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George and Jeffrey Osborne: spot the difference George and Jeffrey Osborne: spot the difference
(4 months later)
It wasn't the being called Jeffrey three times by Barack Obama during a meeting of the G8 that would have hurt George Osborne the most, though that would have been mortifying enough. It was the apology. Or rather, the lack of it. Was the president of the US in any way bothered about forgetting the name of the chancellor, a man who is supposed to be, superficially at least, one of the G8's key weapons in fixing the global economy? Far from it. What he said was: "I'm sorry, man. I must have confused you with my favourite R&B singer."It wasn't the being called Jeffrey three times by Barack Obama during a meeting of the G8 that would have hurt George Osborne the most, though that would have been mortifying enough. It was the apology. Or rather, the lack of it. Was the president of the US in any way bothered about forgetting the name of the chancellor, a man who is supposed to be, superficially at least, one of the G8's key weapons in fixing the global economy? Far from it. What he said was: "I'm sorry, man. I must have confused you with my favourite R&B singer."
To be fair, it could have been worse. Obama could have called him Ozzy. As, indeed, some of us already do. He could also have called him Gideon, which would have had the virtue of being the name Osborne was given at birth. But Jeffrey was more than bad enough – because of what it implied, more than for what it said. What it implied was that Osborne is a total nonentity on the political stage to Obama; a man whose presence is as forgettable as his name, even when the world's press is gathered for a G8 summit.To be fair, it could have been worse. Obama could have called him Ozzy. As, indeed, some of us already do. He could also have called him Gideon, which would have had the virtue of being the name Osborne was given at birth. But Jeffrey was more than bad enough – because of what it implied, more than for what it said. What it implied was that Osborne is a total nonentity on the political stage to Obama; a man whose presence is as forgettable as his name, even when the world's press is gathered for a G8 summit.
This wasn't a President Reagan "Princess David" moment. Obama is nobody's fool; he's an astute operator and he doesn't normally make these faux pas. Can you imagine him getting the name of the Russian, Chinese or German chancellor wrong? Hardly. And if, by chance, he had done, the subsequent apology would have been grovelling. What did Osborne get? An apology along the lines of: "What you say is so dull and inconsequential that every time you open your mouth, I automatically switch off and start thinking of a soul singer best known for the top 30 hit Wings of Love in the 1980s."This wasn't a President Reagan "Princess David" moment. Obama is nobody's fool; he's an astute operator and he doesn't normally make these faux pas. Can you imagine him getting the name of the Russian, Chinese or German chancellor wrong? Hardly. And if, by chance, he had done, the subsequent apology would have been grovelling. What did Osborne get? An apology along the lines of: "What you say is so dull and inconsequential that every time you open your mouth, I automatically switch off and start thinking of a soul singer best known for the top 30 hit Wings of Love in the 1980s."
But on the off chance that Obama is genuinely confused about George and Jeffrey, here are a few tips on distinguishing between them.But on the off chance that Obama is genuinely confused about George and Jeffrey, here are a few tips on distinguishing between them.
George: Black
Jeffrey: White		George: Black
Jeffrey: White
George: Age 65
Jeffrey: Age 42		George: Age 65
Jeffrey: Age 42
George: Looks 42
Jeffrey: Looks 65		George: Looks 42
Jeffrey: Looks 65
George: Youngest of 12 children
Jeffrey: Heir apparent to the Osborne baronetcy		George: Youngest of 12 children
Jeffrey: Heir apparent to the Osborne baronetcy
George: Son of Clarence "Legs" Osborne
Jeffrey: Son of Sir Peter Osborne Bt		George: Son of Clarence "Legs" Osborne
Jeffrey: Son of Sir Peter Osborne Bt
George: On the wings of love / Only the two of us / Together flying high / Flying high Upon the wings of love.
Jeffrey: We will safeguard Britain's credit rating with a credible plan to eliminate the bulk of the structural deficit over a parliament …		George: On the wings of love / Only the two of us / Together flying high / Flying high Upon the wings of love.
Jeffrey: We will safeguard Britain's credit rating with a credible plan to eliminate the bulk of the structural deficit over a parliament …
George: Sang the national anthem before game four of the NBA finals in LA in 2008
Jeffrey: Was booed before presenting the medals at the Paralympics in London in 2012		George: Sang the national anthem before game four of the NBA finals in LA in 2008
Jeffrey: Was booed before presenting the medals at the Paralympics in London in 2012
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