All Obama, All Over the Place
Good people, if there is an Obama nation, it is situated in the eastern part of Africa, it straddles the equator, and, for give away clue, its name starts with K and ends with A.
Obama’s like a disease in these parts and everyone’s caught the fever. The lead stories in today’s press are all about Obama. I just went through my copy of the Sunday Nation and Obama features, in photo or text, in a whooping 17 out of 51 pages.
Pause. Mull. Be amazed.
There’s a little about McCain as well of course, but mostly in a sidekick, afterthought, supporting actor sort of way, to this drama that is Obama.
And, putting aside the rudimentary quantitative analysis and honing in on the detail, it’s a variety show of sorts:
A lead story about the last 48 hours of what is an historic election;
A story about ‘Obama the Musical’, a play being staged today by Tone Theatre Productions at the Kenya National Theatre;
A panel of Kenyan (political?) pundits predicting the outcome of the election on Tuesday, putting their mouths where their hopes are, as the sub-heading reads;
A story about how Obama’s relatives have congregated in Nyangoma Kogelo village where they will remain until after Tuesday’s US presidential election and how they have set aside a bull to slaughter in celebration should he win;
The editorial, which is titled: “Obama offers US chance to redeem itself”;
A curious editorial cartoon which features what appears to be a top level security meeting in the US with a General or some other such high-level uniformed official reporting that “Our intelligence reports indicate that there could be political violence in Kenya if Obama loses the election!”;
An article about three factors that favour Senator Obama’s quest to be the first black president;
A ‘letter from New York’ asserting that Obama will clinch the election;
A colourful advertisement of a 2 part documentary on Obama and McCain poised to be aired on KBC tonight;
An announcement of the winners of a nationwide schools’ competition which asked high school students to write both a question and a short letter to one or both of the major party candidates in the US election;
Another colourful advertisement that Citizen FM will provide special coverage of the US election in conjunction with Voice of America;
An opinion piece about why the US should care about world opinion polls on their presidency;
An article about the US election by Andrew Kohut, the president of the Pew Research Center;
An article about what the Obama White House might look like;
That hilarious advertisement from Dura Coat paints where the White House has been repainted a screaming yellow and Mr Marangi (found in translation: Mr Paints) is declaring that he agrees with Mr Barack, ‘It’s time for change!”
An article about people on the street have to say about the prospects of a President Obama.
There. There’s more but I’ve run out of listing steam and I’m sure you’ve gotten the picture. If you haven’t, it isn’t coming, it got lost in the mail. Or something.
I confess, also, to not being an objective observer, watching from the sidelines, simply reporting what I see. I’m stark in the thick of it, probably located at the epicentre.
From my observation perch thousands of miles away, I’ve become an expert on all the ups and downs and lefts and rights of this election.
I can list for you, without hesitation, all the battleground states that will likely decide this election and what the latest polling stats are for each. I can tell you how almost each three day rolling poll, from Gallup to Rasmussen to Zogby is weighted for party affiliation.
A classmate of mine was surfing the internet yesterday and came across a funny titled article on Slate with a photo of a woman next to it. I was looking over her shoulder so she asked, absentmindedly, ‘who’s this?’ and I responded, without hesitation, ‘Elizabeth Dole,’ and followed that up with a brief explanation of the Dole-Hagan saga. Of course she raised her eyebrow at me. I would raise my eyebrow at me too, as in ‘you know this why?’ Seriously, I know this why?
I can tell you what former Secretary of State Eagleburger said and then tried to unsay.
It’s as ridiculous as it is exciting.
That confessed, I don’t get the feeling that Kenyans have unrealistic expectations of an Obama presidency. Sample these opinions by ordinary, on-the-street Kenyans published in the Sunday Nation today:
“…We know that Obama will not get into the White House and start throwing goodies at Kenya, but Kenya will have produced a great man.”
“…The US has its own policies which he will be expected to follow and Kenyans should not expect much.”
“…If you look at Obama, he represents the face of the world. He has an African father and a mother from Hawaii(sic)…his win will cause a wind of change across nations who will understand that politics is about issues not personality…”
Oh well, roll the drums please, here comes history.
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5 Other Thoughts:
I sit in the heart of Texas, in what is called the Texas Hill Country. It is an area of the state with rolling hills covered in trees and several area lakes. The nearest city to me is Austin, which is just an easy one hour drive from my home. Austin is the liberal cultural center of Texas. In a very red state filled with Republicans, Austin, the capital of Texas has Obama signs all over town. Next to my city is Fort Hood, the nation's largest military base. Many of my neighbors are in Iraq right now. An hour away from my house, in a different direction than Austin in more ways than one is Crawford Texas and the home of President Bush. Obama will not be winning Texas on election day and this is not a surprise. This is a Republican state. Karl Rove and Tom Delay helped forge that a few years ago.
Their tactics, successful in the past are not working this election cycle. People are tired of attack politics and think a major change is needed. Many do not like the direction our nation has traveled in the last 8 years. Clinton is fondly remembered, although less so in Texas.
I am a Democrat and marched for Obama in downtown Austin. However, after meeting Bill Clinton at a small gathering and hearing his speech about his wife, I changed over to Hillary Clinton. I did not like her campaign either and I see John McCain has learned nothing from the tone of her campaign and the fact that it failed. I will be happily voting for Obama.
Mr. Obama will win the election I have no doubt. I think expectations are too high by so many people he will not be able to fulfill more than a slight percentage of them. Now I hear that Kenya is hoping for a few breaks too. Everyone wants a break.
The United States is in such a mess with our economy that I think it will limit him in his ability is bring total change. But, we MUST change and he is our ticket to change. We are ready for it.
Cameron Pohlman
Hi Cameron, thanks for passing by and chipping in.
I think there's a sense in which one almost fears for Obama because he carries the hopes of so many millions on his shoulders. I think that sometimes, and then I think, you know what, he’ll be alright. (But then again, who am I to say, what do I know?)
Anyhoo, about Kenyans wanting a break, I read an article on foxnews that I have to disagree with. We're ecstatic to have 'our son' rise to such a place of prominence in the world, but we understand, as some of the people I quoted communicated in their own way, that as the President of the US, he is obliged, first and foremost to the people of the US. They elect him, he serves them.
We’re not, for the most part, deluded about this. We don't expect him to channel funds down a direct pipe and into our pockets. In fact, my personal sense of who the guy is gives me to understand that we'll be held to even higher standards just so that it is clear that there's no favouritism at play and everything is above board. I read that in the way he's conducted his campaign.
That doesn't make me wary or curb my enthusiasm for him, though.
Enyewe dunia ina mambo. Kwani watu wa Kenya walisahau babake alimwacha mtoto wake na mama wake huko ng'ambo na akahepa huku Kenya kuwa na jamii ingine.
Lakini inaonekana huyo mwafrika atashinda and I can tell you that not since Senegal beat France will there be so many people of colour celebrating at once
Heh, Mwangi,sija wahi fikiria hilo jambo hivyo. Lakini unasema ukweli. But still, "we" (as a committee, yeah right) provided some of the nature even if not enough of the nurture, no?
But, valid point that.
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