Monday, March 03, 2008
What Dave Can Learn from Barack Obama
Oh dear, I seem to have upset the esteemed readers of COMMENT IS FREE. Last week, my Telegraph column was supposed to have been about what David Cameron can learn from Barack Obama. Sadly, it got overtaken by events and I was asked to write about Andrew Lansley instead. Anyway, rather than let a provocative column go to waste, I thought what better use to make of it than to wind up the Obama supporting fanatics of The Guardian. Judging from the comments beneath the article, I succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. Read the full column HERE.
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35 comments:
He can learn NOTHING.
As David Cameron has already stated that he backs Sen McCain
As you can see from the comments left on Comment is Free - the Tories still have a lot of work to do if they want the public to take them seriously.
If Cameron wants to talk the talk then he has to walk the walk. He has a mountain to climb. Actually, the problem isn't really Cameron - it's the bad memories of the Conservative Party of old.
Oh please Iain - you didn't intend to insult Obama-supporters at all.
You genuinely do think Cameron is like Obama and therefore you deservedly got slated on CiF.
It was one of the most embarrassing articles I've read in a long time. If this was put out on the Telegraph website, the commenters there would rip you to shreds too.
What I find absolutely hilarious is the comments over there, and even one here just now, which carefully pick Cameron to pieces for things which he barely does, but which Tony Who and Gordon Who Else have been deeply guilty of for at least 15 years.
Double standards ? You bet.
Alan Douglas
"Actually, the problem isn't really Cameron - it's the bad memories of the Conservative Party of old".
And the fact that the blasts from the past still dominate the grassroots party. And the fact that the liberals and libertarians are not the prevailing force, as they are in the LibDems, who are a true liberal party.
Cameron is doing his best but no sculptor can get anywhere with such lumpen raw materials. It's a fact of life which should be acknowleged.
PS-
Still no mention of Alan Duncan's doings on ConHome?
They're both young men? Wha'??? Obama is 47! Cameron's 42! "Young men in a hurry", in popular parlance, are young men in their early twenties.
Cameron's a conservative, presumably - a free marketeer and a capitalist. Obama wants to turn the United States into a great big welfare creche. They are not even vaguely similar. Blair and Obama, yes.
You may upset people Iain, but I'm impressed by the fact that you published my earlier critical comment re: Total Politics.
Calm down, dear, it's only an election.
All you need to win is a few million quid and a good speechwriter.
Not you, of course.
Congratulations Iain - good article. The poor luvvies in Labour are easily upset. I've just read on 3 Line Whip that Dawn Butler has actually written a long letter of complaint to the BBC about Dave's interview on prison reform on Today's Today programme. The poor dears felt the questions weren't tough enough. To my ears it sounded like the standard Today attack dog, interrupting interviewing but that clearly wasn't good enough for the Labour hierarchy. No doubt they're riddled with jealousy at Putin's hold over the Russian media. Unbelievably inept of them to make such a fuss - truly Stalin meets Mr Bean.
Blimey mate you did upset them! I liked the comment about the Tory taliban best - not just offensive but also slightly mad...
That is fascinating Iain...I think the bit that stung was the part about "..used to be the future".
Comment is free is really waste of time though.I have never noticed a single interesting remark partly becuse of the lack of the sacred element "facts "
BTW Am I the only one who until recently did not understand the reference of Comment is Free?
" CP Scott wrote 'A Hundred Years' in 1921. The essay's famous sentence 'Comment is free, but facts are sacred' "
Maybe I have poor judgment, but I thought it was an incredibly well-written article and I could see most the comparisons. Yes, we still have a long way to go to change the way the public see us - canvas, though, should understand that many of the readers on CiF would rather eat their own babies than ever vote Conservative.
Oh dear Iain. Claiming you were being in some way 'ironic' is the tactic of a very very junior blogger.
Admit it - you did a rush job, cobbled together some writing - and got it wrong.
