The West Wing comes to Westminster

sunderkatwala Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 11:46:23 AM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

David Cameron wanted to be Barack Obama last week. But is he really Mitt Romney?



Brace yourselves for months of speculation about what the US election means for British politics. But such a fast moving race is going to keep the spindoctors on their toes.

What does the rise and fall and rise of Hillary mean for Gordon?

David Cameron is no Barack Obama, whatever he might like to think. But he does remind me of  the long-time Republican favourite and front-runner Mitt Romney.

Romney's has looked like the perfect Republican candidacy. Just as Cameron has the Ashcroft millions, Romney has had the most money of any of the Republican contenders. Romney too has got the sharpest campaign operatives and media strategy. He has every position the pollsters tell him that his target voters want. (On his number one issue - immigration - he is running on the Howard-Cameron 2005 model, not whatever line the Tory leader will try next time. There has been just one problem - the voters don't seem to be buying it.

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/sunder_katwala/2008/01/the_west_wing_comes_to_westmin.html



tags: , , , , , (all tags)

Display: Sort:
The West Wing comes to Westminster | 3 comments (3 topical)

Re: The West Wing comes to Westminster (#1)

by laurencemarshall on Fri Jan 11, 2008 at 05:54:56 PM GMT

Right, I've had enough.

When election season starts in the States we always get a barrage of political comparisons between the UK and the USA and it's ridiculous.

The USA's political culture and institutions are vastly different from ours. They have no tradition of left wing parties, they don't have the social cleavages, they didn't have to rebuild a devastated economy after a war, don't have a proper party system and they effectively elect a monarch.

Although I appreciate that sunderkatwala is talking about politicians, not institutions and circumstances, but even so, the comparison is still tenuous as you can't separate the three.

I'm going to stop there, in case I go into a bigger rant. 


Re: The West Wing comes to Westminster (#2)

by wgm on Sat Jan 12, 2008 at 02:42:57 PM GMT

I read Joe Klein's "Politics Lost" over the Christmas break, covering Presidential elections from '68 to the Bush/Kerry contest. It's one of the best political campaign books I've read, encompassing the rise of modern campaign techniques, advisers, polls, focus groups, and how politicians have tried to fit themselves to what the public seem to want rather than lead and inspire. Klein makes a good point about the Democrats ticking every box and having plenty of policy detail, whilst Bush's Republicans had a simple message of tax cuts, strength etc that could be communicated easily to voters.
Whilst it gives a fascinating insight into the current contest, I found plenty that is relevant to me as a campaign organiser on a local level here in the UK.


Re: The West Wing comes to Westminster (#3)

by swatantra on Sat Jan 12, 2008 at 03:26:30 PM GMT

An even better book: 'The Making of the President' by Theodore H White. A fascinating account of the 1960 Campaign Nixon v Kennedy. Obama should be studying it closely. Its all about how to bring about a seismic change.


[ Parent ]

The West Wing comes to Westminster | 3 comments (3 topical)