One of my 'well-wishers', well aware of my obsession (as many across the nation are, since I never shy away from gratuitously dropping her nme of our show every week!) with the American elections and especially Hillary Clinton, pointed me to this a piebe by Funmi Iyanda on the American elections - on the 21st of February.
Lemme quickly say thought that my interest in the Democratic primaries (and suddenly the Republicans, since McCain became frontrunner) is simply a hobby. Yes, what America does will affect teh world dramatically, and whoever is at the 'bully pulpit' tyhat the Presidency is will be defining the rest of the world, including Africa, but that is not why I am interested. I am interested because the campaign's central characters fascinate me, and inspire such emotions and passions in me that our own politicians are underwhelmingly unable to.
Well back to Funmi, as expected the reactions to her post were passionate AND heated, and many of our 'black brovas' tore at Funmi for a lot of things, but underlying a lot of it, no matter the intellectual pretence, is SHOCK at a black person not supporting the historical candidacy of another black person who says the right things and looks the part.
For blacks in America this is an emotional issue and I can understand. If Obama becomes president it will be a HUGE psychological as well as a social lift.
But people like me who live here at home are lucky to be able to afford objectivity, and from an unecumbered viewpoint can say who we like, who we trust, who we believe in, who we would vote for if we had the chance. Funmi took the words right out of my might in being suspicious of an Obama who hasnt been tested and trusted. They stand on the same team in terms or policy: the difference being that one is vetted and tested, the other gives inspiring speeches. Say what you may, speak all the obscurantist grammar, it's really that simple. Hillary is a worker, Obama, a talker.
I dont like - or trust - Obama. It's that simple. Trust has to be earned. Trust has to be worked for. Trust has to be built. What the Obama supporters are riding on now is a huge wave of 'feel-good' opium. For people like me, that is not and can never be enough.
Being 'the good, clean, new guy' was what took Bush to the white house twice - and where did that leave the world? Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, etc. Obama is riding on that same wave - good clean, new guy. Same as any guy that comes up on the scene now.
All in all, any two of them would be better than a Mitt ROmney, or a Republican President at any rate. It is my fervent wish that Obama humbles himself, works hard to earn cogent trust, and then join hands with Hillary to win a TRULY historical presidential contest. Until then, I'm enjoying the thrills of the race!
11 comments:
If Obama becomes president it will be a HUGE psychological as well as a social lift - That I think is the main issue.
Hi Chude, you appear too professional in tour critique of media personalities in your newspaper coloumns. Pray why so many grammatical errors on your write-ups on your blogs. This is not showing goods exampkle to young people who read you. Take care my brother.
Ambrose.
Can we all just get along, support a black man and make history. This man has done no wrong, so what gives. Even African Americans do not support Obama (i suspect this is because of his african roots)Haters. What makes Hilary more qualified than him, because she's been to the white house before or because she's WHITE. Do i sense a complex issue with us black folks. Please leave Obama alone, he is as good as, as qualified as any of the other candidates to rule. Who says experience matters. See Obasanjo, how did his experience help Nigeria, tell me how?
@aba,
to each his own¬!
@ambrose,
lol. I NEVER correct my blogs such as i would not correct my diary if I had one. This is not a newspaper article now haba!lol
@anon 1
"the man has done no wrong" - bnecause he has not been put in a position to, tyyhat is if we even agree on that point in the first place
I guess you not supporting Obama makes you "different" and you like that don't you? What experience does Hill have? being the wife of a gov and president? they are both senators, Hill maybe a term longer. And point of correction Bush was not the new clean guy. he was and is the son of a former president, he was a gov because he was the son of a former president. Irag and Afghanistan was a continuation of his fathers battles. Hill is not going to do anything better that Bill did. Do you doubt that she is/will use the same crop of advisers and pander to the same special interest groups? Get real, America today is run by special interest groups/lobbys and corporate america. this much i know, Obama has less of these idiots to pander to.
Hi Chude,
I'm another Nigerian who gets the 'Are You Crazy?'stare for preferring Hillary to Barack.Undoubtedly, Barack is a fine young man with immense charisma and a political talents but I still remain sceptial about the 'substance behind the style'.I have a problem with the change and unity message as no one has been able to tell me what the change is from or to? Is the process of governance going to change? are the rules of proceeedings in the US congress going to change? Is the deliberate, thorough and often slow process of legistlation going to change? I assure you talk about UNITING everyone will end the day he gets into office when he has to take a position on approving or vetoing a bill on some hot-button issue which splits america right down the middle. By the way-he is far left on abortion and that automatically guarantees him hatred form almost half of America(See http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51121 as an example, maybe a partisan one, of how divided the country will remain) His careful and nuanced positions going by his Illinois senate record will not work then. His lofty goals of unity and change are simply not SMART (Simple, measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-Bound)-unite america, change washington? What does that mean exactly?
Beyond that, I have been quite disappointed about how quickly the black community hung the Racist label on Bill clinton-so much for his friendship with African-Americans. The media also has been rather easy on Obama-almost unintelligently so-there are hard tough questions-based on Obama's previous record that haven't been asked. It would be naive of the Democrats to prop Obama up against John McCain-the GOP attack machine will simply tear him apart-unfortunately the liberal label will hang even better on him than it did John Kerry and Michael Dukakis. . I can just imagine Karl rove begging to be let in on the action. John kerry's was the flip-flopper label-Obama's will be soft on crime (illinois voting record opposing a ban on an early release for sex offenders), soft on dictators and America's enemies(comments about meeting unconditionally with the leaders of Iran, Venezuela, Cuba etc), soft on drugs(his documented use of crack and his alleged support for de-criminalsing marijuana(http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080131/NATION/896961936/1001)-they'd certainly accuse him of being to the extreme left on the abortion issue. These attacks may not always be accurate or entirely truthful but they have worked over and over again and you can be sure the GOP will use them again. Have you even noticed how some conservative pundits have been emphasising his middle name? These are all the tricks they'll play and I think it's a stong argument that they (the GOP
)have thrown their best at Hillary and will have no more tricks against her left in their hat. Besides, I have listened to her again and again and there's just this passion and resolve to her about tackling America's problems that just get me.
"anon 5:23
I know it is difficult for any black Obama supporter to understand that I am passionate about Hillary not for any reason but that I beliueve in her. Doing it just to show I am different? What's that?!
"Ola,
You dont kniow how GRATEFUL I am that you h ave out this so succintly. IU doont know why they doont see this! Rush Limbaugh, James Dobson, Oreilly - they dont see no loveable Obambi! And after a few weeks - or months - the scales will dfall off; this man would have given America's youth so many wild promises, it will be sad when he begins to fall short on them - and he is making so many such promises that he has no choice but to fall short. Thanks Ola. We should meet!!!
Looks like the heat is on- see http://youtube.com/watch?v=wzhl-endvco
It would be interesting to see how his spin doctors will manage this.
Brothers/people! Am just seeing this post after the elections and Obama's historic swearing in /inauguration, so what next, now he is the man in charge?lol
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