Slightly over two years in Australia, I am now in my second round of very obvious political theater related to the position of prime minister. In what seems to an American as a bizarre exercise in governmental dysfunction, if the popularity of the prime minister is flagging, the leadership position can be replaced by someone from within the ruling party. The part that seems crazy is that it all seems to be driven by rumors fomented by the press.
The opposition, of course, is continuously nagging that the leader is inadequate and wrong-headed. This seems rather standard for democracy, this constant, petulant sniping. Rather than a dignified debate, there are always dire warnings of imminent doom if one or the other party has their way. What is different in Australia is that at some point the press starts pointing to polls that the prime minister has lost face with the public, and then the rumors start that the party is considering replacing them. The press starts making the rounds of other prominent party members who might step up into the leadership position. Since admitting to any aspiration would mean they are traitorous bastards, everyone denies discord and claims allegiance. The press keeps up their hounding, and party members keep up their denial, until at some point there is such noise in the media that the party is forced to meet and definitively quash or confirm that it's time to switch horses in the middle of the river.
Then the opposition says, "Look! How can you rely on a party that switches horses in the middle of the river?" An election is called, and the Queen wins, because she is regally above this gaggle of buffoons.
This, of course, is not to say that America has devised a much better system, with its fixed terms. Rather than voting no confidence, switching leaders, and then calling an election, Americans are stuck for a full term with the slippery used car salesmen who have charmed their votes. And since they're there for the duration, gridlock ensues for the remainder of the obstinate members' time in office.
Maybe some day I should take a political science class.
