They say that every crisis is an opportunity. That is a truism, a cliché, but there is some truth in it. The public has a negative perception of politicians. Personally, I have always tried to fight against it, especially since profs are not far behind. It is often said they take four months of vacation, meaning they stop teaching at the end of April and start again in September...
On May 6th, 2010. See this statement in context.