As I noted on Tuesday:
We tend to like the guy we think we know rather than trust the potential loonies waiting to replace "our guy." We know Blair. We like Blair. We remain thankful for his support in the war on terror.
But supporting personalities over parties is a mistake. Blair is a reasonable friend who is barely able to control a seething mass of anti-American Laborites who could replace Blair at any time:
Tony Blair's victory in Britain's national election Thursday may turn bittersweet if the Labour Party's diminished majority in Parliament sets the stage for anti-war critics within the party to oust him as prime minister.
Treasury chief Gordon Brown will likely replace Blair if Labor revolts, and he is a reasonable man as well, but all is not well in Laborland as whackjobs like our old friend (and Saddam's buddy) George Galloway shows:
George Galloway, a veteran legislator kicked out of the party after he urged British soldiers not to fight in Iraq, defeated Blair loyalist Oona King in an east London district. He ran as a representative of the Respect party, which he founded to oppose the Iraq war.
Yes, Galloway is not in Labor, but the fact that he won shows that the loony sentiment is strong in parts of Britain. If Galloway is allowed back in Labor, look out.
I'd rather have had the Conservative Party win. Could Blair lead his party to support us in another showdown with an Axis of Evil member with his reduced margin? I imagine the mullahs in Iran sleep a little better after this.
UPDATE: This article highlights the problems Blair will have leading his nation alongside America:
Prime Minister Tony Blair paid at the polls for his friendship with George W. Bush and his backing of the Iraq war. Now he may have trouble playing the role of faithful U.S. ally on any future military mission.
The prime minister was able to drag Britain into war despite resistance among the public and even within his own Labour Party largely because his huge majority of 161 seats in Parliament gave him a broad mandate to dictate foreign policy.
He will probably no longer be able to swim against the tide of public opinion with his new majority of just 66 following Thursday's election.
I hope Blair's supporters here have finished off their champagne and recovered from the celebration. Opportunities for future revelry will likely be limited.
