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London Votes

Wednesday, 6th February 2008

Andrea Coleman reports on the Democratic primary in London:
As an American citizen who has never lived – or voted – in America, the most striking thing for me about the primary voting in London was that it was so good-natured and sociable. Perhaps this was because everyone was so far away from the main action that the mere fact of being Americans – let alone Democrats – in London inspired a sense of fellow-feeling. The atmosphere felt like a cross between a fete and a school sports event – the wood-panelled walls of the hall festooned with hand-painted banners and rosettes, students from the LSE selling cookies with the candidates’ faces on them, makeshift cheerleading squads waving banners and balloons, and dozens of children running about in Obama t-shirts.

Despite the cheerful solidarity, there did seem to be differences between the two groups of supporters. The Hillary crowd – seemingly comprised of clean-cut students and bankers’ wives – were marginally better organised. They did a mean conga line. They maintained a presence outside the election hall throughout the voting, while the Obama supporters disappeared inside halfway through. Inside, they broke into choreographed dance routines at regular intervals, waving giant golden balloons shaped in the letters of Hillary’s name. They had also monopolised an entire wall of the election hall, covering it in posters declaring that “Londoners want Hillary”

Obama, on the other hand, definitely had the youth vote, including most of the under-10s. And although he had fewer posters than Hillary, they claimed the support of an overwhelming number of groups: “Grannies for Obama”; “Another mama for Obama”, “Kids for Obama”; “Kids for change”; “London NASCAR Dads for Obama”. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a London NASCAR dad, but it nevertheless seems impressive that Obama should have won their support