03 Nov 2008 |
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Is America ready for a Black President? By Paul Ejime Politics is not military combat but to many soldiers and politicians the difference between the two is like that between six and half a dozen. An election is to the politician what war is to an army general. These are “do or die affairs” hence, the saying that in “war there is no substitute for victory,” made popular by Douglas MacArthur, American General and Field Marshal of the Philippine Army (1880-1964). To many a general and politician therefore, the obsession for victory is such that defeat is not an option. Retreat can even be considered “advance in another direction.” Marshall MacArthur even went further to say that: “soldiers never die, they only fade away,” just like politicians believe that they can always re-invent themselves. It is in this context that political analysts and military tacticians must see the fight for political life by war veteran and former Prisoner of War John McCain. At 72, the Arizona Senator thinks himself the best man to steer the Grand Old Party (GOP), otherwise known as the Republican Party, to “a third term presidency.” On paper, McCain’s problems are many. It is not so much about his age as his out-moded ideas. He has also found himself against a formidable youthful opponent in the November 4 political battle. Barak Obama the candidate of the Democratic Party has done virtually everything right, combining a near perfect and awesome campaign with “a classy, steady and calm disposition” of character, exuding fresh ideas that resonate with modern America which is in dire need of dynamic leadership. Even to late converts, it is not a question of whether the 47-year-old Illinois Senator will beat his older opponent, but by what margin. Apart from the question mark over Obama’s experience, McCain has been the one with huge hurdles on his path to the White House. After eight years of a disastrous Republican George W. Bush administration, many would be tempted to consider it a walk over for Obama on November 4. Bush has the worst presidential approval rating since record began in America. His presidency has foisted three unfinished wars on the country – Iraq, Afghanistan and the so-called global war on terror. Even in the dying days of his administration, Bush still enjoys the luxury of firing “parting shots” on Syria, perhaps intent on inflicting maximum damage on what is left of US international reputation. His administration that inherited a budget surplus from The Bill Clinton administration has ensured that the surplus is turned into trillions of dollar deficit and still counting. Then, there is the Wall Street collapse and the US$700 billion bailout under Bush’s watch. It is therefore no surprise that at a time when Americans are clamouring for change, with youthful and charismatic Obama promising to restore hope at home and repair America’s damaged external image, McCain’s campaign has been struggling. While claiming that Obama is not ready for the presidency because of lack of experience, McCain surprised and lost many supporters in his choice of a “charming but clueless” political upstart as his own running mate. If the intention was to compensate for his old age, the choice of first-term governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, has not only proved a drag to the McCain campaign, but raised a bigger question mark on his political judgement. Even if McCain were to win the November 4 election his choice of a flawed candidate may haunt his presidency. McCain also made nonsense of his three-decade experience as a lawmaker by abysmally failing the simple test for a potential Commander-in-chief. While the financial crisis was unravelling, he announced he was suspending his campaign to help fellow lawmakers tackle the crisis. His younger opponent took a more mature and measured approach and when McCain realised his own folly, he promptly resumed his campaigning before any anything was resolved - beating the retreat, or perhaps, “advancing in another direction.” The Arizona senator’s negative campaign against Obama – associating the latter with William Ayers, a 1960s-era radical, labelling him a socialist and relentlessly attacking his tax proposals through repeated childish reference to “Joe the Plumber,” the unlicensed Ohio plumber, who became an instant celebrity as a result, have not helped McCain’s cause. His mishaps have indeed boosted the chances of the young Illinois senator, who also outclassed his older opponent in their three presidential debates. Obama equally out-raised McCain in campaign funds. This was all down to judgement and foresight. While McCain went for Federal-funded campaign, Obama rejected it, enabling him to build a record shattering political fundraising machine in modern history. The Vietnam War veteran was thus left to leak his own wound - appealing for emergency funds few days to the end of the campaigning. But in politics there are no saints. Obama has his own albatrosses. There was the question about his nationality, the illegal immigration status of his aunt and his religion, amid false rumours labelling him a Muslim, in spite of religious freedom guaranteed by the American constitution. But like General Colin Powell, a Republican, African-American and a former Bush administration Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff asked while endorsing Obama, what does it matter in modern day America if the Illinois senator is a Muslim? Public opinion polls can, and have been wrong in the past. But so far, everything points to an Obama victory, based on a combination of factors – from the strength of his character to the self-inflicted flaws in his opponent’s campaign. Yet, politics is full of surprises and imponderables. And that is exactly why there are lingering doubts over whether Obama could make it to the White House. Those familiar with American politics say the devil is in race. There is the so-called Tom Bradley effect, a reference to the former Los Angeles Mayor, an African-American, who led comfortably in the opinion polls but lost the Senate election in California in 1982. The overwhelming interpretation was that a large number of whites had lied to the pollsters. The shame at admitting racial prejudice had led many of them to claim they would vote for the black candidate, but whilst inside the polling booths, they voted for a fellow white. Given this background, the Obama/McCain presidential contest is a referendum on the American political system, the American values and America’s claim to democracy. Beyond the public show of solidarity and support, copious constitutional provisions and the feel-good slogan about America being the land of equal opportunities, founded on freedom and liberty for its immigrant citizens; can the white majority electorate rise above racial prejudice in choosing a leader for the world’s most powerful nation in 2008? Is Dr Martin Luther King’s dream that all Americans would one day be judged on the content of their character rather than the colour of their skin realisable in today’s America? It is not for nothing that the joy and optimism among Democrats, especially African-Americans about an Obama presidency is tempered with a substantial dose of caution. Is America ready for a Black President? Should Obama win, will he be able to govern a united state where two racist skin-heads are currently in custody for an alleged plot to kill scores of blacks including Obama himself? Uncle Sam is at the crossroads. These indeed, are trying times for America. The 2008 presidential election has put the so-called God’s own country on the spot. The rest of the world is watching. Even if he loses the presidential election, Obama has already made history. He has shown that if the conditions are right: “We (the minorities) can.” America cannot afford to extinguish this dream, because it has so much to lose in an Obama defeat on account of his race. In casting their ballots therefore, Americans should remember the following quote by their compatriot: “It’s not sentiments of men which make history, but their actions” (Novelist Norman Mailer 1923-2007)
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