ELECTION2008
Are we three weeks away from a potential epoch-changing moment? Or is it going to be business as usual? The American election is very important to people of the world; quite often the President of America can have more impact on our lives than our own elected leaders. Quite often it is a far and distant event but now we have an interest, after all one of “Us” could win, frankly Africa is Obama all the way and it will not change. Most of the world is rooting for Obama perhaps as a reaction to the unpopular policies of the Bush administration but our opinion doesn’t matter because we don’t have a vote. Sadly we are all doomed to disappointment because our expectations are too high, the office of the president simply does not have the power to alter American policy at the drop of a dime.
Obama’s run so far has been nothing short of a miracle, 4 years ago he was an unknown State Senator and now he stands on the verge of being elected however getting the nomination was the easy part but the election will be another matter. The Republican Party is a ferocious machine and will not give up power easily; a lead in the polls is nothing because the GOP always brings out the vote. The biggest threat to Obama is the complacency that exists in the Democratic Party and the general low voter turnout among his core support. But Obama has beaten the odds before, he has turned his weaknesses into strengths or non-issues, be it race, age, experience, class and his Pastor.
When I contrast him with McCain I actually see little difference in policy more just personality clashes, for example on foreign policy Obama is more conciliatory as is his temperament while McCain is more macho and postures more. McCain’s main asset has been obsolete due to the focus on the economy so his old Vietnam stories have been left in the cooler. If Obama is contextualised in the prism of civil rights then McCain is defined by the Vietnam War; this represents the split in the 60’s that still defines contemporary American politics. The Democrats had dominated the politics since FDR came to power in 1933-68, apart from the Eisenhower years in the 50’s; however the civil rights movement changed the dynamics of politics because though the democrats were in power the were often clashing with Democratic state governors to repeal Jim Crow laws.
The price of getting the civil right bill was the Democrats losing the South and changed the Democrats from an establishment part to protest party. Since then the Democrats have been in a war of social liberation of what they see as victimised groups; starting with Blacks, Women’s rights, gay rights, anti-nuclear, anti-war, and anti-anything they could disagree with. Liberal Parties all over the world use marginalised groups to bash the establishment and gain a foothold on power. Conservative parties are the opposite, they look after the interest of the power-elite and all those who think they belong to this power-elite and protect the status quo.
McCain represents Conservative values more than Republicans admit, he fought for his country, was a POW, and he generally votes with his party apart from rare occasions. What he thinks are his strengths are actually questionable; he fought in a war that Americans have spent the last 30 years trying to forget. The Vietnam war was pointless, immoral, murderous and provides little glory to those who fought in it after all America lost and lost badly. While most who served were naïve boys from Smalltown America, McCain was in his 30’s and took part in one of the most cruel bombings of innocent people including children (ironic considering his pro-life status) and while I deplore his torture he wouldn’t get a Hero’s welcome at my house. McCain still thinks like a fighter-pilot who has only a split second to think; he must have chosen Sarah Palin in one of those fits.
On the Democrat side they just have to sit tight and get their vote out, luckily for them the economic crisis has taken the bulk of the news coverage and McCain has to get personal to get any attention, the flip-side to this is that if elected the democrats have a huge mess to fix. For Obama the hardest part was looking the part; it is not good enough to have the skills you have to show them, so Obama has been looking regal often standing in profile and looking nonchalant. Now he has to convince the people that he isn’t just half-white he’s half-white trash, a disingenuous comment but a fact that matters because the biggest marginalised community is lower-class whites in deepest America.
I support Obama but if I was to look thoroughly at his social policies I would be closer to McCain; I am Anti-Gay marriage, anti-abortion, anti-protectionist, anti-affirmative action, pro-market and on all major issue we might clash but on international policy we need a more thoughtful pro-active response. Bush’s presidency was defined by 9-11, the problem was Al-Qaeda could only be defeated by a covert intelligence war but the American people demanded something visual and he was obliged to attack Iraq and this has destroyed Americas standing in the global community while dividing America itself. McCain comes from a different generation where machismo ruled the day; his main argument against talking to Iran is that America would lose face, pure machismo.
On social issues such as Gay-marriage I know that Obama cannot “ram it down the throat of America” as detractors say, these issues will be decided on a state-level. Most issues are already decided and Obama won’t change as much as he likes to think, McCain will be another Auto-pilot presidency as the Bush-Cheney administration has been. The Republicans have lost all their trump-cards; the Economy is in a dire way, the Iraq-war though it is now settling is a non-issue and their constant focus on pleasing the Religious right has alienated their core base which is Libertarians and fiscal conservatives. The Democrats do not have it in the bag, they must stop trying to please the fragmented parts of its base be it Blacks, Gays, Blue-collar workers, Latinos, women’s groups, unions, and even lobbyists.
As an African I have high hopes in the symbolism of a President of part-African descent, it will fix an anomaly that has meant all presidents being Whiter than White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (Except Jefferson and Coolidge who some Indian blood and the only Irish Guy got shot) never an Italian, Pollack, Jew, Russian or the multitude of ethnicities that make up America. You can call me a cynic because I don’t expect my life to change that much, foreign aid to Africa won’t increase, American markets will still be protected from cheaper competition, America will still subsidise uncompetitive industries, and visas to America will still be near impossible to get hold of. The present election is for a poisoned chalice because the American economy will be in recession for most of the next term; whoever wins will be a like “one-termer” but the change will be palpable for some. All I want is a change of tone, America can have a dialogue with the world without being wimps, the world can’t hear you when bombing them. Your values are our values, we aren’t your enemy we might talk strange languages and dress funny but beneath we are all the same. May the best man win, and I hope it’s the Black Guy.
