On the heels of the first televised election debate in British history, the country seems to have become totally enamored with Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrat party. While the LibDems traditionally languish in a distant third behind the Labour and Conservative parties, Clegg’s spectacular debate performance ignited a surge that has pushed his party past Labour and into a statistical tie with David Cameron’s Conservatives (some polls show a slim Conservative lead, others a slim LibDem lead).
Obviously, many U.S. conservatives were looking forward to what was once thought to be a near-certain victory for Cameron — ending 13 years of Labour governance and handing the country back to the party of Margaret Thatcher. But the electoral reality in Britain being what it is, it’s important to consider Clegg seriously.
