Britain and America: All you need to know: 7th and 8th January 2008

McCAIN AND OBAMA SET FOR VICTORIES TONIGHT

Things don't look good for Mrs Clinton. TrailMix notes that her campaign decided to bus in support from Massachusetts.

Obama is an average 8.3% ahead and McCain has a much more slender lead of 3.6% in the New Hampshire primary.

JUMPING THE GUN AND THINKING ABOUT McCAIN V OBAMA

Justin Webb looks forward to a McCain V Obama contest and asks the key question: "In the absence of another terrorist attack, how does he convince a more relaxed "post war"-feeling nation, that a gritty, elderly man is the right choice? Still ,it would be a huge battle for the independent vote of the United States - the middle ground that both men are capable of attracting - and that might be no bad thing for America."

Here is David Brooks' take on the different appeals of McCain and Obama:

"McCain’s campaign events are unpredictable. At Obama events, the candidate gives a moving speech while the crowd rises deliriously as one. McCain holds town meetings. People challenge him, sometimes angrily. And if they oppose him, McCain will come back to them two or three times so that there can be an honest exchange of views. Some politicians try to persuade their audience that they agree with them. McCain welcomes disagreement and talks about it... The central issue in this election is the crisis of leadership. Voters are reacting against partisan gridlock. Obama and McCain both offer ways to end this gridlock. Obama wants us to rise above it by rediscovering our commonalities. McCain hopes smash it with fierce honesty and independent action."

HILLARY CLOSE TO TEARS?

Click here to watch the New York Senator appear to get choked up as she discusses the pressures she is now under. The Opinionator notes the different reactions to the video footage. And Toby Harnden's take:

"You can be certain that tears on the campaign trail are not a good thing. Half the world will believe it was a stunt. The other half will wonder how a woman (and, fair or not, women politicians crying is especially fraught with danger who claims she is ready to lead on day one, is tough, experienced etc etc will deal with, say, a major terrorist attack if facing defeat in a primary puts her on the edge of blubbing."

If Hillary Clinton wants some comfort she could turn to Comment Central. Danny Finkelstein doesn't think it's over yet.

PRINCESS OBAMA

Melanie Phillips sees the Diana-ification opf American politics in the enthusiasm for Obama:

"Warm fuzzy feelings win hands down because they anaesthetise reality and blank out altogether those difficult issues which require difficult decisions. Obama appears to be on the wrong side of just about every important issue going; indeed, were he to be elected president he would be a danger to the free world. But hey – the guy makes people feel good about themselves; he stands for hope, love, reconciliation, youthfulness and fairies at the bottom of the garden."

Comments

I came to the conclusion long ago that NOTHING that happens during a Clinton campaign (either Clinton!) happens except by design. This was probably focus-grouped and found to garner a certain degree of sympathy from the "touchy-feely" crowd that is currently flocking around Obama.

But I agree that anyone who claims to be tough enough for what is undeniably one of the most difficult jobs in the world who cries because of a campaign problem... what is that person going to do when she finds out that Putin isn't playing ball? Or that Musharraf doesn't want to cooperate? Or that Muslim extremeists don't want to deal with a woman at all?

And for that matter, I've also been intrigued by the fact that Obama is a FORMER Muslim... or at least had some Muslim training when he was young.

That makes him an apostate. How is he planning to deal with an extremist nation like Saudi Arabia, where apostates are beheaded?

Posted by: mamapajamas | January 08, 2008 at 11:04 PM