Boris and Dave both seek to gain from the 'Obama effect'

Boris Johnson endorsed Hillary Clinton last year and has now backed Barack Obama according to today's Evening Standard.  London's Mayor is reported as saying: "John McCain has many, many wonderful qualities, but I think a Barack Obama victory would do fantastic things for the confidence and the feelings of black people around the world."

David Cameron has also sought to benefit from Senator Obama's massive popularity in the UK.  UK citizens that have been Googling 'Barack Obama' in recent days will have been presented with a Google ad for the video of the Tory leader meeting the Democrat nominee.  CCHQ won't tell us how much their Google ad campaign cost but insists that it is a "very cheap" campaign and has contributed to the more than 15,000 views of the video.  Advisers to the Tory leader expect Senator Obama to become the President and are preparing for a period of six years where they would both lead their respective nations - should both men secure election and re-election.

A recent survey found that up to a third of Tory MPs may be backing Barack Obama.  Liam Fox remains loyal to the Conservative Party's traditional ally, the GOP, however and will be leading a delegation to the Republican Convention in September.

Comments

[wtf]

So the "confidence and the feelings of black people around the world" are more important than the "wonderful qualities" of John McCain?

Boris has been completely taken in by the PC brigade. In fact, he is going overboard in a bid to "prove" that he isn't racist. Not a good omen of things to come. It suggests that the Conservative Party will have a cultural cringe in the face of the attacks from the BBC and other lefty institutions once in power.

[libertorian]

I continue to be amazed how seemingly sensible and/or orthodox Tories seem to lose all sense of perspective and of political direction whenever exposed to US politics.

[RichardJ]

"John McCain has many, many wonderful qualities, but I think a Barack Obama victory would do fantastic things for the confidence and the feelings of black people around the world."

Never mind Iraq and the threat of American protectionism under Obama then.

[Malcolm Dunn]

So do I Rich. Wouldn't it be more sensible to wait and see what views either candidate has vis a vis their relationship with Britain?
Both candidates have been long on rhetoric and pretty vague about policy commitments.
Sure we can take lessons from Obama's campaigning techniques but it is still very unclear in my view what srt of President he will actually be. He's made various supportive noises to the protectionist lobby in the USA and if he turns out to be a protectionist President that would be very bad news for us.
Equally McCain has been quoted as saying that he wants Britain to be closer to the EU. Why?
Until these questions and many others are answered adequately I would suggest that British parliamentarians and the Mayor of London would be better off keeping their counsel.

[Cleethorpes Rock]

I don't think it's any business of British politicians to endorse a candidate in a foreign election. Can you imagine our reaction if a top American politician gave an interview in which he endorsed Brown?

I really can't decide which of the candidates would be best for Britain. I don't like Obama's protectionism, but he would repair America's reputation in the world. I like McCain's positions on trade and energy supply, but don't really want him to drag Britain into a war with Iran.

[Ulster Tory]

It appears that the establishment have conquered Boris. Something I hate to say. If Boris is going to be sucessful, then he should say and do things which he believes in, even if unpopular in some areas of the community. He should take a leaf out of Thatcher's book.

[Umbrella man]

Boris's victory was confirmation that personality politics trumps ideology. Obama is part of what is the same global phenomenon.

[Bullingdon Bumbuster]

What a bunch of fickle tarts....Only two years ago callmeDave (and BoJo I think) were hailing McCain as "the next president of the US" - fawning all over him at the B'mouth conference. Pass the sick bag Alice!

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

Disappointing.

[John Leonard]

Boris praises both candidates. He does not say which one he wants to win. What he said can be read many ways depending on your viewpoint.

Sensibly Boris is keeping his options open. Shame that journos seem to be suffering from Obamamania which causes delusional optimism amongst other symptoms. We need to better understand the substance of Obama and ignore the teeny-bop pop star presentation. Obama is after all a politician.....

