“What’s wrong with you people?” he asked in a phone call from Europe .

You people must have been the reason why the expression ‘political incorrect’ was created.

There is no good way of using the phrase. The first thing it does is separate the speaker emotionally from the audience, intentionally isolating the audience for degradation. It is also the epitome of generalization- grouping a people together and castrating them all with one stroke of a knife.

Though he lives in Switzerland , we were born in the same town and attended the same high school. So my first mission was to figure out what group he had assigned me to while tactically extraditing himself. He was unusually upset so I let him speak with little or no interruptions.

“You people are about to screw up what would have been the greatest deed of your 400 years of existence.”

I was all ears. Four hundred years of existence. I presumed he wasn’t talking about my existence.

“Imagine, you people’s impetus. What is experience? What experience did Gov. Bill Clinton of little Arkansas have when he defeated President George Herbert Bush? What experience did Gov. George W. Bush have when he defeated Vice President Al Gore? Experience my foot.”

Aha! It was about Obama, I finally figured out.

“It would be a terrible thing if you people throw away this once in a generation opportunity to make a lasting statement that will reverberate across the globe.”

Yes. I was now sure it was about Obama and the election. So I managed to squeeze in the question, ‘What happened?’

He did not answer me directly. He had more venting to do.

“When you people cannot say he is dumb, you say that he is inexperienced. When you people cannot say that he is black, you say that his values are fundamentally un-American. When you people cannot say he is pessimistic, you say that he is weak on defense. When you people cannot say that he is unprogressive, you say that he is a bleeding heart tax-happy liberal. How many times will the same bee sting you people before you begin to fear the housefly?”

Well, it was about the recent polls, I found out. These polls suggested that Obama was losing ground to John McCain. Coming at this time, it isn’t a bad thing, I said. Nothing good comes easy. The polls should wake up the base and kill any feeling of complacency about this election.

Dethroning the entrenched is not a task for the lily-livered. It is like getting into a bare knuckle fight without envisaging ones back hitting the ground. I did not tell him that, though. He wouldn’t let me put in a whole lot of words.

“You people must be careful the way you play with the emotions of the world,” he continued. “This is not Iraq , for Christ sake. On this one, we shall neither forget nor forgive.”

I wanted to scream. I wanted to say that we did not promise him and his world out there anything. But then I remembered, ‘Yes, we can.’

So when he was all done, I said to him, ‘Yes, we can.’

“How?” he asked, his voice subdued.

“Because I just started to write the introduction of my new book, Obama & Me: How I Helped Elect Obama President of the United States ,” I said. “And I do not plan to change the title.”  

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On August 23, 2008 at 9pm, Children of A Retired God, Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo’s first book will be launched at the People’s Club Hall on

Robot  Villager

# 1 “What’s wrong with you people?” he asked in a phone call from ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 22.08.2008 11:20

BiafranPrincess  Villager

# 2 LOL! I just want the elections to be over already! The tension is getting to a point of ill health. Either way, Obama don win! Posted by BiafranPrincess| 22.08.2008 12:00

valteena  Villager

# 3 =BiafranPrincess;4295087087>LOL! I just want the elections to be over already! The tension is getting to a point of ill health. Either way, Obama don win! "Blue">BiafranPrincess relax and worry not. All will be well. I say "Yes we can" as well to that. Posted by valteena| 22.08.2008 12:07

dele26  Villager

# 4 Final reckonng for Nigeria http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid958992159/bctid1747153717 Posted by dele26| 22.08.2008 13:07

Ebe2  Villager

# 5 Instead of lamenting what we already know to be true--White America's problem with difference and the Republicans' expertise in smear tactics--Obama should pick Hillary and smoothen his path to the white house. I never thought I'd say this, considering how disgusted I was with the Clintons during the primary, but Obama needs to think beyond himself and his personal feelings about Clinton and realize that America and the world cannot afford another 4 or 8 years of McBush. He should put the symbolic and substantive benefit of an Obama victory above his ego and pick Clinton. History will not judge him fairly if he loses because he was too proud to pick Hillary. Posted by Ebe2| 22.08.2008 13:13

