Until two months ago, Gordon Brown was generally considered a complete failure as a Prime Minister. His government was a wreck. He hung on to his position by a thread. Then came the economic crisis. Brown’s rescue package was deemed by pols and leading bankers to be the best bailout proposal out there–an almost sure sign that it was in fact the worst. Other governments, including the U.S., tailored their rescue plans to imitate Great Britain’s. Brown’s popularity soared.

All the evidence, however, suggests that Brown’s bailout has done nothing to help. In fact, he seems to have made a bad situation much, much worse. The British economy is shrinking ever faster, the pound is plummeting, and jobs are vanishing across the country. Still, though, Brown is seen as the inspirational political example of how to cope with the crunch. Perhaps it has something to do with his not-very-dulcet Scottish voice.

Here’s a good video (via the FT):