User blog comment:Spritydove/Deeper Thought into the Civil War/@comment-24.127.149.128-20120714023416

This may or may not be liked by everyone, but I believe that Balgruuf should have risen up to take the mantle of High King. I have four reasons why:

1: When asked over which side he is on, he openly acknowledges that there are good reasons to side with both the Empire, and the Stormcloaks.

2: Balgruuf is a great leader. He made arguably one of the toughest decisions by letting the Dragonborn lure a dragon to Dragonsreach, which could easily have been one of the biggest disasters in the history of Skyrim if it had not worked out according to plan and hopes. Not only that, but no matter which side he leans toward, he ultimately puts the good of his subjects above all else, which partly ties back into the first point. Balgruuf did end up choosing to side with the Empire, because although the Empire may be weak, it still offers a better protection of its people than a rebellion group.

3: He really doesn't care what race the Dragonborn is. No matter what race you choose, the dialog options are the same with him. There are no quips about Nordic pride or any degratory remarks about Khajiit or Argonians. While the Khajiit may not reside in Whiterun, there is nothing that says that they can not, and Balgruuf seems to be the kind of person that respects personal merit and credit (in the Roman sense of the word: trust)

4: Balgruuf is capable of making tough decisions. As I had said earlier, Balgruuf allowed the Dragonborn to carry out the trap despite the risk. What could easily be overlooked though, is his sending troops to Riverwood early on, after you tell him of the returning dragon threat. He dialogues (right spelling?) about how Ulfric could interpret that as an advance onto "Stormcloak Territory" and ignite the spark of the war right then. He does it anyway, despite the risk, because Riverwood is under his responsibilty and control.

While all of this may not be relevant, let me explain. My position in the game is to simply be my own nation. I have completely ignored the choice of joining either the Empire or the Stormcloaks because in my OPINION, there is no real advantage over choosing either side. If you (the reader) has chosen to be on the side of the Imperial's, fine. If you (the reader) has chosen to be on the side of the Stormcloaks, fine. I acknowledge that there is merit, and demerit for both sides, and the choice is ultimately up to personal preference.