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Comment: Obama stardust
Evening Standard25.07.08
Barack Obama arrives this evening in London from Paris, on the last leg of his breathless European tour. He will still be recovering from last night's extraordinary performance in Berlin, where he attracted a crowd of more than 200,000 people - more than he does back home - for a rock-style event in which he called for the US and Europe to come closer together.
In London, the senator's visit will be conducted largely out of public view, with a series of political meetings, starting with Tony Blair tomorrow morning. Alas, even here, the Prime Minister has missed a trick. Because he did not appear with John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, on the steps of Downing Street when he visited, protocol forbids that he does so with Senator Obama.
And Mr Brown could do with a little of the Obama stardust. Instead, it seems that David Cameron may have the better photo-opportunity. The jostling to be seen with Senator Obama says everything about his standing. Few people will get to see him but he is a welcome visitor to London.
