So, right. I mean, sure, it’s David Brooks, and that, you know, generally means something, but still―
The big historical context is this: Something fundamental is shifting in our politics. The insiders can’t see it. Outsiders get thrown up amid the tumult, but they are too marginal, eccentric and inexperienced to lead effectively.
Without much enthusiasm, many voters seem to be flocking to tough, no-nonsense women who at least seem sensible: Angela Merkel, Hillary Clinton and, now, the Conservative Party front-runner, Theresa May.
We probably need a political Pope Francis-type figure, who comes up from the bottom and understands life there, but who can still make the case for an open dynamic world, with free-flowing goods, ideas, capital and people. Until that figure emerges, we could be in for a set of serial leadership crises.
―could somebody please be so kind as to tell me what those paragraphs mean?
____________________
Brooks, David. “Choosing Leaders: Clueless or Crazy”. The New York Times. 5 July 2016.
This Is 