If you want the public to take politicians - and us Conservatives seriously, some humility and sincerity would go a long way.
Justin Hinchcliffe, has it really not occured to you that people of a liberal tendency might have a good reason for not voting Conservative: that is, that the party isn't liberal?
Yes, I know what you'll say in response to that. But if Cameron is transformed the party, how come party members are constantly trashing you for being a liberal-minded person?
Drop your strawman image of the Guardianista and admit you have more in common with CiF-ers than you do with the average Tory. We're nothing (for you) to be afraid of!
"Maybe I have poor judgment, but I thought it was an incredibly well-written article and I could see most the comparisons. "
I see. It was irony for labour voters ... and well a well written comparison for tories. Haha.
Thoroughly tasteless analogy by the way.
What fun! There's nothing more fun in life than winding lefties up...
I didn't bother to read the comments after your piece. Anybody not toeing the lefty line om Comment is Free is always showered with abuse. It's like a couple of hundred Chris Pauls.
With respect, I've taken the liberty of translating the first two paragraphs of your article into English:
""Yes we can." Those three words sum up Barack Obama's appeal to both Democrats and independent-minded voters. They encapsulate a message of hope and optimism and they are the three words that will in all probability carry him to victory over Hillary Clinton and, in November, John McCain."
"Yes we can". These three words encapsulate soundbite politics: meaningless, lazy, muddled thinking, existing because of its marketability rather than any basis in coherent thought.
"He's the future. They're the past."
They've got experience. He hasn't.
"Cameron and Obama have several things in common, not least what is commonly referred to as "it" - that undefineable characteristic which mixes charisma with charm."
Cameron and Obama have several things in common. They come across well on camera. They look and sound nice, and know how to use that to its full effect.
"They're young men in a hurry, both lacking a political past, facing opponents who were the future once."
Neither has spent much time as a legislator, so we have no clue as to what they will do once in office. Both face opponents who are even worse than they are.
"They find it easy to empathise and shrug off attacks. They share a resilience and an ability to wow an audience."
They find it easy to feign empathy and shrug off attacks, since there is nothing to attack. They share a desire for the top job at any cost, and an ability to deliver a good speech.
Orwell's essay 'Politics and the English Language', especially the quote about 'sheer humbug', may apply. See http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm. I want the Tories to win next time, and I think Dave is the man to do it - but I don't have confidence that he can sort out the mess that Blair et al have put us in.
Asquith, it's true that I am a liberal and pro-European Conservative. I remain in the Conservative Party because I see it as being far more liberal and democratic than the Lib Dems.
It's also true that I often have spats with people on ConHome. The majority of posters there are 'trolls' from other parties, esp. UKIP. I know tones of Conservatives who read it but never post. It is we who are in the majority, not the small but vocal crowd who make a menace of themselves on an hourly basis!
I understand your point, Justin. My humble contention is that the LibDems are a better fit than the Tories, though I acknowledge some of the critisicms levelled at them. I do appreciate the liberal and libertarian Conservatives. I'm actually nothing like as negative as I may sound :)
I don't remember Dave being 'in a hurry' to have an election, pre-autumn conference. He might be now but that ain't going to happen unless Labour totally lose their marbles (that would be an aspiration).
Dave inspires a lot of younger Tories though the polls obstinately refuse to show him picking up the necessary independents. I don't get your analogy between Cameron and Obama, at all.
Oh, and yes, Dave was right to start hammering home the average Joe's distrust of all politicians, by highlighting the wholesale failure of Brown's tenure, to date.
Iain, I don't know if you've actually read the comments there, but the commentors didn't get angry; they laughed at you for your stupid article.
Newmania, at the bottom of every page on CiF there is (or was) a picture of CP Scott and the words "...but facts are sacred", so I guess that many people realised the significance of it
I have to say I have not noticed that many similarites between Obama and Dave. I think Blair might have been a better point of comparison.
The only worrying one is that they both seem a little short on substance....
