Gerardo E. Martínez-Solanas
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BARACK OBAMA: A political puzzle for the USA - 2008/02/29 18:15
It 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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