Making friends
- 17 Apr 08, 01:58 PM
Today the Prime Minister will meet the next President of the United States - a meeting that is likely to be of more consequence in the long run than his meeting with the current occupant of the White House. Which of the three senators - Obama, Clinton and McCain - will make it to the Oval Office Gordon Brown cannot know. However, he does know that the relationship he forms with them will be vital and could have huge consequences for him and for Britain.
Gordon Brown has known Hillary Clinton for years. He met John McCain recently in London. He has, though, never met his first visitor at the British Ambassador's residence today - Barack Obama. How and whether they get on will matter at least as much as any issue they discuss.
Who should he want to win? He won't, of course, give so much as a hint.
Hillary Clinton would be a comfortable choice for Gordon Brown. He knows her, her husband and many of those who surround them after the long years in which New Labour worked closely with New Democrats.
Barack Obama would, on the other hand, embody a significant break with the Bush years. A man with African parentage who was brought up in Indonesia would be well placed to convince the world that the US could and would take seriously global poverty and a dialogue with the Muslim world.
However, there are a series of reasons why John McCain might represent the best choice for Gordon Brown. He is more of an Anglophile (or, if you prefer, a Britophile); more an Atlanticist; more committed to free trade and much more predictable in his attitudes to Iraq and Afghanistan. Besides, a McCain victory would prove that age and experience could triumph over youth or novelty.
Gordon Brown has no vote, of course, but it would be fascinating to know who he'd choose after meeting them all one by one today.
PS. I spent last night in "The Spin Room" at the latest debate to pit Hillary Clinton against Barack Obama.
PPS. I know many of you have had trouble submitting comments in the past well from today the BBC has upgraded its blogging software so now it should be more reliable. From today if you want to comment on any BBC blog you will need to register first. You can read more about this on the Editors blog.
