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The Nigerian Traits In The Clintons By Farouk Martins Aresa
They do not call the former President Clinton the black Present just for fun. Some of us checked out his ancient history and realized that he and his wife must have left the shore of Atlantic Ocean thousands of years ago. Mrs. Clinton actually reminded us that we are all Africans. So when both of them displayed those Nigerian politician attitudes against Barack Obama, some of us were not surprised. Africans just love the Clintons because brothers and sisters enjoyed higher employment and some prosperity during his time as President in America.
However, it only took Obama trying to wrestle the nomination crown of the Democratic Party from the wife to display the claws of their Nigerian traits. The mistake some of us made was thinking that Barack Obama was the real African in the image of Mandela or Nkrumah. Can you imagine an inspiring leader like Obama in Nigeria waking up our spirit and challenging the status quo? Our politician will run him out of town.
As some of us become uncomfortable with the Clintons attack on Obama, we realized that they are the Nigerians we have been waiting for to unleash their venom on Obama. Nigerian politicians do not take nonsense, they either get their way or burn down the house or the party or even the country, to which they have no allegiance as citizens. So nobody messes with them. But some people told us that in the United States of A, politics is not a do or die profession. Indeed, politics is so smooth there that you can hardly get anyone fighting for second term or third term.
To our amazement, we are now hearing about Papa Bush and Baby Bush, Husband Clinton and Wife Clinton too! Very soon, we are going to hear about Baby Clinton. It is such a surprise to us that American presidency is a monarchy. It had been said that President Clinton was the first one that has no connection to the powerful and the mighty in the American families. All previous presidents were well known and powerful. When the case of President Carter was brought up, it was easily dismissed as an accident. That was why he did not gain the second term. I see!
So when we heard that the kitchen sink was thrown at Obama, we quickly translated it to: he was sent to the poor house, won so lota! Then we had that John McCain threw somebody under the truck, we quickly translated it into suya! The more we hear about America, the more it sounds like Nigeria. We were even assured that the real politics has not started yet. We have to wait until the Republicans know for sure weather it is going to be Senator Clinton or Senator Obama. So, all these are still considered child’s play.
After Ohio and Texas, it seems that Senator Obama just realized what hit him. It could not have been the kitchen sink or the truck or if it was Senator Clinton herself. Really, it is difficult to know if it was the same one that cried “shame on you Obama” or the one that was honored to share this time in history of America or the one on the TV Saturday Night Live. It is even more difficult to know which of these Senator Clinton would answer the red phone at 3 a.m. since she had never answered one before. If President Medvedev of Russia were calling, he might better be ready for a shock from the other line. We could have thought that it is the cool and collected personality of Barack Obama that could answer that phone appropriately.
It is also foolish to run on National Security when both Hillary and Barack can not match the military prowess of John McCain. Clinton prefers to give away their weakest point to McCain. Unfortunately, Obama has to be measured in his attack on Clinton’s 35 years experience when people know most of it is based on being Mrs. Clinton the wife of the Governor and President. Any attack along those lines may turn off the women voters. It is even more difficult for a black man to show any hostility towards a white woman. Whatever way, his attack has to be measured.
How Canada and not Nigeria got involved in American primary election beats me. Some of us can not understand what Canada tends to gain from leaking a conversation between Obama’s adviser and their Consulate. It did not matter whether Senator Clinton’s camp misinterpreted it. The damage control by the Canadian Government was too late. As it turns out, it was the Clinton’s camp that first reassured the Canucks, but the political hypocrisy noise sold like hot cake in Ohio’s Free Trade aversion, contributing to Senator Clinton’s win.
We can understand Obama grandmother’s disappointment from Kenya about the Muslim tag given to Obama. She explained that it was Obama’s grandfather who took to Muslim not the family. We thought it is only in some parts of Nigeria that it matters whether you are a Muslim or Christian. These slash, burn and whine tactics amongst politicians have no bound. In boxing, Ali called it hold, hit and run. It happens in America too!
American politics is always very interesting but just like Nigerian politics, it can be a turn off. They do not kill or maim people as in Nigeria but it is the case of words can not kill you, words can destroy you. Like Nigeria, there is always a way, that was what happened in 2004 when Vice President Gore lost to Bush. Anyone who watched the debates between Mondale and Reagan would have thought Mondale would become the President. The charm of President Reagan settled that. But the charm of Obama is now being discounted.
The Democratic Party still has the problem of Florida with a Republican Governor and that of Michigan to solve because they have to find a way to seat delegates from there. Senator Clinton rejected caucus which hardly favors her and no one is willing to bear the cost of new primaries. Any behind the scene deal, just like in Nigeria, will only favors the Clintons, Obama can only win in an open transparent environment.
The Problem of a long acrimonious debate between Obama and Clinton may destroy the chances of their Party in November. It happened between Jimmy Carter and Teddy Kennedy, Walter Mondale and Gary Hart, though Hart’s Monkey Business boat with his girlfriend contributed. The number of young voters coming out because they were inspired by Barack Obama may not show up if by some power of the so called super delegates, a nominee without earned delegates and popular votes is “dis”-respected.
Blacks were ready and up to vote for Senator Clinton until the black President opened his mouth too wide with subtle Southern message trivializing Barack Obama candidacy for the President. It back fired against the wife and the black votes have gone to Obama since then. Since Senator Clinton now realizes that the fury of attacks in the last three or four days before Texas and Ohio worked, it will be hard to let go. Obama will now have to return fire for fire, as we say in Nigeria. The consequences may be grim for their Party, turning the young voters away as well.
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