Can No One in Britain Run an Election?

Might this eagerness to contract out our politics and government to foreigners be the point where we discover the limits of openness? Politics, after all, is first and foremost a closed conversation between governed and those who aspire to govern. It requires a common bond that blends something of citizenship, tax paid, and shared lives in a common society. It also requires politicians with a clear message and confidence in themselves, capable of looking the voters in the eye and winning them over with a compelling argument. Alex Salmond and Nigel Farage both succeed because they have found a patter that catches the ear. Neither may withstand close scrutiny, but in an age when politicians are despised, their ability to connect with the electorate rewards close study.