My wife and I spent the last few weeks watching all three seasons of “Borgen,” a Danish TV drama about the triumphs and travails of a female politician who becomes prime minister, runs a reasonably successful government, loses the subsequent election, retires, returns to politics as the head of a new party, and becomes the kingmaker in the next Danish parliament. It is the best TV program on politics I’ve ever seen; the characters are well-rounded and sympathetic, and most of the plots are credible (there are some gratuitous soap opera moments in the last season).
Here’s what I took away from it:
1. Being a successful politician is hell on your personal life. There are so many loyalties to juggle: to your own vision; your spouse; your children; your party; and your country. It isn’t easy to live any kind of a normal life.
2. Being a successful politician requires a wide range of unusual personal qualities. These include empathy, judgment, charm, intelligence, and ruthlessness, not necessarily in that order.
3. Making meaningful change is difficult. There is always a crise du jour to distract you from your program.
4. Electing Donald Trump would be the equivalent of voting the fictional Danish “Freedom Party” into power. Or, to use a real world analogy, it would be as if UKIP replaced the Conservatives as the principal right-wing party in the UK.
5. If Hillary Clinton had half the charm of Birgitte Nyborg, the election would already be over. No elaboration necessary.