[Dorian Grape]

http://tinyurl.com/69vehd

Over at the The Class of ’68 Retirement Home, the Guardian, Hélène Mulholland has a piece about Boris and Obama. The game is to count how many times she can mention the BoJo quote in how few a number of paragraphs. I make it five times in seven paragraphs.

Maybe it’s a Google keyword thing. Or rubbish journalism. You decide.

Hi John,

'Asked if he endorsed Obama, he said: "Yes."'

Same URL. Done and dusted then.

Obamania seems not to have learnt the lessons of over blowing one's trumpet. Like our very own Mr. Kinnock once did so blow.

[Tanuki]

When Obama walks in the door, it seems that commonsense flies out the window.

Personally, I'm not sure what to make of the guy. There's something creepily earnest about him - as if any minute he's going to thrust a small magazine into your hand and talk about God's vision for the world, or alternatively offer you special 0%-APR finance deals on a range of low-mileage Toyotas.

That any UK politician is coming out in support of *either* US presidential candidate strikes me as being fundamentally wrong. We should wait and see what the election outcome is.

[Sam Tarran]

I honestly thought Boris would be more intelligent than to fall for this demagogue. Unless it is just a cheap (a really cheap one at that) political stunt. Either way, I've lost some respect for him.

[YMT]

But he is right you know. Black people do suffer from an inferiority complex, if a man of African decent can become President and the most powerful person in the world then it will provide that boost, it can also be used to show the Black community that giving up and living in the perpetual state of Melancholy that is what I would consider one root causes of Black underachievement that contributes to their belief that they can never rise to the top so why bother, unless its in entertainment, is incorrect and that working hard they can succeed.

[Gege]

Editor, YMT has just accused black people of having an inferiority complex. Isn't that offensive?

In relation to Boris, I often wonder why some politicians are incapable of talking about minorities without being patronising.

[Vincent Wall]

I agree Gege. It's offensive but I don't think the Editor should overwrite it. Let's have free speech here.

[Gege]

You're right Vincent.My Bad.

[C List and Proud]

Obama beat Clinton by being more left-wing than she was. He is now trimming a bit, but he has favoured protectionism - so no Doha Round agreement - withdrawl from Iraq come what may - so the very real potential that Al Qaeda and the Shia & Sunni militias will lie low for a bit, then all hell will break loose - and has adopted one of the most socialist positions of any US President on the economy - higher taxes on wealth creation and middle income families to pay for universal out of work benefits for th epoor. If you want to know how great that is, go to Glasgow East.

In Berlin, he even fell into the traditional US line of assuming the creation of a United States of Europe through the continued evolution of the EU into a nation state.

Sorry Boris, even setting aside the diplomatic blunder of interfering with the US's election, this is a poor judgement for one with such usually trusty Conservative values.

[Martin]

Boris didn't endorse him, but he came far too close for comfort. Barack Obama (for those of you unable to distinguish fact from fantasy), is a vapid, self-absorbed media creation without an accomplishment to his name.

Why on earth would it be good for black, white, red, green or brown people that an unqualified poseur be elected President of the United States??

You've all lost your minds to the idiotic media machine.

All together now, "the King is in the altogether, the altogether....".

[Philip]

Doesn't Boris realise that Obama isn't a conservative, and could be even to the left of Gordon Brown (I think I read somewhere)? With his remark that Obama would do fantastic things for the confidence of black people etc, it seems Boris has fallen prey to the victim culture and pc propoganda. And perhaps rather patronising as someone here suggested.

[Goldie]

These moronic statements of Boris are rather depressing. Not to mention quite insulting to black people.

He should focus on cleaning up London. Plenty to do, I would have thought.

[Jill, London]

After Comrade Livingstone’s sockpuppets painting Boris as a ‘racist’, no wonder he’s made this comment about Obama in the Evening Standard: “Mr Johnson said an Obama win could boost the self-image of young black Londoners.”

