More Ugly Americanism?

It seems like being dense about the working of foreign governments is a requirement for American media today.

I don't expect the local jamoke on the police beat to understand that Tony Blair is not "running for a third term." It does seem reasonable to expect world news reporters to understand it.

For the uninitiated: The Labour Party, not Blair alone, is contesting a national election. Whether they "win" or "lose" depends not upon Tony's good looks, but upon the ability of the party at the local level to return a majority to the House of Commons. If Labour doesn't keep a majority, Blair is out. It's a very simple concept, and one of the appeals of the parliamentary system. Apparently, it's too simple for our pundit-driven news organisations to grasp. They also seem puzzled by the idea of holding a general election in just six weeks, which is another attractive feature of parliamentary systems.

Grump.