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The Reaction in Britain

Managed Expectations in London

By Sebastian Borger in London

In Britain, Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Wednesday appeared to be trying to make up for his early promotion of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. In Obama, he sees a partner with shared values and with whom he can work together to solve the financial crisis.

"I've talked to Senator Obama on many occasions," said Gordon Brown, "and I know that he is a true friend of Britain."

In July, the two met for a two-hour chat at 10 Downing Street during a brief trip the Democratic candidate made to Europe and the Middle East prior to his nominating convention. At the time, the British were disappointed that Obama hadn't started his world tour in London, having instead chosen Berlin to hold a major foreign policy speech.

In Paris, he had appeared before the press together with President Nicolas Sarkozy, but not so with Brown in London. It was punishment for Brown's overly cozy relationship with Hillary Clinton, who Obama felt the British prime minister -- who has for years had excellent ties with the US Democratic Party -- had overly promoted early in the campaign. Three months ago, Brown looked like a lost cause, damaged goods with whom a photo op wouldn't necessarily help, even if he is the only center-left government leader of one of Europe's four biggest countries.

But during the financial debacle of recent weeks, Brown proved himself as a solid crisis manager, a development he addressed in his statement on Wednesday about Obama's victory.

"I know that the values we share in common and the policies on which we can work together will enable us as two countries to come through these difficult economic times and build a safer and more secure society for the future," he said. Relations have thawed lately -- and after Clinton's defeat, Brown quickly and publicly jumped onto the Obama bandwagon, a move that irritated Republican contender John McCain because it broke the convention not interfering with foreign elections. On Wednesday, Brown appeared to be trying to make good again with Obama.

Nevertheless, the Brits appear to be managing their expectations for Obama, realizing that the miracle of his election will unlikely serve as a panacea for all that ails the world. A Guardian editorial that ran just before his election warned that stock in Obama is "overpriced and a crash could really hurt." It added that "outlandish expectations can only render the task harder." In a second feature, the paper cautioned that the president-elect must "confront an enemy worse than any renegade despot or embittered Republican -- his in-tray."

Meanwhile, Bronwen Maddox, a foreign policy specialist at the Times of London sees a "world full of problems" that Obama alone cannot solve. Denis MacShane, Britain's former minister of state for Europe, puts the impetus on EU member states to help. "The Europeans must make a stronger effort to speak with one voice when it comes to security policy," he said. The EU can't just sit and wait for Washington to launch initiatives.