Why Kennedy's cock up is really priceless
While I hope I am not sounding like a hopeless optimist, I wonder if the papers' widespread mockery of Charles Kennedy's blear-eyed cock-up yesterday, as he launched his party's manifesto and jumbled his party's council tax plans, aren't as disastrous as they make out. There are probably few people out there who care about politicians being grave and authoritative figures who still consider Charles Kennedy to be one. Amongst committed enemies of his party, this is of course a gift-- living proof of their belief that LibDem tax promises are pie-in-the-sky idealist shallowness.The thing is, for the genuinely floating voter, the fact that a man is looking rough in the morning, a few days after the birth of his first child, may not be such a grave crime. Kennedy's reputation as an intellectual juggernaught hasn't been destroyed, because it never existed-- on the contrary, his image as a sincere and fallible everyman is enhanced.
So, while the columnists may jeer and partisan enemies will mock, I think such a genuine cock up may be the sort of political capital that is, because you can't stage it, truly priceless.
posted by Richard H @ 7:03 PM
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