What Gordon should learn from Hillary
James Forsyth 7:15pm
After Hillary’s remarkable come from behind victory in New Hampshire there have been a lot of jokes about how we can now expect Gordon Brown, and every other ambitious politician, to start choking up in public. Somehow, I can’t see Brown doing this or pulling it off if he tried. However, there is one thing that Brown should learn from Hillary.
When her campaign was at its lowest ebb, Hillary embarked on a new strategy of making herself as available as possible. In the last few days in New Hampshire she took questions from the audience, which she hadn’t in Iowa, and allowed the press to talk to her far more freely. Hillary’s continuing this new approach with an hour long appearance on Meet The Press, the premier US political show, and a new web based QandA.
This new tack has proved so effective because it counters the idea that Hillary somehow feels she is entitled to the nomination and because it humanises her. Brown, who suffers from the same problems, could do a lot worse than to copy it.
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Comments
Mark Heenan
January 11th, 2008 8:04pm...assuming of course that Brown is any good at answering questions, and that's not what the evidence of his Downing Street briefings and PMQ appearences point to.
Jessica, Merseyside
January 11th, 2008 9:00pmBrown is too scared to face the public whether that be in an election or in a question and answer situation like you suggest. He is the only one of Blair's government to have never appeared on question time, tells you all you need to know really!
TGF UKIP
January 11th, 2008 9:03pmJames, you could add "especially given the supine and deferential treatment he is afforded by the BBC and Andrew Marr in particular. When Marr is described by Mark Lawson in The Guardian as Brown's "comfort zone" perhaps even the BBC has got to begin to question Marr's credibility as their most prominent political presenter.
Richard
January 12th, 2008 2:36pmMaybe her victory was more to do with Diebold voting machines. There will be a recount of the New Hampshire vote so don't count your chickens quite yet!
Kevyn Bodman
January 12th, 2008 2:36pmAnd by making herself more available Hillary went some way to dispelling the myth that she is 'unlikeable.' People who know her, many who have met her in person, find her very likeable. Apparently Gordon Brown is friendly and charming in private, although I'm not convinced by that claim. But I'd much prefer public dourness and private charm to the sort of public charm offered by Blair, and Obama.
Ray
January 12th, 2008 3:06pmMethinks McCavity will have a slight problem both disappearing and "making himself available" at the same time.