Barack Obama's remarkable victory is already making waves in British politics. On the face of it, the triumph of change over experience is good news for David Cameron. The Tories have been cosying up to Obama in recent weeks, conveniently forgetting that John McCain addressed their party conference in Bournemouth two years ago. "America has made history and proved to the world that it is a nation eager for change," Cameron said this morning. "In these difficult times people everywhere are crying out for change." No decoding required there.
Gordon Brown has also been quick out of the traps, reminding us that he has talked to Obama on many occasions and saying he is a "true friend of Britain." Obama's landmark win comes at a good time for Brown, whose standing on the world stage is high after Britain's bank bail-out. To counter Cameron's pitch, Labour will present the PM as a change-maker for the world as he takes a lead in proposing reforms of the global financial system to prevent a repeat of the current crisis. "The fact that we in Britain can now be universally recognised as advocates for change and have been recognised as advocating it for a long time, it's worth its weight in gold," said Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary and Brown's new best friend.
You can't read across from one continent to another. But if Cameron can win people's trust on the economy, I suspect the "time for change" factor will work powerfully for him at the next election, even if Brown has a good economic "war" in the meantime.
UPDATE: Fiery exchanges between Brown and Cameron at Prime Minister's Questions just now over who is Britain's equivalent of Obama. Cameron relished the victory of a "novice", arguing that Brown's jibe at him for being one was now redundant. Brown insisted that the Tory leader was a "novice" - on parliamentary matters, anyway. He insisted that Labour, not the Tories, shared Obama's progressive goals. And he won a points victory with a neat pre-prepared put down for Cameron which delighted Labour MPs: "The only change they [the Tories] represent is that they change their minds every week." Obama is clearly going to shape the political debate all the way up to our election.
Surely the lesson of a victory in which Obama has trounced McCain with *double* the number of votes in the electoral college...
... is that people are sick of the neocon numpty agenda??
David Miliband's political career is over.
Posted by: Neil McGowan | Wednesday, 05 November 2008 at 11:26 AM
You conveniently forget as other Independent commentators
do that Obama was a 'novice' in Brown terms. If the sole superpower, No1 economy in the world can accept a 'novice' as president in these difficult times, Cameron's argument would be why not here? He would add to that the mantra of 'change' like McCain and Obama did. Unlike Brown, McCain is not in power in the govt and he could say it. It is Brown who should be squirming as he is done by his phrase 'novice' and a more power word 'change'. As far Cameron inviting McCain that was history only a Brown-supporting commentators would peedle this meaningless argument.
Posted by: Norman | Wednesday, 05 November 2008 at 12:21 PM
Are we nor seeing now the fruits of Gordon Brown novice attempt at trying to run the finances of this country. He spent us into trouble, not he wants to spend us out of it. Money seems to be available from nowhere......? And why when certain things are in need of doing, money cant be found. Suddenly, almost magically there it is! When is it right not to spend? Or borrow? Because all he's done is both for the last 11 years.
How does he know we are going to come through this economic catastrophe? He might as his salary is fixed like his pension and jobs for boys after his term is over, though why anyone should want to listen to him or think they can benefit from his input, is a bit baffling. Same with TB....... how could anyone in their right mind think that after dragging this nation into a moral abyss, he has anything to offer, is more than baffling. Many people have NOT and will NOT COME THROUGH IT... so what is his answer to them? Can he find money to support them through this turmoil.....? And why are Alistair C and Peter M seen as desirebale figures to have in or around Government? Has everyone gone mad? They dont have a clue about Governing, just thinking how they can feather their nests......its the most cynical bunch of people we have seen for ages....... and its time for Change...... proper change, not fiddling at the edges.
As far as B.O is concerned, i just hope the people of America will not regret the decision which they seem to have taken. Of course it represents a remarkable step in overcoming racial problems, but its the policies that will define the matter.
The people of this country need to wake up from their slumber and sleepwalking and stop to think just what is happening? How all our independence is being drained away into the EU....... do we realsie what is happening here? We have been hoodwinked, and its partly our own fault for not watching and thinking and understanding.......
Who can introduce some sanity, common sense and reality into the psyche of our nation again?
Andrew Fairhead.
Posted by: Andrew Fairhead | Wednesday, 05 November 2008 at 04:45 PM
WHEN ARE WE GONNA HAVE AN AFRO-CARRIBEAN IN NO. 10
Posted by: MR DP STEELE | Wednesday, 05 November 2008 at 04:51 PM
Obama’s spectacular victory is a massive cause for hope in the world. We can argue forever about policies. But Obama was credible from the start because he seemed to want to be in politics for all the right reason. Granted to win he's had to appear to be all things to all people. So we really don't know what he'll be like in office.
