Who is the 800lb gorilla of right-wing global politics?

"Bill Clinton has been out of the White House for almost a decade, but he remains the 800 lb gorilla of left-wing politics around the world."

That's what James Kirkup wrote on Saturday.  He's probably right although a good case could also be made for Nelson Mandela or Barack Obama.

But who is the 800lb gorilla of right-wing global politics?

Margaret Thatcher?  She's certainly the politician that everyone from Rudy Giuliani to David Cameron to Gordon Brown wants to be photographed with.  She's still 'the-politician-at-the-height-of-their-powers' that most British voters would like to see as our PM.

George W Bush?  For a few months more at least he's the most powerful man on earth and his decision to invade Afghanistan and Iraq have dominated politics since 9/11.  Don't expect the Bush doctrine to die with him.

John McCain?  The man who may be the most powerful man in the world from January 2009?

Nicolas Sarkozy?  The man who has promised to reform France's economy and transform its relations with America and Britain?  Carla must help his case.

David Cameron?  Many right-of-centre leaders are admiring his green, civil libertarian and socially conscious conservatism.  He's also well ahead in the opinion polls and, if he wins the next General Election, may be British PM for a decade given the electorate's tendency to favour re-electing incumbents...

What do you think?

Comments

[wang din chin]

John Redwood! nuf said!

[Margaret Hemmings]

Enoch Powell/Keith Joseph/Margaret Thatcher

All gorillas in my opinion.

[Ay Up]

I thought you guys were big fans of Stephen Harper? Isn't he well known enough to be a 'gorilla'?
And what about John Howard? Is he keeping quiet now?

[James]

I really don't think that the PM of Canada, leading a minority government of a basically leftwing country, can ever surpass major Republican leaders in the US as a global gorilla. Sorry.
In fairness he has done well, and his model should be studied fairly closely by Cameron for pointers (if for nothing else, in how to teach your very rightwing party how to accept and adapt to social changes like gay marriage, while being allowed to vent at least at the outset).

[Tony Makara]

Has to be Ronald Reagan. Any man who can crack a joke after being shot has got to be a tough character. Reagan was also utterly ruthless when it came to getting rid off wasteful public programmes, a lesson to be learnt there! He knew it would cost jobs but he was brave enough to see the bigger picture. Most of all though it was Mr Reagan who faced down the Soviets and made them blink first. We all owe that man a gratitude.

[Sceptic]

Cameron is a PC left liberal rather than a civil libertarian. It was reported that Cameron persuaded Michael Howard to support ID cards. No genuine civil libertarian would rig an election like the MEP selections.

[Conservative Homer]

Bill Clinton? I never got what all the fuss was about. Yes, he had character (in a sort of smarmy chummy way) but then so did Blair. Maybe he's just what americans want but to me he always seemed like an American rendition of Blair. If thats what a Gorilla is i cant say id miss having one.

I actually think Putin is the only current leader of note. Yes, he scares the sh*t out of me as an outsider, but he's put national pride back into Russia, isnt afraid to use Russias resources to further its interests, and doesnt take any crap from the rest of the world. Not a fan of his lack of press and political freedom, but i wish we had a leader that would put British Interests first. He's managed to get Russia back from a very bad place in under 10 years. If by some miracle Brown and his Cronies are still in no.10 in 10 years time i doubt he would be be able to correct his self orchestrated fiscal mess.

[Tanuki]

Truth is, there are really no true 800lb gorillas of Conservative politics left. I *could* just go with Cameron - if only he'd read Nigel Lawson's recent book, ditch the whole 'green' nonsense and commit to a freeze on Government spending.

I'd *love* it if David Cameron were to come out and state that "government expenditure will be frozen at current levels". No tax-increases. No borrowing-increases. We hit £450Billion a year and *nothing more*.

[Andrew]

There is a lack of them, yes. Reagan is great, but can we stick to gorillas who are still alive, and we could rule out Maggie because she is medically unable to intervene verbally.

Cheney? Rumsfeld? (still dealing with his policies and his unknown unknowns)

And she won't win, and I would vote McCain, but why are we calling Democrats left wing. Hillary deserves to be.

Ian Paisley? Bill O'Reilly? Tzipi Livni?

[Bob]

Needs analysis. Why Clinton:
1) He reached out to non Democrats,
2) He won elections,
3) He has charisma and can hold an audience.

Clearly Ronald Reagan is the right's version of this (more so than Thatcher), but dead - as is Churchill (who also lost elections). Anyone alive? Sarkozy for sure. Oddly (and locally), after May it could be Boris Johnson. Having said that, why does it have to be a politician? Milton Friedman, Karl Popper.

[Mark Williams]

The right doesn't need a global leader. There is no monopoly of common sense.

[Curly]

Undoubtedly Margaret Thatcher was the leading light of post war right wing politics, her theories and policies were right for the time, and no one championed the cause of the individual vs the state with as much vigour and tenacity.

[Harry]

David Cameron? Baboon springs to mind.....

[We're Not New Labour]

Well it's certainly not Cameron.

Probably, even after all these years, it is Margaret Thatcher, if only because she gave the world a right of centre model that persists so strongly today and has been utilised, largely sucessfully, across the globe.

[Ewan Watt]

Barry Goldwater!

[Robert]

Thatcher, Thatcher, Thatcher, Thatcher. If Clinton's an 800 pound gorilla Thatcher's a 20 tonne elephant. What is Clinton's contribution to world politics? The Third Way! Huh, this is no more than a way of making the left relevant again after its total and utter humiliation by liberal capitalism. And the leader of that practical, moral, spiritural, economic and social victory over the bankrupt nonsense of socialism? Look no further than The Lady.

[Josh]

Reagan always. Griffin now.

[Geordie-Tory]

800LB Gorilla, that's a little unkind!

Okay she's a litt;e dumpy, and to be fair a little plain but to call Angela Merkel an 800LB Gorilla is a bit discourteous!!

[Judy]

The idea of Cameron as an 800lb gorilla is really hilarious. A pekinese with aspirations, maybe. Course, there was once Norman Tebbit as a semi house trained polecat...Daniel Hannan has the potential but I can't see him ever being allowed to get near power.