No.
In Medialand, there might have been euphoria over the 1997 Election result.
But in Britain, fewer people had actually voted Labour than had voted Tory in 1992.
Whereas the popular joy over Obama is real.
As are the expectations, of which there were never really any among normal people where Blair was concerned.
Obama really does have to restore America in all her job-protecting, wage-protecting, skills-protecting, unionised, internationally non-interventionist, big municipal, co-operative, Distributist, Keynesian, English-speaking, morally and socially conservative glory.
Or rightly pay the price at the polls.
Not just medialand. You were quite chuffed yourself, if I recall correctly.
ReplyDeleteNot terribly. A Labour victory had been inevitable since September 1992, when only political anoraks had ever heard of Tony Blair. He squandered the opportunity that John Smith would have seized with both hands.
ReplyDeleteTake Smith's signature policy, that employment rights should begin with employment and apply regardless of the number of hours worked. Hardly Bennite stuff. Yet still not done, even now.