It's Not Just Americans Who Will Miss Obama

It was the fly that did it. I vividly remember the first time I saw that memorable clip of Barack Obama classily taking down an insect mid-interview as if it was nothing. How was this man so cool? In the UK, where I live, the only front page-worthy moment between a politician and an animal was when our Prime Minister was accused of doing unspeakable things to a dead pig when he was a student.

The stereotypical view of politicians in the UK is that of stuffy, privately-educated middle-aged posh boys, hard-nosed grey-haired women, and insufferable egomaniacs who've gained power through pure nepotism. Obama is so far detached from the leaders the UK has suffered through over my lifetime, it's hard to believe they even do a similar job. I'm just happy that Obama's power and influence extended far beyond what he did on home turf. He represented change: a beacon of hope. He wasn't the kind of person who need to be briefed on which "cool" bands to say he liked. Imagine the British prime minister being mates with Beyoncé. It just wouldn't happen.

Never has there been a more charismatic world leader, and (sorry, Justin Trudeau, I love you too) I don't think there ever will be again. And while charisma alone doesn't make positive changes in government, it's more powerful than you think. It was Barack Obama's ice-cool approach to just about everything that made people sit up and pay attention. He was respected because he commanded respect. He also had a warmth and a realness that is often sorely lacking in government. When he spoke, you listened. Even if you didn't agree with what he was saying, you had to respect his ability to make a point.

He also built strong relationships and knew exactly who to trust to work alongside him. While Obama and Joe Biden were giving the bros of the world the ultimate BFF inspiration, finger guns and all, British politicians we thought were Bullingdon club buddies were stabbing each other in the back in an attempt to seemingly fight over a job nobody actually wanted in the end. The UK government is a joke at the moment: we have a Prime Minister nobody voted for, challenged with doing something she didn't want to do in the first place. Meanwhile, the opposition can't stop the in-fighting long enough to actually discuss policy, and a bunch of racist bigots (UKIP) are shouting loudly from the sidelines and getting scarily close to Donald Trump.

Before the Brexit vote, Obama made a pointed note to the UK that if we left the EU we'd be "back of the queue" for any future trade deals. I felt like a naughty school kid being told off by the teacher I had a crush on. (He even said queue, not line! The man knows his audience!) Sadly, his warnings went unheard. There is a similar level of unrest and disappointment in this country as there is in the US, and so far it has manifested itself in a similar way — with people making rash decisions in their pursuit of change, without really thinking about the long-term consequences.

I know as a Brit that I have no "right" to talk about US politics. I'm not living there, experiencing the day to day. Though I always feel like the UK and the US have a lot in common, fundamentally, we're different — perhaps best evident in the fact we love our public healthcare system so much we put on a show about it during the Olympics Opening Ceremony in 2012, while in contrast, Obamacare has been one of the most controversial legacies of Obama's time in office.

In the rare moments when I've voiced my thoughts on US politics to US conservatives, the overwhelming response has been something along the lines of "you don't know what you're talking about." Or "If you like Obama so much, you take him".

To which I say this: "Dear God, please." I would welcome him to the UK with open arms. He'd squash the fly that is Nigel Farage (our most vocal far-right troublemaker) in seconds, with one hand.