Last night when I listened to his speech, I thought of Lincoln, Kennedy, Luther King: no phoney hand gestures, just great oratory, so powerful it got them killed. And I felt jealous. If only Great Britain had leadership like this.
Surely the one thing all parties must take away from this landslide is the power of skilful use of the internet to manage the discourse (to guide who talks to whom, what they talk about, how they talk about it and who else knows), to enable volunteers to self-organize, and so to build success from the ground up.
Posted by: Geoffrey Morton-Haworth | Wednesday, 05 November 2008 at 05:20 PM
Posted by: MR DP STEELE | Wednesday, 05 November 2008 at 04:51 PM
If we're going to be politically correct over this shouldn't that be a Gay, Asian Afro-Carribean Transgendered PM in No10?
Probably won't happen as like the rest of us have no wish to compromise their good names and place in society by grovelling in the trough with the rest of the zombies that pass as politicians in the UK. Would you sell your soul/reputation for such a meagre return, when Old Nick offers far better terms?
Agree Geoffrey, that was an excellent speech by Obama, something we have not heard in this country for many a long year but then we have no one of significant stature left in parliament. I was also pleasantly surprised by McCain's speech, which is listened to early this morning. Pity about his supporters though, they could haver ruined his finest moment in his campaign, when he acknowledge Obama's victory. If he had behaved like that at the very beginning and throughout it might have been a very close or different outcome.
Posted by: flipped | Wednesday, 05 November 2008 at 08:32 PM
go obomba
Posted by: google | Wednesday, 05 November 2008 at 08:35 PM
obama had a good victory
Posted by: google | Wednesday, 05 November 2008 at 08:37 PM
For the "time for a change" (and to what extent can committing oneself to follow a Labour budget for the first two years be described as "change" comparable to that proposed in the US?) argument to work, Obama would have to have had a successful presidency between now and the next general election.
In others words, moving large numbers of troops from Iraq to Afghanistan would need not to create problems in the former and to produce visible progress in the latter, which is certainly open to question. And the likely slide towards protectionism in the economy would need to help rather than harm the US and global economies, which seems pretty unlikely....
Posted by: Ian Kemmish | Thursday, 06 November 2008 at 08:20 AM
UP AND COMING
David Gustave, 41
KIDS COMPANY
Nicknamed “the British Obama”, Gustave encourages troubled youths to leave behind a life of crime and enrol in university. He escaped the streets of South London to get an Oxford degree in his thirties and then turned down the chance to become a barrister to return to Peckham and help others. A political career may beckon.
New Entry
Can this 'British Obama' help beat our knife crime? ; David Gustave was a 'feral' youth who threw away his education and spiralled into a life of crime and violence. Now 41, he is a brilliant Oxford graduate who has returned to Peckham to try to transform the lives of troubled teenagers
Article from: Evening Standard - London Article date: June 9, 2008 Author: DAVID COHEN More results for: is david gustave our obama | Copyright information
THEY call David Gustave "the British Obama". Like Barack, he's tall, lithe, in his forties and of mixedrace origin, the first-born son of a white mother and a black father. And like Obama, he's a passionate speaker who enthuses others. So when peers from Oxford University recently started a Facebook group called "Is David Gustave our Obama?", fellow students were quick to endorse him, with Will Straw (Jack's son) writing, "He's one of the most inspiring people I've ever met." In the past two years he's helped a dozen young people from troubled backgrounds swap their self-destructive lives for university. Quite how difficult it is to get drug addicts, petty thieves and violently abusive ...
Posted by: James Pattinson | Friday, 07 November 2008 at 07:40 AM
James, unless he is already a member of parliament he stands little chance of becoming prime minister, let alone president.
He needs to enter politics (party irrelevant) and then make his way up the career ladder and needs around of ten years to achieve it, buying and selling favours, selling his soult etc. So at 41 I'd say he has left it a little late and if your short resume is anything to go by I suspect that he would find it extremely difficult dealing with the kind of retarded, vicious backstabbing fools that presently make up parliament.
Posted by: flipped | Friday, 07 November 2008 at 09:23 AM
I agree with Mr. Fairhead , A complete lack of moral fibre at top govt. level. I am Irish,but take no joy in seeing a once great nation decline so quickly both morally and financually. I also agree with Paddy -- The Irish are very clever.
Posted by: robert ryan | Saturday, 22 November 2008 at 06:37 PM
I agree with Robert and Andrew , yes --- not only are the Irish clever they are very honest and brave , not to mention,a very attractive race.
Posted by: paddy meehan | Saturday, 22 November 2008 at 06:43 PM
Nice article.
Maybe I will link to this site.
Thanks for posting it.
Posted by: Dennis | Thursday, 11 December 2008 at 04:54 AM