Across the pond

It is now four days since Barack Obama met with Hillary Clinton, but the thousands of journalists in the world have still not told you, and me, what took place in this very private conservsation.

Because they do not know, although they are doing their job to the best of their considerable abilities.

That is because Barack Obama is running this campaign in a quite different way from all previous contenders for the US presidency. He is using the internet.

So he delivered his response to Hillary Clinton’s Saturday night speech, you will find it not on the television channels, not in the world’s newspapers, but
on his own blog
on the internet.

Obama has not yet made up his mind of who he wants for Vice President. But today he has launched his campaign for President in a speech in North Caroline. Which addresses the issues which newspapers are also highlighting, what to do about the crippled US economy.

So to find out what he is thinking today look

at that.

Obama is a complex person. He is very much in tune with the internet era and with the youth of America.

But he is also following a deep American tradition of the whistle stop tours which past presidential candidates undertook to speak to Americans on their doorsteps.

That is why he is in North Caroline today.

That is why he is talking about the economy. Not who he is he is going to choose for his Vice President.