John Rentoul: Obama, the most dominant force in British politics
The Democratic presidential candidate is Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela rolled into one when it comes to sprinkling stardust. And now that he has ditched his left-wing baggage, Brown and Cameron are hoping that some of the magic will rub off on themSunday, 20 July 2008
Who is the dominant figure in British politics today? His name was invoked by the Prime Minister in his news conference on Monday. "I agree with him entirely," said Gordon Brown. He was praised as "brave" and "right" by David Cameron on Wednesday. Both hope to be photographed with him in London this week.
I speak of Barack Obama, a phenomenon of politics not just in America but across the English-speaking world and beyond. Plainly, he is an exceptional candidate, although, like the prophets, he is even more exceptional outside his own land. Opinion polls in the US have him only four percentage points ahead of John McCain. Over here, on the other hand, a poll last week among people who can't vote for either man found Obama trouncing McCain by a five-to-one margin.
No wonder Brown and Cameron hope that some of that magic can be transmitted simply by shaking hands in front of a camera. When it comes to celebrity endorsements in politics, Obama is Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela rolled into one. With a cherry on top.
Not that Obama would be partisan in British politics. That is why Cameron can be confident of his own meeting with the miracle worker, even if the Tories won't risk making the mistake Brown's office made in February, when it announced a meeting with McCain just before McCain cancelled.
Nor are British politicians supposed to take sides in the democratic business of another country, although such was Brown's eagerness to make common cause with Obama that he came close to breaking that convention last week. He nearly claimed that Obama's platform for the presidency was copied from New Labour policies on health, education and employment. "I know that the Democratic Party have looked at the successes that we have had in these areas as they formulated their policies," he said.
To be fair, Brown did not bring up the subject of Obama at his news conference: he was asked repeated questions by journalists. Nor did Cameron have any intention of setting off a media fuss last week by endorsing Obama's view that there was a racial dimension to feckless fatherhood. In giving an interview to The Guardian, Cameron wanted to add to the pressure on Labour MPs, in their newspaper of choice, on the issue of parliamentary expenses. But he was also asked about Obama. .........(more)
The complete piece is at:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/john-rentoul/john-rentoul-obama-the-most-dominant-force-in-british-politics-872280.html 
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