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Monday, November 03, 2008

Brand Obama: Signed, Sealed and Delivered

The clock is finally ticking as the candidates approach the finish line. This was a campaign like no other before it. Pundits have had to revise their tales and most have their tails safely tacked in between their legs. Obama is here to not only make history but REDEFINE politics as we have known it.

The tension is a mile thick and the expectation is insatiable. Obama is working his socks off as if he is the one trailing in the polls. Complacency is the sure stealer of sweet victory from the jaws of success. And what do we have in all this, one may ask? Well, WE HAVE EVERYTHING as a people and more so as Kenyans. With Obama’s victory the world geopolitics WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.

Obama has set the standards so high and with unparalleled superlative ideals, weak minds and jealous competitors will unwittingly reduce his supporters to idol worshipers. Well the ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME tag would have been more apt in defining a candidate whose star seems to reside past the ordinary skies.

Obama’s fast political rise underscores the merits of clearly defined objectives with the commensurate determination to work tirelessly to achieve them. His highlight the selflessness of public service anchored on sound virtues that capture the collective fears and aspirations of a generation. Listening to him speak anywhere is akin to winning a ticket for a ringside seat at a giant shredder. Discipline is his singular signature, he is unruffled and his organization is tightly-controlled. His campaign is conducted within the two pillars of grace and intellect. They do not like the unpredictable.

Masked fear
Obama’s meteoric rise couldn’t have come at a better time. This has been the most fascinating, most gruelling and most expensive US presidential election campaign for generations. He threw his hat in the ring, banished time-tested templates and exploited technology to his advantage. Now the prize is his to lose. We all crave for change but Barack breathed new life into simple word that leaves the crowd cry back: "Yes We Can". The onus is on him to deliver and YES HE WILL.

But just like a Hollywood thriller with an assured conclusion, the race still leaves the heart racing. The endgame of this year’s US election has gripped every black person with a powerful mixture of extreme emotions. Obama's win represents a previously unimaginable triumph over centuries of racism and stereotypes against blacks. He epitomizes HOPE and OPTIMISM. But beneath the hope and pride lies fear of polling inaccuracy and voting chicanery.

Obama’s unprecedented race for the presidency has left records tumbling in his wake. His extraordinary campaign has not only shattered records and brought ceilings down but all the assumptions have been banished to irrelevance. This is in deed a race for the ages. What is more, kind Mother Nature also appears to be playing ball in Obama’s court. What with a broke world and a goofing Bush that has set the rest of the world against the US? The resulting toxic atmosphere is in urgent need of a pacifier and none fits that bill better than Obama.

Race for the ages
The challenges are piles high and Obama has his work clearly cut for him if he wins on Tuesday. He will have to immediately confront some of the most difficult economic challenges since the Great Depression of the first half of the last Century. But Barack is up to task if his focused and disciplined campaign is any measure of his strengths.

This years campaign has been a clear contrast between good and bad. Hitherto maverick McCain has not only laboured under the long gloomy shadow of the White House incumbent record, but his own campaign has jumped further into the shadows. McCain must reap in abundance his antics of reducing a campaign to peddling fear and guilt by association. The truth is McCain's ticket has cheekily corrupted his lust for power into putting the country first. Poor John must be privy to a unique MIRACLE in proving both the polls and pundits wrong.

The US08 presidential race has been rich in both precedent and incident. The winner will be prefaced by either the FIRST or OLDEST – Obama as the first Africa-American president in the 232-year history or McCain as the oldest first term president. Whatever the yardstick for judgement, the milestones reached, the paradigms challenged, the passions stirred and the numbers reached and shattered in this campaign will surely exhaust all the available journalistic adjectives: epochal, pivotal, historic, once-in-a-lifetime ad infinitum.

Make no mistake! Barack Obama is acutely aware of the perils of premature celebrations as evident in his strategy to save his best for last. His victory amounts to comprehensive triumph of greater good over bad. While it is difficult to control anxiety, it is near-impossible to bottle excitement, it just seeps through.

By all indications, Obama has the right temperament in confidence, ambition and drive that propels a worthy politician to high office at a time of multi-pronged tribulations: global economic Tsunami, rampaging Taliban in Afghanistan, battered nuclear-armed Pakistan and the ragging Iraq war that is almost engulfing Iran. By many measures, Obama is destined to inherit a colossal heap of unprecedented mess.

It is no mean feat transforming one's self into a global candidate-OBAMANIA. And by winning this contest, Obama will be historically adding that much-needed flavour on the sumptuous cake. No doubt Obama has earned his place in history books as one of the greatest black men. Go Barack go, conquer and and change world for the better. YES WE/YOU CAN.

32 comments:

  1. Mwalimu,
    You and i plus the rest of us here in KK are priviledged to have front seats watching history in the making.Barry's potential victory is the power of an idea whose time but can he make it?

