Mr. Baker imbues the character with a tormented single-mindedness that neatly defines his predicament.

“There’s an obsessive, compulsive single-mindedness. From a distance, it looks benign. Up close, a frightening world opens up.”

Unlike her party’s standard-bearer, Ms. Long comes across as warmly conciliatory, cocooning her sophistication and a formidable single-mindedness in an easy relatability.