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Interesting times for the UK and US’s leaders and leaders in waiting.

As Gordon Brown and the UK government is bailing out the banks, it leaves the Opposition with little to do apart from offer their (grudging) support. Anything else would look churlish and fly against the need for the public to see something done.

But while unable to attack Gordon Brown’s sudden decisiveness on the economic crisis, Shadow Chancellor, George Osborne, has felt the need to prick the way he claims Brown is coming across - as “triumphal”. Andrew Rawnsley in The Observer sees it differently, sketching the Prime Minister as lifted from his trademark moroseness by the current challenges. So, image goes a long way in politics.

And in the US, as election day approaches, poor John McCain looks like he might be his own worst enemy, becoming better known for his “short fuse” and “erratic leadership” than the statesmanship Barrack Obama is adopting, even referencing the great FDR’s “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” quote in his current speeches. Obama is calmer while McCain hopes the final presidential debate will enable him to “whip Mr Obama’s you know what” (his words, apparently).

With image counting for so much in politics, I wouldn’t stake a half dollar on it.

Today’s PR Week carries a front page lead that US Presidential hopeful, John McCain, is casting an envious eye over here and is upset that the UK/Europe seems to be falling under Barack Obama’s spell. He’s also agitated over David Cameron’s desire to position himself within range of Barack’s halo effect.

He’s trying to draw right-wing media in the UK into his briefing network and is working on some of the right’s bloggers e.g. Guido.

For anyone interested in how the Yanks are doing blogger outreach in a professional way here is a tape recording of a recent session, hosted by Liz Mair, McCain’s Head of Comms. They are done by conference call and carry a briefing from staffers followed by open Q’s from bloggers who have dialled in.