Sunday, January 27, 2008

Barack Obama's Claret & Blue Army!

From Monday's Sun. Another reason to support Barack Obama...
AMERICAN presidential candidate Barack Obama is a secret West Ham fan.Mr
Obama, 46 - battling Hillary Clinton for the Democrats' nomination - has been
following the Hammers ever since a visit to Britain more than five years ago.And
he keeps in touch with the fortunes of Alan Curbishley's side through his
relatives in England - who are all Hammers fanatics.The Kent-based clan -
related to the US senator after his sister married an Englishman - now hope Mr
Obama will be singing the club's famous anthem "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" all
the way to the White House.The Obama campaign team recently revealed he is a
massive football fan and was a nifty player himself while a student at Harvard
Law School.Mr Obama - bidding to become America's first black President -
watches Premier League games whenever his schedule allows, as long as matches
don't clash with his other great love - basketball.A campaign source said:
"Obama is a big sports nut and loves his soccer. He never really followed it,
though, until he was told all about the passion of West Ham fans by some of his
English relatives."He is always keen to find out how his adopted club are
getting on."Rival Hillary, 60, has been linked with Manchester United after
hubby Bill, the ex-President, revealed during a UK book tour that the Reds were
his favourite team.

34 comments:

Tony said...

I am not sure which is worse Iain, Barack Obama being a Hammer or Osama Bin Laden being a Gooner. Notoriety all around.

Maybe it is time to find out if Mitt Romney or John McCain have a footballing preference?

Anonymous said...

Well, Obama had already achieved what I thought impossible, and got me supporting Hillary (at least for the Democratic nomination), so this is just another reason to hope he loses.

Anonymous said...

I watch BBC 24 - has Paul pulled out of the race?

Anonymous said...

what a load of bollocks - does anyone care? If I was going to vote for Obama or Clinton, it wouldn't be beacuse they like football.

But then again, this is America isn't it!

All-Mi-T [Thought Crime] Rawdawgbuffalo said...

HC is the political cruella DeVille. We know she doesnt mean it...besides she cant even do her stumpin' with out Billy....she needs as all of the horses in the race, to focus on education, iraq, and the econonmy....the stimulus is a farce...
(the midas touch) ...regardless i feel for who ever wins this horse race (poor mr or mrs next president)

Anonymous said...

Obama-barf-o-rama.

Yeah. Right. Illinois state senator and recently national senator and former American football player (I note, not on the actual team) at Harvard, and now presidential hopeful really gives a crap about what soccer team his sister's husband in faraway England's supports.

Oh, Iain, give me a break. As far as the human mind is able to determine, Obama isn't too sure where England is on the globe.

"... has been following the Hammers ever since a visit to Britain more than five years ago."

Uh-huh.

You men have to get your obsession with FCs under control.

@molesworth_1 said...

Personally I'm a Havant & Waterlooville fan - grew up there! Well done lads!

Anonymous said...

Sea Shanty Irish here:

Way to go, Iain. Know this news has made your day.

As for Hilary's sporting affiliations, still remember the derision that greated her claim back in 2000 to be a New York Yankees fan.

Only reason Clinton's say their for Man United is because of their fondness for the bigger batalions.

Predict that Hillary will announce she's a fan of the Becks-Posh team in LA (its actual name is immmaterial) a few days prior to CA Primary.

Tony said...

Oh course Hillary and Bill will rush out a story about how they also support London football and named their daughter after the pensioners.

Anonymous said...

Just how many Americans do you suppose have ever heard of West Ham Utd? More to the point, if one is choosing a President on the basis of his sporting allegiances rathethan political abilities etc, then there really is cause to worry.

Anonymous said...

Iain, that must make you smile!
Go Obama!

:)

Johnny Norfolk said...

I am sure I saw Obama at Carrow Road in his yellow top. He was sitting next to Delia eating one of her pies. He has been a season ticket holder for 15 years and will make a fine President.

Geezer said...

"My old man said follow West Ham,....",

You probably know the rest of that little footballing ditty Iain?

Anonymous said...

Cass Pennant as his running mate then?

Can't imagine him supping a couple of pre-match pints in the Boleyn beforehand before telling Fwank Lampard to go back to whence he came

Although I'd gladly donate £10 to his fund if he did

Anonymous said...

Gobama !!

Anonymous said...

Ah, verity, you forget that our BBC is showing a great deal of interest in Obama, and that vast numbers of yanks are relying on this for their news, as American stations like Fox are so sh!te..

Anonymous said...

Oh well some more traitors in Kent who don't support their local side.

Up the Addicks (Gills)

Anonymous said...

Great men like Barack Obama attract the hatred of those who fear and resent their influence.

It's interesting that the thought of change scares some people so much.

Go Obama!

Go Arsenal!

:)

Paul Burgin said...

"I am not sure which is worse Iain, Barack Obama being a Hammer or Osama Bin Laden being a Gooner. Notoriety all around."

Thats a no brainer

Anonymous said...

Hillary Clinton is Gordon Brown in drag

Anonymous said...

Well now I have my first reason to dislike the guy ;)

Go on your Gunners!

Anonymous said...

Iain must have thought it was Christmas when he found that quote - is this fusion blogging? (I assume he must have put it in his football blog too.)

"You couldn't make it up" as they might have said on Match of the Day. The only issue though: is it wise for the man to align himself with a team that never wins anything? I thought he was trying to get up momentum...if he underperforms on Super Tuesday, this might be the cause.

Anonymous said...

Do you read the papers or watch the news Iain. Your boss Dave call me Dave Cameron has already backed Sen Mc Cain for president

Anonymous said...

Klaxon - "But then again, this is America isn't it!"

Oooh, what a clever, dismissive remark! Don't those Americans just make you sick? No sense of priorities. Except ... this information was published on a British blog and hasn't, so far as we know, been mentioned in the US at all, so perhaps you should keep your sneering references to the United States to yourself.

[9:38] No, I didn't "forget" that the BBC is taking a great interest in Obama because I didn't know. If you think "vast numbers of Americans" are getting news about their elections from the BBC, you aren't just in a different country; you are in a different universe. Hint: most Americans have never heard of the BBC. Extra hint: they get their political news from Fox and CNN because their own commentators understand American politics and how the American system works and are not Matt Frei.

Iain Dale said...

Anonymous 1.47. I am my own boss, thank you very much!

Anonymous said...

I really hope Obama doesn't become president. Surely "Change you can believe in" must be the most vacuous political slogan ever invented? His advisers must have thought that if only they could get the words "change" and "believe" into the same sentence, they would win! And it looks as if they might be right. Obama turns up in another town, steps up to a microphone and says "I stand for change you can believe it", and the audience goes wild with applause. It's deeply worrying.

Anonymous said...

anon at 4:55pm says: It's deeply worrying.

No, there's nothing worrying about a politician who wants to restore faith and trust in politics. That's exactly what Obama is doing. He is reaching out to young people (who are voting in record numbers) who WANT change. They are engaged and his message resonates with the public. That's a great thing.

Anonymous said...

[4:55] "Change you can believe in."!! That's the best yet! Blair must be kicking himself that he never thought of that one.

Anonymous said...

Iain - You have been promising us a new banner for three months now. You said it would be in the New Year. Well, it's the end of January.

We want a change - and CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN! Personally, I hate change I can't believe in.

Rush-is-Right said...

Brilliant. Iain, you claim to be a Tory, but then up pops this American asshole in favour of big government, high taxes and high spending (most people would call that socialism by the way); and for no other reason than that his sister in law supports West Ham you suggest he might be worth voting for.

I give up. Quite pathetic.

I'm a football supporter too, but the day I ever think that just because somebody else supports the same team that I do makes them worth voting for is the day my vote should be taken away.

Unless Iain you were joking. In which case, make the joke funnier next time. Then we'll know.

Iain Dale said...

Er, it was a joke.

Iain Dale said...

Verity, it is due to be launched later this week.

Anonymous said...

Iain - Well, I hope to hell I can believe in it because I don't believe in change I can't believe in.

Kris said...

iain, obama's all yours.