Oh, Britain. What happened? You’ve done such a wonderful job, lately, of choosing leaders according to their ideals rather than their stunning good looks—sure, we know you thought Tony Blair was fit at the time, but the harsh light of day has dawned on that one, hasn’t it? And, well, there never were many illusions about Gordon Brown. But now…well. We never thought you’d be susceptible to our American brand of Kennedy fever, but it seems we were wrong: apparently Liberal Democrat party leader Nick Clegg looks enough like Colin Firth’s Darcy to be extra-popular with the ladies, and—surprise!—the resemblance didn’t hurt him at the polls.

(To be fair, we call ‘logical error!’ on the assumption that Clegg’s way with the puffy shirt won him a spot in the unlikely coalition government—once the actual Firth involved himself, you see, it was all over. He’s the [hot] man behind the curtain. That‘s some smart party marketing!) (On the other hand, we salute the use of the phrase “bodice-ripping” in reference to an actual activity.)

Surely, though, Clegg isn’t the only world leader with a grain with an Austenian streak, right? To wit:

President Obama entertains the children via an Easter egg roll at his estate, the unspecifically named White House. Some suspect that his good nature does not accompany a discerning business sense, though he’s diplomatic in receiving a visit from a neighbor regarding five unmarried daughters, and attempts to smooth over difficult relations by allowing his rivals to plan balls at will—as long as there’s consensus.

Hillary Clinton, ever practical, settles for the State Department, which seems to know an awful lot about the furnishings at Rosings Park.

Angela Merkel, after dispatching her less accomplished rivals, ends up with the hottie of the neighborhood: Germany. Neighborhood gossips look on for signs of marital distress, but have little to go on—as long as nobody tries to touch her shoulders. Such a lady!

Nicolas Sarkozy lands a lady of great glamor and breeding, and with a lovely voice. And it’s a fine thing that gentlemen’s high heels are in fashion, is it not?

Readers, who are we missing?

And also, an announcement: Due to personal circumstances, Austenacious will be taking a short hiatus. Regular programming will return Thursday, May 27. Until then, drink some good tea and find some neighbors to mock, will you?

Tagged: Angela Merkel, Barack Obama, Carla Bruni, Colin Firth, Gordon Brown, Hillary Clinton, Jane Austen, Liberal Democratic Party, Mr. Darcy, Nick Clegg, Nicolas Sarkozy, Parliament, Tony Blair on Thursday, May 20, 2010 · 3 Comments »