After four party leader debates, the results are pretty even, something like 50-50 equilibrium.
I wonder whether the Royal Wedding and Barack Obama’s visit later in the year is likely to put more of a sparkle on the image of Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, since they will be rubbing shoulders and capturing the world media’s attention and some of the charisma of the occasions is sure to reflect on our Fredrik the great Moderate.
If Sweden could have been holding the presidency of the EU right around September 19th it would certainly be adding some more lustre to the Alliance.
For now, cheer up Alliance: with reference to leadership and charisma, although Mona Sahlin’s leadership ability and the ability to assemble all of the Social Democrat forces behind her, has been severely questioned even within the rank and file of the Social Democrat Party it seems that (ah that’s politics) a potential nightmare for the Alliance has been deftly averted:
http://www.thelocal.se/24294/20100109/
Margot Wallström who had repeatedly said that she wasn’t interested is now conveniently and with absolute certainty totally out of the way and the threat is no more. All thanks to the wily Carl Bildt who must be smiling to himself, with considerable satisfaction: fait accompli! Herr (Lord) Bildt has recommended Margot Wallström to Ban Ki-Moon and she has now landed the improbable challenge (a top UN job) and all to the goodwill and good cheer of Social Democrats, and pride and honour of Sweden, the International Community and the United Nations! (I feel that Nyamko Sabuni would have also been an excellent candidate for the job.)
And so SD – the Social Democrats ( not to be confused with SD - the Sweden Democrats) no longer have the possibility of playing that card – of having Mona Sahlin as Party leader – complemented by potential PM Candidate Margot Wallström who according to the poll above was so many percentages more popular than the Social Democrat’s most beautiful Mona Lisa. Anyway, as far as Stockholm is concerned Mona Sahlin has the able but in my opinion not very charismatic Carin Jämtin by her side.
http://www.thelocal.se/24708/20100201/
The average male chauvinist pig reasons that it’s one Social Democrat woman plus and another Social Democrat woman and (the average male chauvinist pig) is left wondering, so where are THE MEN? (All the men? The good men. The good Social Democrat men)
Are there no men? No STRONG Social Democrat men, capable of being at the helm of Social Democrat affairs?
About our Fredrik Fredrik. Well, he has those suggestive, serious, soulful, attentive eyes which a Folkpartist tells me makes her feel weak at the knees…. And when Mona Sahlin is vicious (she hasn’t been that clawing recently) because when she is vicious – as in when she was good she was very very good and when she was bad she was better) then our Fredrik always looks a little patient, forgiving, understanding, a little hurt, and those soulful, intelligent, sensitive eyes always look a little sad when attacked and those eyes, attract a lot of sympathy, on TV.
“An’ I told you, as you clawed out my eyes
That I never really meant to do you any harm”
Intelligence should not be overused: there was that election in which Olof Palme made a fool out of Thorbjörn Fälldin and turned voter sympathy against himself (the law of Jante?)
Not that such is likely to happen here again. Mona is no Olof Palme or Big Daddy Göran Persson nor is Maud a Thorbjorn Fälldin, the farmer. There’s so much more to say…. Later…. When this vinterkräksjukan is over