Political Partnerships: Hil Sans Bill: Brown Take Heed.(Periscope)(Hillary Rodham Clinton, Bill Clinton)(Gordon Brown)

Byline: Stryker Mcguire ; Karen MacGregor ; Adam B. Kushner ; Nicki Gostin ; William Underhill ; Anna Nemtsova

In recent weeks, world leaders of a certain age have watched the U.S. presidential primaries with rapt--perhaps nervous--attention. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, in particular, has had reason to take note as the upstart Barack Obama steadily pulled ahead of Hillary Clinton. Brown, who turned 57 last week, must call an election of his own sometime in the next two years, and will face 41-year-old Tory leader David Cameron--pitting Brown's long experience in government against a youthful figure who's trying to brand himself as an agent of change. Sound familiar?

In fact, the parallels between Brown's predicament and Clinton's don't end with their ages (she's 60) or those of their opponents. For years Hillary toiled under the shadow of her husband, as did Brown under that of his flamboyant predecessor, Tony Blair. Hil and Bill's unusual relationship was subject to relentless media scrutiny. So was the Blair-Brown partnership. And like the Clintons, Tony and Gordon's twosome suffered some serious public low points. Those who have read about the Clintons' White House rows can't help but notice echoes in the historian Andrew Rawnsley's account of Tony and Gordon's descent into a "marriage strained by stretches of crockery-throwing." Figuratively speaking, of course.

In both cases the clashes stemmed, in part, from profound differences in style. As No. 2s, Hillary and Gordon shared a reputation for competence and wonkishness, as well as a lack of charisma and slick communication skills. They were dutiful if dull; Bill and Tony were the masters of presentation blessed with ultrasensitive political antennas. Now, striking out on their own, Hillary and Gordon seem exposed, their foibles sharply highlighted. The risk, as Clinton's campaign has shown, is that experience alone might not be enough to woo voters, especially when stacked up against a glamorous young politician who has captured the public imagination.

Brown still has some advantages over Hillary that should comfort him even if her bid fails. Unlike Clinton, he won't face an election soon. And Cameron may find it harder to sell himself as an exemplar of change. For all his youth, his life story--as a stockbroker's conservative, Eton-educated son--hardly has the transcendent outsider appeal of Obama, the son of a Kenyan dad and a Kansas mom who grew up and ran for president of the United States. Only in America? Brown should be so lucky.