The UK and US media have Obama annointed and crowned already. May be wishful thinking as once people realise that politically he's positioned somewhat like Michael Foot vis a vis the rest of the country - the most lefty member of Senate if not the Congress.
He has not been seriously vetted either tho' the Sunday Times has done a few articles on Chicago shenannagins(sp).
I just hope the US is not as doomed with Obama as we are with the prospect of Dave.
My friend in a huge Texas city said in Obama's HQ there, he had had a huge picture of himself painted covering one side of the building, posed as Ché.
What is that fool thinking? I don't think even Dave would be stupid enough to do that - or, at least, he would have been advised not to do it.
Iain you didn't wind us up, if anything, with great respect, you are just plain wrong.
Glad you pointed out the foolishness of Cameron wnating to see the end of Punch and Judy politics, given his and Osborne's delight in abusing Brown
nrkgqWhat DC and George Osbourne are doing to Brown isn't punch and Judy politics. I call it justice.
What about the big clunking fist that Tony Blair threatened David Cameron with, fantasising Gordon would flatten Dave? That was fine, was it? Funny - it worked out the other way around and bullies often crumble when tackled head on. What DC and GO are doing is not punch and judy politics. It's called justice.
What about the big clunking fist that Tony Blair taunted Dave with, fantasising that Gordon would flatten him. Funny - it worked out the other way around. Bullies always crumble when tackled head on.
That's not punch and judy politics, it's called justice.
I seem to remember Tony Blair taunting DC abut the "big clunking fist" fantasising that Gordon was going to flatten Dave. It seems to have worked out the other way, doesn't it? Bullies always crumble when faced head on.
What DC and GO are doing to Gordon is not Punch and Judy politics. It's called justice.
ps. What can Barak Obama learn from David Cameron would be a better heading and my guess is, plenty.
AngelNeptuneStar
You seem to have an unpleasant mix of psychosis, multimple personal disorder and OCD - more pills needed ! :o)
And over to our commentator at Epsom/Kentucky…
“Well it looks all over as bright new stallion Dave/Barack takes a commanding lead over the tired old warhorse Gordon/Hillary…all plain sailing now as he enters the straight.
But wait a minute this race ain’t dead yet. Here comes an astonishing late run from Gordon/Hillary and watch as the jeers in the crowd change to cheers. Well Hillary’s being ridden hard by one of the smartest jockeys on the tracks and she seems to be liking it and is responding. And look at Gordon fly as well – gone are the bad old days of autumn when the fresh faced Dave seemed to be wiping the stable clean with him. Why old Sourpuss race commentator Iain Dale is even giving Gordon the justice he is clearly due. Why it really does seem that Barack/Dave’s appeal was all piss and wind – and flatulence never won any race. The winning post is in sight and it looks like it’s the new crowd favourites (here comes the bandwagon guys and gals) who will win and that Barack and Dave will be heading for the cats meat tins!”
Sorry Terry. My message, wouldn't go through so i kept repeating, and suddenly, all of them went through at once.
As for Paddy...... Well, Gordon's racing form hasn't been too hot so far. We shall just have to see if he makes the finishing post, but my bet is, he falls at the next fence.
Thanks Iain for directing us to the Comment is Free comments. I haven't laughed so loudly at blog comments for quite a while. Although I must admit that one of the ones I laughed at most was the comment from a leftie that one thing Obama and Cameron have in common is that neither of them have the slightest chance of winning the next UK general election (and I laughed as a Cameron supporter).
Can't be bothered to register to comment on there. But the vile lie that Boris got a First at Oxford should be swashed. According to his biography he just missed it, through doing too little work (and was pretty disappointed). Not sure whether Boris would be pleased that this shows he is a man of the people (fallible like us all) or disappointed again as he would rather people thought he did take a First. I presume the story that Cameron got one is true but, strangely, unlike Boris I am not sure anyone has written his biography yet. Probably because there wouldn't be as much sex in it.
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