    There's nothing in life as good as seeing status quo get upset. Unconvential best describes Barry's lifestory and unusual aptly expresses his journey to the whitehouse over the last 1&1/2 years. The bigger picture here of course is the impact left in the wake of his successful bid for the top job of the world-what ideals has such a high profile politician unprecedented worldwide fever inspired in the minds of citizens such as ourselves for our own hopes and wishes that we would like to see happen in our own time and nation?

    1)We can also set the pace and blaze the trail in our own tiny corner of this planet-and why not? if Obama snr from Kogelo could fly to America and marry WHITE Mama Barry during the racism era and 47 years later produce the 44th occupant of the oval office then whats too hard for us to do in Kenya?the best things in life are free and we only have ourselves to blame if we don't make hay when the sun shines

    2)fairytales can come true-indeed Barry's win would represent a previously unimaginable triumph over centuries of racism and stereotypes against blacks-there is nothing we can't do as a country if we put our minds to it. lets not wait till the water runs dry we can make the best out of of Kenya now with what we have. its true that you don't know what you've got till its gone so lets not wait until the water runs dry

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  2. Well said, Mwalimu Taabu.

    Barack Obama's single most important asset has been his discipline. This is a candidate who has always demonstrated an amazing coolness even when on the receiving end of some openly unfair and unpalatable barbs from opponents. He is a candidate who doesn't exhibit that sense of entitlement that most politicians demonstrate. That is not only disarming to opponents, it is charming to their supporters.

    I for one had this early hope for an Hillary Clinton victory because of the genuine love and admiration I have for her husband, President Clinton. BUT when the campaign proper and the debates started, she began to argue as though she had a birthright to the Presidency and as though Barack was some sort of nuisance. I changed (even before Iowa) and I am sure many other people did.

    John McCain was of course hoping for an Obama triumph in the primaries. He imagined that Barack would be easy to beat. Well, his prayers were answered and I am not sure how easy he is finding the campaigns to be. What is painfully surprising is how a man who built his career around integrity and fairness has now become the biggest negative ad peddler in town. McCain's supporters never tire to tell people how McCain was a victim of the Bush smears in 2000. Why he finds such smears appropriate now, nobody knows.

    We will all be happy on Wednesday morning and we should. But my hope is that our poliicians are taking note and understanding that you do not have to tear other people down to be politically successful. The notion that some politicians and their supporters have that they are somehow annointed by God and everybody who dares run against them or takes an opposing view to theirs should be demonised is not only defeatist, it is stupid. Let us all agree that the best way to practice democracy as we know it is the Obama way; Lay down your proposals and positions and encourage your opponents to do the same. Allow yourself to be judged on the superiority of your ideas and your past vis-a-vis your opponents' as opposed to how many hooligans you have on your side.

    That said, I hope we are not engaging in premature triumphalism.

    Yes We Can!

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  3. I too hope that we are not engaging in premature triumphalism. But is the Victory is ours like it most likely seem it will be, then the very first Kenyan casualty should be Ambassodor Rateng Oginga in Washington. He who spew some ill an unnecessary verbage against Senator Obama upon his return from the Kenyan visit recently. If Obama clinches the White House then Rateng Oginga should leave Washignton immediatley.

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  4. Ecop(L)/Vikii,
    You are both right folks. The world is changing and we must change too no matter how painful. We still shamelessly remain enslaved to our primitive past and unless we smell the coffe, we will miss the boat by a whole river.

    Kenya stand to gain the MOST by Obama's win only that we lack what it takes to seize the opportunity even when it is begging with hands stretched out.

    PS: Vikii said:
    ....I for one had this early hope for an Hillary Clinton victory because of the genuine love and admiration I have for her husband, President Clinton.

    You are right, only fools don't change their minds and now you are in the threshold of celebrating victory. Congratulations. If only we would borrow a leaf and banish our secterian paths and embrace collective good.

    Change is here and it is only a matter of time before we get it right and match on together with other civilized nations.

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  5. i can't believe that okuyo is now jumping on the Obama bandwagon while it was them that were questioning the ability of a son of a kihii to lead the world. please do us a favor and stay away from the celebration, you were not there for the struggle. when Obama came to Kenya your president the dury erected refused to grant Obama audience. let us see what you are going to do when Obama takes office and starts dealing directly with the PM and the people of Kenya who voted for change. Kibaki's days are numbered.

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  6. Raila needs to make sure that maximum security is provided to Obama's grandmother. PNU thugs might try something fishy.

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  7. @Anon 11.52,
    You are right to be cautiously optmistic. The chicks are there but we dare not count yet.

    On Ambassodor Rateng Oginga, you are right in admonishing him. But if you have followed Obama's campaign, he will disabuse you of your Kenyan take. Barry never takes personal offence and Rateng may just fire himself or better still ask for re-posting elsewhere. That is how high Obama has set th bar.

