I'd just like to point out, as it was mentioned to me yesterday, that in this post I in no way was suggesting that the Tories were the reason for the election of two BNP councillors in Nuneaton and Bedworth. That would be lazy political writing at best. It was mainly a comment about how proud the party could be of winning a seat in an area that was becoming increasingly supportive of racists and fascists. I would suggest not a huge amount.

This is the same issue Clinton has been facing recently. Although she herself is an educated, unprejudiced person, her support in states like West Virginia and Kentucky seems to be in part driven by racial motivations. I doubt she is delighted by that. Thankfully, for her, her opponents can't point that out, so she's allowed to rebrand them to try and tell a different story.

Some Daily Show for you:

Hard-working white voters and West Virginia

If I were to describe the extent to which I am familiar with door opening, I would probably choose the word "very". After some 24 years of opening doors - my parents rightly believed that treating me like an adult from day one was the only way to get me interested in such things as going outside and leaving my room for dinner - I feel comfortable in claiming to be very experienced in the practice.

So you can imagine my surprise yesterday when I opened the front door right over my foot, removing a good layer of skin and potentially causing several sizeable bruises. I have no idea how I did that.

This, and then me. I am 13 days cleverer than the Guardian.

Nuneaton and Bedworth, the council next to where I grew up and where my parents still live, went from Labour to Tory last night, after over thirty years. It also elected two BNP councillors, confirming a growing trend towards bigotry in the area - a BNP member came second in a recent by-election. So that's something for the Tories to be proud of.

On an encouraging note, Burnley, the first council to elect BNP councillors, turned Lib Dem last night.

All politicians need to stop saying they "have to listen to people". You do not. You need to have an idea about how you want to govern. Then you need to persuade people that this is the best way to run the country.

Otherwise (says the West Wing) you become the politician that says, "there go my people. I must find out where they are going so I can lead them". Or (as my brother says), man up.