This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/apr/22/obamas-friendly-message-uk-your-decision-stay-in-eu-referendum

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Obama's friendly message to UK: it's your decision (but stay in, you idiots) Obama’s friendly message to UK: it's your decision (but stay in, you idiots)
(about 1 hour later)
He arrived, technically, like a superhero, airborne, touching down in his embassy’s garden. But let’s be honest, Barack Obama really landed in the UK in the Daily Telegraph. It was a bit dispiriting, like George Clooney coming to your street party, and you thinking it was because he’d heard you were really hot and made amazing canapes, and him spending all his time chatting to the one cranky climate change denier on the entire road, and you realising in a flash that he was actually doing it as part of his community service. Even Evan Davies on the Today programme called it “the Telegraph, of all places”.He arrived, technically, like a superhero, airborne, touching down in his embassy’s garden. But let’s be honest, Barack Obama really landed in the UK in the Daily Telegraph. It was a bit dispiriting, like George Clooney coming to your street party, and you thinking it was because he’d heard you were really hot and made amazing canapes, and him spending all his time chatting to the one cranky climate change denier on the entire road, and you realising in a flash that he was actually doing it as part of his community service. Even Evan Davies on the Today programme called it “the Telegraph, of all places”.
The president reminded us that the EU decision ultimately lay with the British people – that’s fair, right? The rules are quite complex, the landscape of the referendum has completely fantastical contours and voters in generations to come will wonder what on earth we were thinking, ceding the entire business of government for half a year to the answering of one stupid question: it’s possible in this topsy-turvy world that the president of the United States does have the casting vote. But he doesn’t. This is your decision and yours alone, British people. The president reminded us that the EU decision lay ultimately with the British people – that’s fair, right? The rules are quite complex, the landscape of the referendum has completely fantastical contours and voters in generations to come will wonder what on earth we were thinking, ceding the entire business of government for half a year to the answering of one stupid question: it’s possible in this topsy-turvy world that the president of the United States does have the casting vote. But he doesn’t. This is your decision and yours alone, British people.
Then he added: “I will tell you, with the candour of a friend, that the outcome of your decision is a matter of deep interest to the United States. The tens of thousands of Americans who rest in Europe’s cemeteries are a silent testament to just how intertwined our prosperity and security truly are. And the path you choose now will echo in the prospects of today’s generation of Americans as well.” It’s not so much stay in because that’s what the fallen want; more that, because of the fallen, this is still our business, and it being our business, stay in, (sotto voce) you idiots.Then he added: “I will tell you, with the candour of a friend, that the outcome of your decision is a matter of deep interest to the United States. The tens of thousands of Americans who rest in Europe’s cemeteries are a silent testament to just how intertwined our prosperity and security truly are. And the path you choose now will echo in the prospects of today’s generation of Americans as well.” It’s not so much stay in because that’s what the fallen want; more that, because of the fallen, this is still our business, and it being our business, stay in, (sotto voce) you idiots.
Immediately, he was subjected to the kind of below-the-line heckling that columnists across the spectrum will recognise: he was incoherent, inconsistent, hypocritical. It is the holy trinity of insults: “You’re not clever enough to make your argument hang together, you’re insufficiently alert to notice where you trip yourself up, and even if it did make sense, you’d be a hypocrite to say it.” The fact that anyone would make it against the president of the United States, who unlike his predecessor is not a known dolt, and who has probably five or six people penning every paragraph, like an episode of Friends, suggests that this was a go-to insult rather than a bespoke one. The truly weird thing is that it came not from a troll sitting in his pants but from Boris Johnson writing in the Sun. Or maybe I’m being tautological.Immediately, he was subjected to the kind of below-the-line heckling that columnists across the spectrum will recognise: he was incoherent, inconsistent, hypocritical. It is the holy trinity of insults: “You’re not clever enough to make your argument hang together, you’re insufficiently alert to notice where you trip yourself up, and even if it did make sense, you’d be a hypocrite to say it.” The fact that anyone would make it against the president of the United States, who unlike his predecessor is not a known dolt, and who has probably five or six people penning every paragraph, like an episode of Friends, suggests that this was a go-to insult rather than a bespoke one. The truly weird thing is that it came not from a troll sitting in his pants but from Boris Johnson writing in the Sun. Or maybe I’m being tautological.