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  8. Give us a break, you people.

    Lest I am lumped together with those "okuyos who are now jumping ship and embracing 'OUR' Barack", here is a post I did on this blog on that Iowa night when he first won his first caucus;
    http://kumekucha.blogspot.com/2008/01/minute-of-honour.html

    I love Barack Obama and my love for him has nothing to do with his ethnicity. It has nothing to do with his blackness leave alone his Kenyanness. It is just dumb how people would attempt to own him. It is even dumber to imagine that those "kikuyus" who support Mwai Kibaki in Kenyan politics do not want an Obama victory. I would a hundred times go for Kibaki over many politicians deemed close to Obama and proudly so. Support for Kibaki and support for Obama are not opposing principles.
    And just for the record, Barack Obama was received at State house by the President when he visited Kenya. I remember the President saying; 'Kijana umekuwa mkubwa sana' as he greeted the senator.

    Now Taabu and your friends, what's wrong with Ambassador Rateng Oginga not liking Barack the politician. This is the same intolerance you guys have shown us in Kenya. Who said Obama must be supported by all. The American Ambassador in Nairobi is not our President's best friend and he doesnt have to be. On the same breath, our man in Washington DC can still do a good job without being an Obama cheerleader. Let us all agree that those who do not like Obama or any other politician for that matter are not evil. To imagine that we should all love the politician you love is, quite frankly, delusional.

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  9. Vikii,
    Nothing wrong with dissent. If anything it expands scope for the free-minded, ama? Rateng has all the right to chose his friends provided he knows when to be personal and overzealous (admonishing a senator even before he is accredited). You know as I do that somethings DEMAND objectivity bereft of partisanship and Rateng missed the boat, ama? nothng personal there unless you are inviting me to make assumptions lil bro.

    YES WE CAN.

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  10. You can take the man out of the village but you can't take the villager out of the man. Rateng obviously thought he was in kenya where roadside pronouncements are the order of the day. No thinking required, just engage your mouth regarding anything at any time.

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  11. Dear Kumekuchans,

    Obama's success is a triumph of unity and hope against forces of division and fear. It is a story with a universal narrative.

    If we cannot learn anything from his brand of politics, then at least, let us take a break from our ethno-idiotic fights and celebrate today and tommorow. We can always resume our silly Okuyos/kihii talk on Wednesday.

    VIVA OBAMA, YOU ARE THE MAN!!

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  12. Let me add some tribalization here Kenyan style...... Americans look set to elect 'our' Barack. We here in Africa and especially Kenya must forever banish the notion that A LUO CAN'T LEAD THIS COUNTRY. Or a Taita for that matter, or a Kuria, Turkana, Kisiii....or even another Kikuyu! (ouch that hurts!)

    On a lighter note, we were watching yesterday's news in my local pub and when Obama came up on the screen a stupid drunk screamed, "Is Obama circumcised?" Well, I don't know about that but let's hope he will be the 44th president of USA after the poll. Baraka kwa Barack!

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  13. The clock is ticking........And soon we will have Kogelo international Airport. LOl

    Taabu

    Do you know what that means to me....From Kogelo Airport to Funyula will be just about 30 minutes drive.

    On the side: I can see the magic on Harry Redknapp working against Alonso or were you in the mix and yes i guess Hull deserves some respect now....Where is Knoppix?

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  14. Te he heee heheeeeee

    some old fools still believe an Obama presidency will rain milk and honey on Kenya?

    talk of our mediocracy in believing personalities in the right places will solve our problems!! ivy, sometimes one looks wise with his/her mouth closed. learn to keep it tightly closed for ua own sake.
    taabu, a tribalist who is now trying to sell an Obama brand too late in the day after talking politics of hatred here at KK. just cut the crap and continue ua raila worship and kikuyui hatred...who cares...
    Obama is an AMERICAN you morons. can i repeat, he is an AMERICAN, just continue earning your wages and save your intended celebration money for food....his presidency will not add sufurias of ugali in your house u know!!!

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  15. Vikii @ 1:15,

    You wrote

    "It is even dumber to imagine that those "kikuyus" who support Mwai Kibaki in Kenyan politics do not want an Obama victory"

    Let us speak the truth. I have been keenly listening to the genuine reactions of many Kenyans here at home (Kenya) and have noticed that [sorry to say this but I cannot allow you to tell us that 1 + 1 = 3. No! 1 + 1 = 2] most Kikuyu's have just recently "jumped" onto the Obama bandwagon. There are many reasons and one of the reasons is that all indicators seem to strongly suggest that Obama will win.

