To be clear - and this will be my last word for now as I really should have gone to bed an hour and a half a go but got caught up in this - I can understand why some people might prefer Leadsom to May. It’s the apparent dismay here at May that I find puzzling. To me, from the view of a conservative who most certainly wants what is best for Britain and believes Brexit is best for Britain, there were two good choices here and only one could win.
I feel like some people are taking the idea that Brexit could be derailed far too readily - it’s virtually impossible - and so see May as somebody who would be likely to do that because she did support Remain. But she’s long been Euroskeptic - and, frankly, Leadsom only joined Leave quite recently (I don’t doubt her sincerity but until quite recently I’d have seen her as much more pro-EU than May).
I also think some people may not understand that being Home Secretary meant May has had particular jobs to do that may not entirely reflect her own personal viewpoints.
As Americans, we see how easily state referendums have been overturned (check out California) by politicians and judges. So we are a bit skittish and cynical when a Remain supporter who believes in free movement becomes Prime Minister.
We’ll see!