Can Kenyan Voters Do The Shocking Thing American Voters Did?

...Or did they already do it in December 2007?

Guest post by Barry O.

It is very interesting that in the United States political analysts and pollsters have not noted based on exit polls and other surveys that the majority of Democratic Presidential Candidate Barrack Obama supporters are considered wealthy educated Americans. Hilary Clinton who recently conceded defeat to Senator Obama, drew her support from America’s working class and rural voters.

Why is this worth noting?

Well to begin with Hilary Clinton is a educated and very wealthy American, who was able to loan her campaign some $11 million to keep it afloat. Barrack Obama on the other hand is by all means very educated having attended Ivy League schools such as Columbia and Harvard, he is however not wealthy.

In the United States as in most countries in the world higher education, particularly post-secondary education requires financial resources. In Kenya access to higher education is even more cumbersome and relative wealth is often needed to secure the fees necessary for a student to be able to afford higher learning. As they both share nearly the same views on most issues, from a Kenyan perspective one would argue that Hilary Clinton would be the more favourable candidate (her being a female notwithstanding) compared to Barrack Obama. The reason for this is because she is white first and foremost (from a Kenyan lense think tribalism), she is older, she is wealthy, she is very educated and she has a famous name.

Obama on the other hand only has his education in comparison, as he is Black (from a Kenyan lense think un-electable) he is rich, but not wealthy and he does not have a popular name. So how then does a man who lacks many of the characteristics Kenyan voters look for in their preferred presidential candidates win the nomination in the Democratic Party?

He takes a bold stand against a popular cause that he, like the majority of Americans feel is not right and takes up the cause for change. Americans have shown they can look past irrelevant issues and focus on what counts and matters. If the same thinking is applied to Kenyans how can you not vote for Prime Minister Odinga ( majority of Kenyans did vote for him in 2007 any way) when, this marriage of convenience/coalition government ends?

Who introduced the bill to make Kenya a one party state? Who argued for maintaining this policy when Moi indicated he was going to repeal section 2a of the constitution? What in heavens name has Uhuru done since he was plucked from obscurity by Moi to make him a serious candidate for President or even an MP? Kindly let me know because I know Raila fought for democracy, I know Raila exposed the Artur brothers, I know Raila led the campaign against the Wako Draft amongst others, I know Raila has been fighting for the de-centralization of government, I know Raila led the second liberation which was essential for Kibaki to become president in 2002. I know Raila is the only mainstream politician in Kenya who represents a cosmopolitan constituency.