The United Kingdom has been abuzz with the shock announcement by Prime Minister David Cameron that he won't run for election a third time (assuming he wins re-election for a second term in May). He dropped this political bombshell just weeks before the vote on a soft-feature TV show, and was cutting carrots as he said it.

So there's been much debate over whether this was just an unguarded slip, as he tried to look like a normal family man rather than a power-crazed politician. There are two reasons to believe this wasn't a mere gaffe.

The first is that Cameron is at least competent: His background is in public relations. He may have been cutting carrots in his kitchen, but it was a detailed response. (He named three credible potential successors.)