I don’t know where Mr Kettle is from, I suspect he resides in Britain.
Europeans engage in a lot of speculation when writing about American politics. (Truth be known, American writers do, too.) It always seems to me those Europeans are engaged in a game, trying to guess what animal has been stuffed into a gunny sack by feeling of that animal through the fabric of the sack.
I've spent almost a year in England, have studied its literature and history, and know a number of English people personally.
I still would never pretend to fully grasp the intricacies of its internal politics and cultural debates.
Even if I made it my job to do so, I'd feel like a fraud because I'd miss most of the subtleties that can only be discerned by long and deep immersion in a culture.
I guess because they see so much of "America" on TV and in movies, they think they understand our culture.
It is quite arrogant and condescending.