Politics as a mechanic

"In taking stock of a politician, the first question is not whether he was a good man who used righteous means, but whether he was successful in gaining power, in keeping it, and in governing; whether, in short, he was skilful at his particular craft or a bungler."

- Frederick Scott Oliver

Oliver is widely quoted but there is precious little information about him on the web.

The most I found was “(1864-1934) Businessman and Publicist” and then a brief Wikipedia piece saying

“British political writer and businessman who advocated tariff reform and imperial union for the British Empire. He played an important role in the Round Table movement, collaborated in the downfall of Prime Minister H.H. Asquith’s wartime government and its replacement by David Lloyd George in 1916, and pressed for “home rule all round” to resolve the political conflict between Britain and Irish nationalists.”

He seems to have been a proud imperialist and not someone we might want to hold up as a model for the 21st Century. That said, here he makes a good point – politics is a mechanic and a good politician is someone who knows how to get and keep power.

Now, that is in theory independent of whether the policies of the politician are good, bad or indifferent. The trouble is that theory is not always practice and someone who is unscrupulous in the mechanic of politics is likely to have policies that run roughshod over the liberties of a nation. So, while we want politicians who know how to get elected (tin ears need not apply) we don’t want someone who will seize power through a coup.