Waiting for President Obama

By Yemi Davies

I am of the opinion that a Barack Obama presidency would become the eight wonder of the world if he eventually becomes the next president of dear, old Uncle Sam. It is true that Obama has already made history by emerging the first black (or is African-American more appropriate?) presumptive (whatever that means) presidential candidate of the Democratic Party having defeated former first lady, Hillary Clinton, with whom he battled for what seemed an eternity. Of course, many might find my unpronounced pessimism gratuitous. This is because everything looks there ain’t no stopping Obama. Indeed, if what is on ground at present is anything to go by, charismatic Obama is on his way to the White House come January 2009. But, really, some of us are still sceptical about Obama’s emergence as the first African-American president of a “God Bless United States of America”.

The whole thing, even now, still seems like a dream to me, a dream that we may all just wake up to discover was actually one. And, that is why I am of the opinion that if it eventually does become a reality, then, an Obama presidency, of the most powerful country in the world, would definitely become the eight wonder of the modern world. Or does it not all sound too good to be true? Now, before you castigate me for being unduly pessimistic, perhaps, I should invite you to join me in thinking about the whole scenario.

I quite agree that my pessimism may be uncalled for. This is a charismatic, handsome, dynamic, colourful and popular 46 year-old Barack Obama against conservative, colourless, archaic, some even say ailing, 71 year-old Senator John McCain. And, of a truth, the popularity which Obama is gaining daily across the world is not something to be disregarded. Endorsements keep rolling in on a daily basis from across the globe for the Illinois, fifth ever African-American senator in the American history. The amount of money his campaign has recorded is also worthy of note as this may suggest that corporate America is also behind Obama.

One other important factor which appears to give Obama an edge over McCain is how unpopular the Republican Party has become among the American populace. No thanks to Bush’s self-defined war against terror. The Bush administration has lost face in America and perhaps, with it, the Republican Party. This unfortunate thing about the Bush administration is further aggravated by the fact that the American economy has witnessed a regression, which many link to Bush’s war against terror in Iraq. If all this is anything to go by then one may be rest assured that come January it would be a President Barack Obama sitting in the Oval Office.

But, one may still validly remain sceptical inspite of all this. Initially, my thought was, would Americans vote for a woman or a black man as against John McCain? But that has ceased to be my line of thought since Obama picked the Democratic Party ticket. My line of thought at present is, would Americans vote for a black man as against John McCain? This line of thought expresses my scepticism about the whole thing.

Those things I identified above may well matter in who becomes the next American president but some other things may be equally important. Would Americans vote for a black man as against John McCain? Or better still, would powers that be allow a black man become the next president of America? You may well think that things have gone beyond such thinking going by the fact that Obama emerged against all odds. But it sure does not end with his emergence as the presumptive presidential candidate of the Democratic Party.

I quite agree that the American society is a socio-cultural melting pot which it seems to be asserting now with the way Obama emerged. However, we must be aware of the fact that other factors may come to play. I was trained in Philosophy and as such I should not commit the fallacy I am about to commit, but the fact that it has never happened before (a black man as America’s president) may well be an impediment to Obama’s dreams. The point is this, it is not the case that African-Americans have not made attempts at becoming American presidents before but some powers had always prevented them. How are we sure that such powers would again not display their authority over the American dream? Intrigues and power play in politics are not peculiar to Africa; in fact, they characterize politics in any clime. Vice President Al Gore should have emerged the American President in the year 2001. But “something” happened. Who says rigging in elections is the exclusive preserve of African societies?

You may say too that after all, Obama was able to survive such power plays by emerging the candidate of the Democratic Party. But, things are not always what they appear to be. It seemed that the American society wanted a change they could believe in and that was responsible for Obama’s emergence. But some have suggested that what really happened was that some powers did not want the Clinton family to become a political dynasty/force.

It even appears, at least to me, that those powers suddenly realized that the Clinton family was already becoming a political force, such that if Hillary became the president and ruled for eight years, perhaps the Clinton’s only daughter would also decide to run after the expiration of her mother’s tenure. It has been opined that this was what the American political “determiners” wanted to prevent (and they seem to have succeeded) by making sure Hillary did not emerge. So, it may not be Obama’s oratory prowess that worked wonders.

Terrorism is another factor that may come to play in who becomes the next American president. This is not the best of times for the American society “terroristically” speaking (pardon my English). America’s enemies are growing by the day, perhaps due to America’s over-bearing attitude too, and as such the people daily live in fear of terrorist attacks. Would Americans, at the end of the day, not decide for a tough-talking, confidence-oozing president who would, at least, provide them with some psychological succor that, there is no cause for alarm? Don’t you think some threats from America’s enemies may sway the thinking of Americans in the direction of someone who is tough-talking and confidence-oozing? For me Obama does not portray a tough-talking and confidence-oozing figure.

Our man, Obama, as regards terrorism, appears not to be a realist; he seems more like an idealist. Dialogue and extending a hand of friendship to one’s enemies, which seems to be Obama’s position, would achieve little in solving the problem of terror, not even with the direction that terrorism has now taken globally. Terrorism is underlined by values, convictions, principles and beliefs, which are always difficult to persuade people from. This is why an idealist approach to terrorism may be rather utopian. You can take everything away from George Bush but you cannot take away his ruggedness, confidence which, even if Americans do not want to admit it, provides them psychological respite that, as we say in Nigeria, nothing dey happen.

There is also an external dimension to the issue. America’s allies may also prefer a confidence-oozing, tough-talking American president. We live in a globalised world now, where Washington is the capital. It is trite that the American president is also the president of the globalised world. In other words, external factors may work against the emergence of an idealist president in favour of one who can “police the world” as it were.

For instance, it seems Britain has thrown its weight behind Obama, but we may have reasons to be sceptical about that. Recall the hullabaloo which arose in the wake of the late Diana’s death. Recall that some speculations said that Diana was already pregnant for Egyptian and Muslim, Dodi Al-Fayed, before the mystery-clouded accident that killed both of them. Further speculations thus said that Diana’s death could have been as a result of the fact that it would be unimaginable for the Royal family to be related in any way with an African and a Muslim. Or don’t you know that if things had played out like that the princes could have had step-brothers or step-sisters who would be Egyptians and Muslims. Though I am not suggesting that Obama would be killed but I do mean that such intrigues may play out come November. Our dear Barack Hussein Obama has a Muslim background and he may well be too Kenyan/African to become an American president.

Davies is on the staff of the Nigerian Tribune.