Congratulations to John Major : Any implications for U.S. politics in the stunning Tory win?

The fiercely fought British general election ended in the wee hours of the Old Country’s morning with a rather startling surprise. The Tories have won for the fourth consecutive time. Observers on this side of the Atlantic wonder whether the outcome there is any portent for what might happen here in November.

It’s understandable that the question would arise. Like the United States, Britain is in the middle of a bad recession, tempers are growing short and fears are growing long. Under the circumstances the instinct to throw the incumbents out would appear to be irresistible.

Moreover, whatever his strengths, the Conservative Party leader--Prime Minister John Major--was thought to lack his predecessor’s charisma. And his Labor Party opponent--Neil Kinnock--was believed to have successfully assuaged the qualms of more centrist voters that the party remained under the hypnotic sway of the radical socialists--the “loony left.”

Indeed, national opinion polls had assessed the election as being too close to call. And commentators had begun to conjure up all the various patch-up combinations involving minor parties that either the Labor or Conservative party would need in order to have enough votes to govern.

But now the laughter is all John Major’s--and this very close and helpful ally of America deserves sincere congratulations. He has emerged from the considerable shadow of Margaret Thatcher to become his own man. He won this election his way--by being himself, and not anyone else; and he went to the voters with his own program--a slightly softer (kindler, gentler, in fact) version of Thatcherism. The victory is all his.

Any implications here? Perhaps it is worth noting that the British campaign was very hard fought, that the press sometimes dragged the whole thing into the mud, that the voters appeared rather unhappy at times with the available choices, and that the outcome was unclear until the very end. But in the final analysis the incumbents were not just thrown out simply because they were the incumbents. British voters required a better reason than that.