Politicians have better excuses than most, being bound by commitments made in outdated manifestos and obliged to reconcile conflicting interests and withstand intrusive media scrutiny.

• 政客们比大多数人有更好的借口：他们被参选宣言当中不合时宜的承诺限制，不得不协调各种利益集团之间的冲突，还要忍受媒体骚扰式的监督。