Rose  Villager

# 6 =Ebe2;4295087151>Instead of lamenting what we already know to be true--White America's problem with difference and the Republicans' expertise in smear tactics--Obama should pick Hillary and smoothen his path to the white house. I never thought I'd say this, considering how disgusted I was with the Clintons during the primary, but Obama needs to think beyond himself and his personal feelings about Clinton and realize that America and the world cannot afford another 4 or 8 years of McBush. He should put the symbolic and subtantive benefit of an Obama victory above his ego and pick Clinton. History will not judge him fairly if he loses because he was too proud to pick Hillary. I understand where you're coming from, but picking Hillary is a real catch 22. I don't think he should select her although she was my first preference for POTUS. Posted by Rose| 22.08.2008 13:41

Big-K  Villager

# 7 =Ebe2;4295087151>Instead of lamenting what we already know to be true--White America's problem with difference and the Republicans' expertise in smear tactics--Obama should pick Hillary and smoothen his path to the white house. I never thought I'd say this, considering how disgusted I was with the Clintons during the primary, but Obama needs to think beyond himself and his personal feelings about Clinton and realize that America and the world cannot afford another 4 or 8 years of McBush. He should put the symbolic and subtantive benefit of an Obama victory above his ego and pick Clinton. History will not judge him fairly if he loses because he was too proud to pick Hillary. Ebe, I totally agree. Given the closeness of the race at this point, the most pragmatic choice is Hillary! Posted by Big-K| 22.08.2008 13:48

Auspicious  Villager

# 8 =Ebe2;4295087151>Instead of lamenting what we already know to be true--White America's problem with difference and the Republicans' expertise in smear tactics--Obama should pick Hillary and smoothen his path to the white house. I never thought I'd say this, considering how disgusted I was with the Clintons during the primary, but Obama needs to think beyond himself and his personal feelings about Clinton and realize that America and the world cannot afford another 4 or 8 years of McBush. He should put the symbolic and subtantive benefit of an Obama victory above his ego and pick Clinton. History will not judge him fairly if he loses because he was too proud to pick Hillary. I think the possible reasons why Barack Obama may NOT pick Hillary Clinton as his running mate - which I very much doubt he would - has MUCH MORE to do with staying on his message of ushering-in a new kind of politics and politicians THAN anything to do with his personal ego. Making Hillary Clinton his running mate, in my opinion, comes with far more baggage than buoyancy. Like you, Ebe, many of Obama's supporters were won over by his message of change and a yearning for some breadthe of fresh air after years and years and years of the same Bush-Clinton-Bush presidencies. For such people, a Hillary Clinton as running mate will negate everything Obama stood for. Besides, these people are worried about some looney assassinating Obama for Hillary. Also, such supporters Obama are still very disgusted at Hillary Clinton's tactics during the primaries (which McCain has gratefully employed, thanks to Hillary) and may as well sit it through if ever she emerges as Obama's running mate. The only consolation at this stage is the confidence in Barack Obama that he would NOT be chossing Hillary Rodham Clinton as his running-mate. It ain't gon happen. So let's forget about it. L. Hussein Auspicious. PS: To Mr. Okonkwo, I enjoyed your short piece. Thanks! Posted by Auspicious| 22.08.2008 14:01

DeepThought  Villager

# 9 I'm conflicted on this one.Both sides of the arguments - for and against Hilary makes sense. I think in the end, I'll hold my nose and risk choosing Hilary if I were Obama. In my opinion,I think the advantages of going with Hilary (whom I hate) marginally outweights the disadvantages and dangers Posted by DeepThought| 22.08.2008 14:30

nike  Villager

# 10 By and large, I believe Obama already made his point (yes we can) win or loose in November. Choosing Hilary can only deflate the hope he has raised amongst the millions of his admirers. The doggedness that some him upset Clinton will hopefully help him upset Mccain who has had months to refine his message for the general election. He ( Mccain) appears to be on target now but give Obama a few more weeks and you will see him going up in the polls again. I would rather assume that the lull at this point is just the effect of trying to refine his message to target the general election audience as opposed to the democratic primary election voters. Mcain is at his peak right now in my opinion. Posted by nike| 22.08.2008 14:44

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