Harper’s Weekly Review has a bang-up summary of elections around the world: “surprise” and “befuddlement” are the apt words:<\/p>\n
French media expressed surprise at the success of a left alliance forged in the country\u2019s snap election, after weeks of polling projecting that Marine Le Pen\u2019s far-right, Euroskeptic party would take the most seats; British media expressed surprise at Keir Starmer\u2019s victory, which arrived alongside the Labour Party\u2019s biggest majority since 1997 and after 14 years of leadership under the Conservatives; Western media expressed surprise at the election of Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran\u2019s first reformist president in two decades, and befuddlement at Tokyo\u2019s gubernatorial race, populated by 56 candidates, some of which included: \u201cthe Joker,\u201d who campaigned on legalizing marijuana and promoting polygamy to address the nation\u2019s declining birthrate; a pro wrestler who hid his face on camera and pledged to deploy AI to carry out governmental responsibilities; a 96-year-old inventor who peddled carbon-free gas-fueled cars; and a 31-year-old entrepreneur whose campaign video featured her taking her shirt off and guaranteeing \u201cfun things.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Harper’s Weekly Review has a bang-up summary of elections around the world: “surprise” and “befuddlement” are the apt words: French media expressed surprise at the success of a left alliance forged in the country\u2019s snap election, after weeks of polling … Continue reading