Whatever, it stung. By the time the ITN journalist asked, at the press conference in the Foreign Office, Obama matte and Cameron sweaty like countervailing forces in a fairytale, what Barack was doing sticking his beak in (of course I paraphrase), Potus was tetchy. “You shouldn’t be afraid to hear an argument being made,” he said, exasperated. On the subject of the Brexiters, a note of scorn crept in. “They’re voicing an opinion about what the United States is going to do,” he began, referring to the famous five-eyes fantasy in which we leave Europe, and America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand take us to live with them and lavish us with trade deals. “I thought, why not hear from the president of the United States what the United States is going to do?” Even though I have never agreed more with anyone, I regretted on his behalf the irritation with Boris Johnson. It is beneath the dignity of his office. It is work he could delegate to pretty well anyone in the UK. Whatever, it stung. By the time the ITN journalist asked, at the press conference in the Foreign Office, Obama matte and Cameron sweaty like countervailing forces in a fairytale, what Barack was doing sticking his beak in (of course I paraphrase), Potus was tetchy. “You shouldn’t be afraid to hear an argument being made,” he said, exasperated. On the subject of the Brexiters, a note of scorn crept in. “They’re voicing an opinion about what the United States is going to do,” he began, referring to the famous five-eyes fantasy in which we leave Europe, and the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand take us to live with them and lavish us with trade deals. “I thought, why not hear from the president of the United States what the United States is going to do?” Even though I have never agreed more with anyone, I regretted on his behalf the irritation with Johnson. It is beneath the dignity of his office. It is work he could delegate to pretty well anyone in the UK.
The news conference was defined not by that moment, nor by the droll but possibly set up double act where Cameron claimed to have been beaten at ping pong by Obama, and the president corrected him – they were playing as a team, and were beaten by children. No, the headline news was Barack’s clear preference for the Queen over the prime minister, which, whatever your feelings about Cameron, suggests a level of monarchical friendliness that nothing in the past nine decades of tight little facial contortions has even hinted at. Either that or a love of royalty on the part of Obama that is more like a fetish than a preference. Anyway. “The Queen has been a source of inspiration to me,” he started. “She is truly one of my favourite people,” he continued, and you can make what you will of that “truly” and whether it suggested insincerity in the rest of what he said. The news conference was defined not by that moment, nor by the droll but possibly set up double act where Cameron claimed to have been beaten at ping pong by Obama, and the president corrected him – they were playing as a team, and were beaten by children. No, the headline news was Obama’s clear preference for the Queen over the prime minister, which, whatever your feelings about Cameron, suggests a level of monarchical friendliness that nothing in the past nine decades of tight little facial contortions has even hinted at. Either that or a love of royalty on the part of Obama that is more like a fetish than a preference. Anyway. “The Queen has been a source of inspiration to me,” he started. “She is truly one of my favourite people,” he continued, and you can make what you will of that “truly” and whether it suggested insincerity in the rest of what he said.
But he put his love where his schedule was, give him that: Potus and Flotus arrived at Windsor Castle at lunchtime, their helicopter hovering ominously over the manicured town accompanied by another, so that it felt like Windsor’s first-ever armed robbers were being tracked by Berkshire’s only two police choppers. “I’ve never been so close to an American president,” said Valerie Prosser, 72, from the Wetherspoons, the only pub déclassé enough to have Sky News on. He was quite a bit above us at that point, so we were only proximal in the way that you’re never further than 16 metres from a sewer rat. But that was cool. “He’s a waste of bloody time,” said Eric, 72 (not a friend a Valerie’s, a different party). “He’s only doing it for the free meal.”But he put his love where his schedule was, give him that: Potus and Flotus arrived at Windsor Castle at lunchtime, their helicopter hovering ominously over the manicured town accompanied by another, so that it felt like Windsor’s first-ever armed robbers were being tracked by Berkshire’s only two police choppers. “I’ve never been so close to an American president,” said Valerie Prosser, 72, from the Wetherspoons, the only pub déclassé enough to have Sky News on. He was quite a bit above us at that point, so we were only proximal in the way that you’re never further than 16 metres from a sewer rat. But that was cool. “He’s a waste of bloody time,” said Eric, 72 (not a friend a Valerie’s, a different party). “He’s only doing it for the free meal.”
“He’s spent his presidency totally discriminating against white people,” said Eric’s friend Rod, 65 (not Liddle, different Rod). I tilt my head. Really? “The Queen is fine, there’s no problem there,” said Eric, as if checking the heating and telling you that your boiler is fine but all your radiators are broken. “But politicians …” It’s like the voice of Brexit made flesh and given a pint of ale. Thank God Obama can’t hear us, or this special relationship would be toast.“He’s spent his presidency totally discriminating against white people,” said Eric’s friend Rod, 65 (not Liddle, different Rod). I tilt my head. Really? “The Queen is fine, there’s no problem there,” said Eric, as if checking the heating and telling you that your boiler is fine but all your radiators are broken. “But politicians …” It’s like the voice of Brexit made flesh and given a pint of ale. Thank God Obama can’t hear us, or this special relationship would be toast.
The president finished his press conference speech on an upbeat note. “We’re stronger together, and future generations will look back on ours, just as we look back on the previous generations of English and American citizens who worked so hard to make this world safer, and they’ll say we did our part. And that’s important.” Mmm … I s’pose so. I wonder what face the Queen would make.The president finished his press conference speech on an upbeat note. “We’re stronger together, and future generations will look back on ours, just as we look back on the previous generations of English and American citizens who worked so hard to make this world safer, and they’ll say we did our part. And that’s important.” Mmm … I s’pose so. I wonder what face the Queen would make.