12 May 2007

Life goes on

What? Oh. Yes, I'm still here, if a bit politicked out.

Who? Gordon? Campaign launch? Yeah I know. Knebworth? Near Stevenage, I think. Still Metroland. Why would he want to do it in Kirkcaldy?

Nevertheless, he told a joke or two (which must be something of a first). The Times reports:
Intriguingly, he told jokes at the expense of no less than two Republican presidents: the one about Reagan being told Olaf Palme was an “anticommunist” and replying “I don’t care what kind of communist he is”, and the one about Nixon going to newly-independent Ghana in 1957 and asking someone in the crowd how it felt to be free, and receiving the answer: “How would I know? I’m from Alabama.” You wouldn’t catch Blair dissing the titans of the Republican Party.

Actually, I preferred the self-deprecating story (which he also related) of how, when he was a student at the University of Edinburgh, he was invited by a local Labour worthy to stand for the local council (or the Corporation as it was in those days). "Oh", said Gordon, "but I don't know anything about local government administration". "Look", replied the worthy, "we wouldn't have asked you if we thought we could win the seat".

No comments: