Final Word from Thursday, February 14, 2008
Václav Klaus and Hillary Clinton have something else in common, in addition to emphasizing their experience. Their presidential candidacies have been based on creating a feeling of inevitability. In both cases, though, the momentum is slowing, and the facade of entitlement is cracking. The Czech media are in almost complete agreement that the nomination by the Communists of MEP Jana Bobošíková decreases Jan Švejnar's chances and helps Klaus, but evidence for this is totally lacking. There are no credible signs that the absence of Švejnar in later rounds of voting on Fri. would cause Communist or KDU lawmakers to cast the deciding votes for Klaus. If momentum in the U.S. is now building for Barack Obama, momentum in the CR is actually now tilting toward yet another stalemate in the second presidential election. And if this happens, it will be all downhill for Klaus from there.[Czech Republic KDU-ČSL KSČM Party European Parliament]
Glossary of difficult words
the big mo - a phrase apparently coined by George Bush Sr. meaning that the candidate with the big momentum has the political advantage;
inevitability - the unavoidable, a certainty;
entitlement - the fact or feeling of having a right to something;
MEP - Member of the European Parliament;
to tilt - to move into a sloping position;
stalemate - a chess term meaning a deadlock or impasse;
to be all downhill for someone - it will get progressively worse for the person.