Don’t forget that - just over a month ago - Boris appointee James McGrath was forced to resign for being tripped up over a comment emanating from Darcus Howe. Pity McGrath was unaware that Howe sees racism everywhere, and sparked an on-air row with Joan Rivers on BBC Radio 4’s “Midweek” a few years ago accusing her – quite wrongly – of being racist.

[YMT]

You can only get on with fixing a problem if you get to properly discuss the causes of the symptoms, and being ignorant about the proper definitions of phrases when used in the proper context is just a sign of being simple.

[Dave J]

COMMENT OVERWRITTEN FOR BAD LANGUAGE.

[US Tory]

The Tories need to spend some time over here in America, and get to see who Obama really is (not who he's portrayed as by BBC and CNN.) I think they would soon see just how liberal he is.

[sad_in_the_US]

It's hard to be optimistic about the future of this world when so many idiots are in leadership positions or waiting for their turn.

[C List and Proud]

US Tory - I know that when you say "liberal" you mean pinko-lefty. Over here it is a less well defined term. Most Tories are "liberals" in the classic 19th century sense and we define ourselves as the opposite of socialist - which is what US Liberals are.

You're right on the susbtantive point though. In Obama, the BBC see a new Clinton and their PC mindset - favour the "weak" against the "strong" even if the "weak" party is wrong - is in evidence here. Obama is not white and not Republican, therefore he is the "weak" party so must be supported against McCain, who repesents the establishment/white/powerful figure.

[Dave J]

Sorry about that, Tim: it was late, I was tired and angry. You know I usually don't resort to profanity on here.

But this still does not bode well for Boris. It suggests a level of naivety and a willingness/eagerness to be "in with the cool crowd" rather than consider decisions on their merits. And when Obama loses, which he will, it will only serve to make Boris look stupid.

[Editor]

No problem Dave. Thanks for your apology and for your contributions to our threads.

:-)

[Jack of Kent]

Do not underestimate Senator McCain nor his ability to hold grudges.

The Tories now clamouring for Senator Obama will be remembered by a President McCain, just as President Clinton remembered the Tories who halped the campaign against him.

Senator McCain can still win. He has a solid record in bi-partisan issues - from the gang of 14 to climate change and many others. He is now shoring up his right wing, but he will not always be distracted. Come the "fall" he will win over the middle ground by practical examples rather than rhetoric.

It will be close, but it may not be wise to for Tories to bet so hard against a McCain victory.

[Helen]

It does seema a little unwise to bet on an Obama victory when the race is as close as it is at the moment with Obama unable to pull ahead, as even the New York Times is saying. The Gallup and Rassmussen tracking polls show a very uncertain picture with Obama's supposed bounce from the world trip falling back almost immediately:

http://www.pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/archives2/022361.php

As I recall the British political establishment and media were convinced John Kerry would win.

[John Moss]

I also remember the extremely negative reaction in the US when the Guardian newspaper organised readers and writers to call citizens up in some swing constituency and urge them to vote for Kerry.

IIRC this got national coverage in the US, was seen as hugely insulting to Americans and swung quite a few votes for Bush!

Perhaps Boris has a plan?

[Jill, London]

Yes, John Moss, I remember that unwittingly hilarious attempt by the Gruniad to sway voters in a swing State in favour of Kerry. Quite rightly the Americans were furious. It totally backfired on the Gruniad which serves them right. When will the British Left learn not to be sanctimonious and interfering – especially abroad where they hold no sway.

Remaining on the subject of Lefties interfering – a curious by-product of Boris’ London victory is Sir Alan Sugar has been tipped as a possible Comrade contender for the London mayoralty. And now – in a bizarre illustration of the proverbial life imitates art – Sugar who is so keen to tell people “you’re fired” on his reality show “The Apprentice” - is telling Comrade Brown to do the same! Link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/uk_politics/7539062.stm

I long for the day when it’s our turn to tell the Comrades collectively “You’re fired”?

[C List and Proud]

The original Sugar article is in the soaraway Saturday Sun.

Anybody who thinks Murdoch is yet convinced of our coming success should take heed.