User blog comment:Spritydove/Deeper Thought into the Civil War/@comment-1840877-20120629132604/@comment-5135631-20120630104525

Ulfric does not necessarily think Nords are the master race-if he did, he would be trying to kill the other races. Ulfric is merely trying to keep the Dunmer and Argonians in check for the rest of the war. After all, it's the least the Dunmer deserve for all their years of racism and enslavement of other races. If you listen to them in the Gray quarter, many will point out the conditions, but rather than complain about just the conditions, they will highlight the fact you are Nordic. Once the war is over completely and all the changes have been made, the Dunmer will probably be allowed to mingle, along with the Argonians.

Tullius is an outsider, enforcing his will on the people and his little regard for the Nords or their customs. I'm not saying Tullius should worship them, but he should have some regard for their ideas.

Ulfric may seem xenophobic and power hungry, but there is no better person in Skyrim to lead Skyrim, in my opinion; Balgruuf seems like a good choice and would do ok, but he wouldn't want to have the throne and not many other Jarls would support him, as he has no claim at all to the throne. Elisif could not really, she's too green, and she may leave the problem of not having an heir due to her (very admirable) devotion to Torygg. In an age when most marriage was arranged, Elisif is very honourable for not forgetting about her lover, and I honestly respect her so much. However, she just could not lead well. Siddegeir is too corrupt (who got his position by deposing his uncle, who is a fine, honourable man who sees Ulfric's flaws but correctly identifies him as the best man to lead Skyrim as you find out if you join the Stormcloaks), Idgrod Ravencrone is too lazy, Igmund holds his honour too cheaply, Skald is too stubborn, Korir is too proud and xenophobic, and Lailia Law-Giver cares too much about the Rift too abandon it.

So it really does fall down to Ulfric. If you hear Ulfric talk in his war room with Galmar through the Stormcloak quests, you see how passionately he cares for the Nordic people and how he correctly sees it as his duty to keep Skyrim safe from invaders. Ulfric has flaws, but regardless, he has the necessary leadership qualities, and intelligence, to lead Skyrim through the storm.