader, was all but handed Brown's job by the chattering classes, so consistent and formidable had been his lead in the polls.
But suddenly, Cameron doesn't seem quite so inevitable. One recent poll showed Brown's party within two points of Cameron's. While other surveys show a larger Conservative lead, it is no longer an absurd idea that Brown could push his way into an unexpected new term in office. Truman won the world's most famous upset over Tom Dewey in 1948. A Brown triumph this year would be of comparable magnitude....
Britain's bookies, often better electoral prognosticators than the pollsters, are not yet convinced of the Brown comeback story and still give decent odds to Cameron. For his part, the Conservative leader has reason to count on public exhaustion with Brown and also with a Labor Party that has held power for 13 years.
So, yes, an outright win by Brown still seems a long shot. But then Harry Truman was supposed to lose, too.