Monday: The Old Marlburian: RAB Butler
RAB Butler had at
least three good opportunities to be both Conservative leader and Prime
Minister. However, at each one he either passed over the chance or was turned
into the bridesmaid by his party's machine. Was RAB lacking an essential
quality to be leader, or was he just unlucky? What might a RAB premiership have
looked like? How has history remembered him?
Tuesday: Florida Flop: Al Gore
The votes of just one
state stopped Al Gore becoming President in 2000. Instead, George W. Bush won
and eight years of Republican administration followed. What stopped Al Gore
becoming the most powerful person on earth? Might an Al Gore presidency have
been more liberal than Bush's? Is he the best also-ran in US presidential
history?
Wednesday: 1994 and All That: John Smith
John Smith was widely
expected to win a forthcoming general election when, unexpectedly, he suffered
a fatal heart attack in 1994. The result was Tony Blair's election as Labour
leader, with a landslide Labour victory three years later. Could Smith have
also won a landslide and would this have denied Blair the premiership, in the
long-term? Would Smith have been a great reformer or an overly-cautious
deliberator? How has history come to remember his legacy?
Thursday: The "Tea-Drinker”: Job Cohen
Job Cohen was a very
well-regarded Mayor of Amsterdam (2001-2010). In 2010, he was elected as his
party's leader and seemed certain to become the next Dutch Prime Minister.
However, his inability to connect with the electorate and criticisms of his
less "celebrity” style led to him losing out to the conservative Mark Rutte. If
Cohen had succeeded, how would he have gripped the more extreme elements
in Dutch politics? Could the great mediator have resolved some of The
Netherlands' greatest social problems?
Friday: Lock Her Up? Hillary Clinton
Donald Trump's
election victory in 2016 surprised nobody more than Hillary Clinton, the
Democrat nominee. A former First Lady, senator and Secretary of State, Clinton
was seemingly one of the most experienced nominees to run for the presidency in
modern times. However, to certain sections of the electorate, she has proven to
be as divisive a figure as Trump himself. Why did Clinton fail in 2008 and
2016? Could Clinton have been a great reforming president? Why do some
communities in the USA actively hate her? Does Clinton deserve a favourable
reappraisal?
