This one is from the heart. For 30-odd years I've been following British politics, from the horrid, foul, greedy Thatcher years through politicians and "leaders" such as John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Nick Clegg, and others.
Now it seems, most incredibly and improbably, Jeremy Corbyn is to be the next leader of the Labour Party. For those who haven't been following UK politics, this is (let me think here for a minute) as if... Bernie Sanders became the Democratic candidate for president.
(There is probably a more apt analogy but that will do. The Labour Party leader campaign had strict nomination rules, and Corbyn only got in at the very last minute thanks to some Labour MPs who thought it would be good to have some "left wing balance".
So after Corbyn's nomination squeaked in at the last minute (literally), he then started campaigning. Lo and behold, there was an incredible response by the electorate, and his campaign events were swamped by "normal people". The Labour establishment started panicking, and rolled out the "Big Beasts" (as they are called typically in the UK media) in an effort to defeat Corbyn: Gordon Brown, Peter Mandelson (a/k/a The Prince of Darkness), David Blunkett (google to see his own scandals), and most backfiringly--to coin a word-- Tony Blair himself.
Most of this is inside baseball (or "inside cricket") I suppose, but my point is that in politics these days anything can happen... even miracles. I'm trying right now to think of a similar political miracle during my lifetime: starting with anti-Vietnam War marches as a kid with my parents (that dates me, I know), and high-school efforts for George McGovern (that didn't work out well :), and other acts of enthusiasm and donation since then. But I have to say Corbyn's apparent victory is the most amazing.
So for anyone who reads this modest posting: anything can happen! Take heart.
Here is a link to the Guardian piece with a great video on Corbyn:
Jeremy Corbyn: it’s time for a new kind of politics