Washington or Whitehall whispers?

Ken

So far, all we know about Mr Obama is that he is very good at spouting hot air, and he has yet to show us that he is a heavyweight, middle weight or indeed a lightweight himself.

Marbury

I'm more sceptical of this report than James. It just doesn't sound like the sort of thing Obama would say, certainly not in front of officials who aren't on his staff. ps who are "us neo-cons" these days?

Nicholas

Sounds like a story from the New Labour spin machine prepping for the meeting next Spring. There will be more New Labour dirty tricks. The Tories should reciprocate by leaking what Obama thinks about the ghastly misfit Brown.

David

It is most likely this is tosh, spouted directly from No.10 or Whitehall. If, however, it is true, so what? Obama would much rather deal with the EU as a pan-continental entity, and if Cameron isn't willing to poodle to him or the EU then that's only a good thing. And I also think Cameron's emphasis on Afganistan suggests he's less 'doveish' than you suggest.

David

"on defining international issues such as the invasion of Iraq (unlike Clinton and certainly unlike Cameron"

So, how did Brown vote on this matter.....

THX1138

I met Dave recently at a private party he was very pleasant & I am going to vote Tory for the first time in my life because of him.

The only question I really wanted to ask was what's Obama really like. I didn't but I thought afterwards when you meet the future PM of your country the only question on your lips is about another future leader, now that's real raw political power & star quality .

Tiberius

"Lightweight" as in "float like a butterfly sting like a bee", or perhaps in contrast, "heavyweight" as in "randomly swinging a clunking fist causing near terminal collateral damage to Britain while sporting a facial expression so thunderous it would sink an aircraft carrier."

RMH

Lightweight is an English expression used in that context is it not?

Arthur

Well maybe (whisper it quietly) Obama is wrong about the role of Europe. Maybe, just maybe, those who have seen the EU function over the past 25 years know a little more than someone who's looked at it from the outside for the past decade.

Daniel

This is one of Cameron's major problems - even now, less than two years away from a general election, it is impossible to know whether he is basically a traditional Conservative or instead an unreformed Thatcherite (with all the ideological baggage that entails).

At first, this lack of definition was a strength, as it helped to bring different wings of the party together, but it is now starting to look like a weakness.

In general, traditional conservatives are 'realists' in foreign policy i.e. they believe it should be based on the pursuit of enlightened self-interest, and coalition building, rather than grand ideological schemes, such as the promotion of democracy or the re-modelling of whole regions along Western lines. Indeed, for most of her time in office, Thatcher was also firmly in the 'realist' camp. She was happy to sit down at the negotiating table with Gorbachev before she decided she could do business with him.

It was only with the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the intellectual hubris that accompanied this in the West, that the US and UK governments started thinking that they had some sort of universal mission to export Western democratic capitalism to the rest of the world. This naive mindset found its nemesis in George W. Bush, the carnage in Iraq, and the worst financial crisis in history.

From his speeches, one suspects that Cameron is closer to the 'realist' school, in which case he should find much common ground with Obama, but on the other hand some of his closest advisers, such as Michael Gove, are still happy to describe themselves as neo-conservatives.

I am a Conservative Party member, but I want to be sure that, when I cast my ballot in a general election, I am not going to end up with yet another Western triumphalist controlling British foreign policy, lecturing other countries on how to run their affairs, and sending British troops into harm's way at every conceivable opportunity.

By the way, you are surely mistaken to characterise Hilary Clinton's instincts on foreign policy issues as being in any way similar to those of the neo-conservatives. As far as I can see, all the key figures in Obama's foreign policy team are foreign policy realists. This is hardly surprising, given that neo-conservatism has been so disastrous in practice that even its most fervent advocates, such as Mark Steyn, appear now to have accepted that their interests are best served by maintaining a long period of silence.

Obama may not live up to expectations, but he sure as hell isn't going to give us another Rumsfeld or Cheney, and for that we can all be thankful.

Wily Trout

Lightweight is what the Labour spin machine want us to think of Cameron. I'm surprised the reported comment wasn't 'What a Novice..'

