Blair shouldn't think that Bush can be changed

[dArKeR]

British Prime Minsiter Tony Blair's near-fatal political strategy inadvertently but inevitably exposed him to the dilemma of his special relationship with US President George W. Bush.

Blair had attempted to wage a campaign that skirted Iraq -- which British voters cited as the overriding issue for their disillusionment, with about only one-third willing to admit that they trusted their prime minister. But his invitation to the voters to vent their frustration at the beginning of the campaign -- the so-called masochism strategy -- naturally brought their anger over Iraq to the surface. Once he had raised the level of political toxicity, Blair simply froze.

Blair had achieved the extraordinary feat of persuading the Labour party to transform itself into a party that wins power. But this time his ability to persuade was exhausted. When confronted with the criticism that he had summoned, he offered no argument. Instead, he pushed voters away with a defiant exasperation that provoked their resistance as he challenged them to judge him. Why wouldn't Blair persuade? Was it just weariness, or ambivalence?

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2005/05/16/2003254910