The Pendragon's Hall

The US media must be in huge turmoil these days. Try as they might, they just can't seem to call it. Most have reported Tony Blair's re-election in terms of the seats he lost, by saying that his support for the war in Iraq has hurt him with the British voters. But wait a minute! If Iraq is such a big issue why did the only party to oppose the war pick up a measly two seats? If Blair's entry into the war in Iraq hurt him with voters how come he was reelected with a slight majority and the even more pro-American Conservative Party is now nipping at his heels while the Liberal Democrats languish at 53 seats, up only two from the last election cycle? This must be killing the mainstream media. While I was in London I sure saw evidence that the Iraq War was extremely unpopular with the British mainstream yet these elections keep confirming it. Blair remains on top, with the Conservatives right behind him. If Iraq was such a big deal, you'd think at the very least the Lib Dems would be gaining a lot of seats. Perhaps the message of the British voter is more that they want principled leadership. Iraq continues to be the sticking point for the media in this country--remember, they foretold that it would hurt Bush and the Republicans last November. Let's see: Bush re-elected with a majority of the largest electoral turnout in history, and the Republican Party swept into control of both Houses of Congress. I can see why the New Left called themselves "The Weathermen": they're always broadcasting and never getting it right.