JONNY

What he really said was:
Cameron's a lightweight. I can say that for sure.
Because it takes one to know one.

oldtimer

The Labour spin machine is in overdrive. If one idea doesn`t work as intended (eg clumsy warrant free police invasion of parliamentary offices) then try another (Obama says Cameron is a lightweight) to distract from the earlier embarrassing failure.

TGF UKIP

The only reason Labour spin and lies like this have any traction is because they chime in so well with a general and now well established view of Dave as a sound bite addicted, conviction free, PR lightweight.

If he wishes to avoid being so labelled then he has to stand on conservative ground, be prepared to make the arguments and stop legging it away to his SocDem comfort zone as soon as Labour or the Today Programme say "boo"

TrevorsDen

Who gives an effing sod about about how Cameron would have voted - or what a President elect, so politically dyslexic that he appoints Clinton as Sec of State, thinks - what you have to ask yourselves is do you want another 5 years of Brown-

Well do you punks, do you feel lucky?

dont like the whinging rich

Why would a man with Obama's policies and background care tuppence about an Old Etonian Tory leading the opposition in a middle ranked country?

As to the EU, Obama knows that on trade and most other issues in Europe, that's where the decisions are made.

If Cameron or Hague came out with some ukip style fruitcake rant, then they would not impress the President-elect

Wilhelm

'' Obama branded Cameron a ‘lightweight’.

Pot, kettle , black.

Lord Elvis of Paisley

A senior Labour source told the Statesman: "Obama will want to work with a united Europe, not the 27 divided nations envisaged by a David Cameron, William Hague and [the Eurosceptic backbencher] Bill Cash vision of Europe. Tory isolationism is the last thing Obama's new foreign policy team will want from London."

Now who might that 'senior' Labour source be...?

Atticus Finch

Would that be James Macintyre, son of Donald Macintyre? The political commentator who counted New Labour architects like Mandelson as close friends and wrote a book entitled "Mandelson: And the Making of New Labour"

Could this be the same James Macintyre who interviewed Mandy for the NS a couple of weeks ago?

If it is; why is anyone paying any attention to this?

Also, Why after telling the world he wants to unite America and work with opponents and is appointing known rivals (enemies?) should Obama engage in indiscreet tittle tattle about a UK politican. Apart from publicly going after his opponents in the elections, when has Obama ever been overheard gossiping about anyone?

As Private Eye would say " How journalism works"

jean baker

Obama's a wise guy ... he rises above 'low life dirty tricks' and focusses energy positively on the job in hand. 'Light' in build 'heavyweight' campaigner.

He's his 'own man', in touch with reality.

Bill Brinsmead

New Labour equals lies, lies and more lies.

strapworld

I jolly well hope so! I have no confidence in the Second Coming!

He strikes me as someone who has studied Tony Blair. America will, very soon, find out they have bought a pup!

As for america and the eu, never forget the EU was supported, from its earliest days, by the CIA. They could not care less about us and we should cut the ties and bring back our Commonwealth of Nations.

We are still a great country with great people but with the shoddiest of administrations!

Alex

This 'didn't come from Obama, this came from the Whitehall Labour spin machine.

Labour have attempted to brand Cameron with that word since he became Tory Leader.

Lies, lies and more lies.

Jeremy

Why is it considered to be so important for a British party political leader, or Prime Minister, to be seen as the President of the United States' "best friend"?

There is a good deal of scepticism in Britain about whether it is in our own best interests to be so closely associated with the American government as we have been over the past few years. And there is a strong sense in the country that the government of the United States does not feel much love towards Britain, and even less towards the Tory Party. I would have thought that a degree of distance is called for in our relationship with the the United States, the better to enable us to forge our own path and our own way in the world.

Verity

I can't look at David Cameron in a suit without seeing his silly little cycling legs under the trousers. Such a wimpy little man with his silly little cycling hat.

He's such a jerk.

Victor, NW Kent

Verity
Very profound. You should publish a book of the 100 most boring contributions to a political blog. They would all be yours. You add so much to debates.