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BARACK OBAMA: A political puzzle for the USA - 2008/02/29 18:15It is really exciting and encouraging that a black candidate and a female candidate have both reached at the same time the spotlight with real chances of becoming President of the United States. It is a sign that racism and gender discrimination are history in this country. Both have enthusiastic followers of all races and genders. No bigotry has been visible against either of them in this campaign.
The point on the choices of American voters is no longer race, creed or gender, but merits, experience and charisma. The problem with the black candidate, Barack Obama, is certainly not his race or his alleged beliefs. His main problem before many American voters is for them to be reconciled with how much is he reliable and trustworthy.
His problem lies on his origins. His father, Barack Obama, Sr., was born of Luo ethnicity in Nyanza Province, Kenya. He grew up herding goats with his own father, who was a domestic servant to the British in that country. Furthermore, his father was a Muslim and later on he turned atheist. His mother, Ann Dunham, grew up in Wichita, Kansas, and this presidential candidate was indeed born Aug.4, 1961 as an American in Honolulu.
After his parents divorced, his mother married Lolo Soetoro, another East-West Center Wahhabi student from Indonesia. In 1967, the family moved to Jakarta, where Obama's half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng was born. Obama attended schools in Jakarta, where classes were taught in the Indonesian language and under Muslim guidance and influence. They used to go to a nearby Mosque.
He is adamant about not being a Muslim but a Christian. In fact, in the late 80’s he joined the Trinity United Church of Christ. He also visited relatives in Kenya, which included an emotional visit to the graves of his father and paternal grandfather. On that trip he wore ethnic Muslim garments.
When relations of his pastor and Obama himself with Louis Farrakhan –a prominent extremist and black Muslim leader in the USA– and Lybian dictator Mohammar Qadaffi were recently revealed, he did not lose time to reject any kind of alleged support from them. But a further reason for voter’s uneasiness is Obama’s connections to William Ayers and Bernardine Dorhn noted in news coverages since 1995. This couple were notorious during the violent fringe of the 1960’s anti-American movement.
Furthermore, his background gets more complicated since he admitted using alcohol, marijuana and cocaine during his teenage years. He is adamant about these facts being something of the past.
American voters have a tendency to suspect or distrust those who have ever used addictive substances. President Bush is still under public opinion scrutiny for his alcoholic bouts many years ago. President Clinton admitted having smoked grass in his youth. In fact, many Americans have used drugs at some point in their lives. Obama, Clinton and Bush are hardly exceptions.
However, one exception in his case is that he lacks experience and no American President has been elected in the past without a solid political career behind him. Obama has only 4 years in the US Senate and his record lacks luster. He was an Illinois State Senator for 4 years too (1996-2000), but lost his bid to the US House of Representatives in 2000. It is true that his female opponent, Mrs. Clinton, has not much political experience of her own either, other than a few years in the US Senate and her being Bill Clinton's wife. But their Republican opponent is a political heavy weight with long political experience and well known bipartisan relationships.
The other exception is Obama's Muslim background. All former Presidents of the USA were Christians. This fact and his race should not be used against him in a truly free society under democracy. However, the fact that nowadays most Muslims are under the influence of fundamentalists and extremists threatening the USA and Christendom at large with utter destruction, makes this choice quite difficult for many voters.
It may seem unfair for many, but it is a matter of fact. No one would have elected a President of Japanese lineage and education during World War II, no matter how American his feelings and loyalties could have been. No one would have elected a President of Russian or Chinese background during the Cold War, and even now such candidates would still be suspect to many voters about their leanings.
America is culturally and politically ready to elect a woman and a black citizen to any prominent political post. That is crystal clear at this point in history. But it is not ready to elect one of Muslim descent. Obama might be an excellent choice otherwise, but most voters are not ready for him. For an enthusiastic sector of the Democratic Party to promote him as a candidate would only serve the interests of the Republican Party on this election. Democrats may thus we wasting their chances to get back to the White House next year.
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Tamzin Jans
User
Posts: 1
Re:BARACK OBAMA: A political puzzle for the USA - 2008/03/04 09:53Excuse my commenting to all on this but there are some things below that grabbed my attention.
The choice in America is between an old man, a woman and an African-American, so I am not sure this shows that Americans generally are over the discriminations (though that may be true) but, instead, it shows that they have no other choice for the time being, which may be a good thing as it does allow people to get over their discriminations, perhaps.
"No bigotry has been visible against either of them in this campaign". I beg to differ, as both candidates have used alternatively race and gender cards and have had remarks made to them by the media and by the many various rumors circulating on the web.
The statement that the problem for Obama lies in his background and the issue of trustworthiness and reliabilty and suggestion that this may be due to the fact that "most Muslims are under the influence of fundamentalists and extremists governments and other elements threatening the USA and Christendom at large with utter destruction, makes this choice quite difficult for many voters", sounds like discrimination itself because I have lived in several Muslim countries (I live in Libya now) and I can assure you that no matter what the US propaganda states, most Muslims are NOT under the influence of fundamentalists and extremist governments (as a choice).
The above also totally disregards the US's own role in helping extremist governments i.e. such as Saudi Arabia and also disregards the anger of many against the invasion of Iraq and death of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan and many other places. It is, as if, Muslims are all crazy, genetically speaking and unable to distinguish between what is justice and peace and what is war and occupation and the need to fight the latter. There are many Christians in Muslim countries and they live among the Muslims quite happily, just as many Muslims live in Christian countries quite happily.
I could easily place the sentence in another context of "most Americans are under the influence of Bush and their warmongering and torturing government and other elements threatening the World and humanity at large with utter destruction, making the choice quite difficult for people to be pro-US ". Does this sound like it is not discrimination, especially if you note the word "most"?
Best wishes, Tamzin
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Gerardo E. Martínez-Solanas
Admin
Posts: 315
Re:BARACK OBAMA: A political puzzle for the USA - 2008/03/04 10:00The thoughtful answer of Ms Jans deserves a weighted consideration.
First, his assertion that “ The choice in America is between an old man, a woman and an African-American ” actually confirms that American society has outlived their past baggage of discriminations, precisely because Americans made that choice to promote those representing three minorities –on the grounds of race, gender and age– above a wide variety of other choices available at the beginning of the present Presidential campaign.
On his second assertion regarding bigotry in this campaign, arguing that “ both candidates have used alternatively race and gender cards, ” it is relevant to point out that they have used those cards with outmost moderation in their own favor to promote their relevance for their respective minorities, but not to attack or show any kind of contempt on account of race or gender respectively against his or her opponent.
I know Lybia quite well through my past work at the United Nations. It is certainly not a democratic country. However, my impression has been that most Lybians support their dictator and his leanings toward extremist policies. I have not known a single Lybian among UN staff members or the diplomatic corps that would not celebrate to see the destruction of the United States and were not happy with the “deserved” fate of the World Trade Center.
Indeed, Saudi Arabia is not better. Both the US and the Saudis play a chess game of convenience but they deeply distrust each other. The Saudis simply use the US's (specially Bush’s) clumsiness in foreign policy to their own advantage in the Middle East power play. But anyone knowing the Saudis and the Muslims in general is well aware that Wahhabism is the most extreme form of Islamism.
Let us not be mistaken about my position regarding Muslims and Islam. I am not against them or any other religion. My remarks refer to most of their leaders and to their extremist policies and wants. Christendom experienced an extremist period in history that hangs in their past as shameful. It was the evil work of their leaders, either among Catholics and/or Protestants. The problem is when religions are used by the wicked as a tool for power and domination.
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