Have We Lost Our Ability?

So I came across this article in the BBC the other night,

Danish PM jogs with Facebook fans

Denmark's Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has gone jogging with about 100 people he met through the social networking website Facebook.

It goes on to say,

One of his Danish Liberal Party aides, Soeren Lauridsen, said Mr Rasmussen was enthusiastic about Facebook as a way of connecting with ordinary Danes.
"He has 12,000 supporters now on Facebook - he's only just behind [California Governor] Arnold Schwarzenegger, and he's the Europe Facebook champion," Mr Lauridsen said.
and "for him it's a way to reach a lot of people who are not specifically political", Mr Lauridsen added.

Now this is great, but it got me thinking. When does something like this happen in the US? I could never imagine this taking place. Sure our leaders engage the public but is anyone being innovative and fresh with their approach? It is as if there is a disconnect between the elected and the population, both functioning separately in their own world. The appearance is that the elected only enter the public sphere when the must make a speech to explain something or defend something. Never for the reason as simple as a desire to listen to the people. But really have our politicians become so disconnected from the populace? I scan the newspapers everyday and I find nothing about our American leaders, both local and national, doing much to reach out to and listen to citizens' opinions. This of course comes when 81% of Americans thinks our country is headed in the wrong direction. So again I ask, what is going on?

While you ponder that, here are a few more pictures from the Keukenhof.