Sri Lanka, July 9 -- Two Thursdays ago at the Grand Monarch in Thalawathugoda, Patali Champika Ranawaka was suave, self-assured, and articulate. He began with an outline of his early life and political career, moved on to his vision for the future, and ended with a Q & A session with the audience, most of whom, to me at least, looked Sinhala, Buddhist, middle class, and young. Champika didn't cut corners; he admitted, frankly and forthrightly, that tactics have to change, and that yesterday's strategy may have to give way to a new one today. But if his campaign's tactics have changed, its focus has not. "My main objective," the man allocated Colombo's No. 1 preferential vote from the Samagi Jana Balavegaya at the upcoming polls announced,...