    However if you Keenly listen to them, especially their body language, you will clearly be able to see that most of them are pretending. Their support for Obama is FAKE, it is FRAUDULENT. I want to repeat once again: Their support for Obama is FAKE, it is FRAUDULENT

    I can bet you that most of them are wishing that McCain manages to pull of a "miracle" for example like what Kibaki did during the elections of Dec '07: STEAL THE ELECTION.

    If you doubt me, do listen to them carefully, and you are most likely to detect this IRRATIONAL HATE that they have towards Luo's (they derogatively refer to them as "Jaruo" )and anything somehow connected with the Luo (Like Obama)

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  16. Ivy,
    You are right, there are dreams and those who actualize them. Obama is a brand and more than a name. In him you see the merits of virtues. The world and us in particular has loads to lean from him, but can we? Just look around you and see the litany of petiness reminding us of the obvious. Well Obama is an American, so what? And do you have do be a CAN in return?

    PS: Rumours doing the rounds has it that Knoppix is Harry Rednapp's target in the January transfer window. Poor Knoppix seems to have ingested CR's spoilt brat bug, OLE WAKE.

    Last weekend, saw pretenders having their bubbles bust. Hull must have known better not to fly too high, now it has no wings. But kudos to them 20 pts makes them look like Barca compared to Derby. Poor Rafa and Alonzo for stopping Harry Houddini.

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  17. Folks, is it true that the celebrated Kenya TV star, Julie Gichuru, dumped NTV for Citizen coz their modoss, Linus Gitahi, wanted to lay her? Friends at Nation Centre say Linus had been pestering Julie for a long time but she refused to give up her integrity and opted to quit for Citizen TV. She read 9pm Citizen news last night. If the claims are true, down with all the Nation bosses who have refused to keep their zips shut even after being exposed badly last year!

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  18. Anon@2:23
    physician heal thyself?apply the same medicine and taste it- who said Obama is not an AMERICAN? who said his presidency will add sufurias of ugali?
    (sigh)

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  19. E-cop @2;40 Now you are E-writting.
    I can see you are following your job description. Indulge man.

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  20. Taabu

    Very soon Phil Brown will just realize that as a hen you can't fly with the eagles, and let me spare Jeff my raves/rants today he told me to leave AW out of the picture coz he is still the man so i am really wondering what happened? Upsets more are on the way....Let the blues know it is not over till it is over

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  21. Ivy,
    hallo daughter of Samia

    nothing annoys me more than stupidity-people in a hurry to comment don't read the main post just check author name(is it Chris or Taabu) then they aim and take fire before engaging between the ears
    Obama has so far never shot himself in the foot like that and may he never to shame anon2:23 and this is a post celebrating the achievements of human spirit FREE from shamless slavery to the ravages of primitive medieval past yet village idiots cannot recognise history in the making and drag everything down to African despot level thinking?

    now let me relax with a coffee

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  22. Nation CEO was salivating for old julie's honey? Ahaaa! Mr Ruma Monga peddling lots of grapevine. So he also wanted Tom Mboya, Sophie Ikenye and Winnie Mukami who are all married and were all fired?

    I think someone is just jealous coz Linus earns a cool Ksh 2.5 Million per...MONTH! Eat your hearts out. And those who also claim Jeff Koinange owns or has shares in K24, please cut the crap. K24 is wholly owned by Rose Kimotho of Kameme FM. Jeff is just an employee... ok, he earns Ksh 1.5M PER Month as a senior anchor, so what?

    I will be online for the next 2 hrs or so, you can ask me all questions regarding media in Kenya. Did you know Swaleh Mdoe who was poached from KTN earns a cool 500k at Citizen TV? Did you know some chicks in the media charge to have a 'date' with them? Did you know some guys in Media can hook you up with some of their prettier colleagues for a cool 10k. These scandals are there and I will publish their extent in the coming week. Be afraid, very afraid! No stones will be left unturned!

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  23. M-Pesa seems u have been taught by chris the art of suspense then hot air...publish or just shut up!!!

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  24. Obama's will win tomorrow. It will be a big boost to bruised ego of the black man. It will change the world's view of black competence. It will put Kenya in the world map permanently. I am glad it is happening during my time. [Postscipt: And this for the Kenyan angle...which black blood could muster the confidence to break the glass ceiling but a Jang].

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  25. M-Pesa,
    Please do the post some FAVOUR and stick to it, will you please? Leave the gossips to an appropriate thread. Thank you.

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  26. anon 2:37

    am one of those kikuyus who are 'not supposed' to want an Obama victory like you said. far from it i am in Tshirt printing business and i will tell you business has never been better. Tshirts with writings like 'Obama, Luo Son', 'Obama, Agwambo Rule the Worls', 'Kisumu for Obama'...etc are really selling and how i pray Obama wins. That will be a business boom! I have thousands of Tshirts on Stand by soon to be printed with 'Viva Obama, Viva Luo son'...

    i may be a Kikuyu but i pray for an Obama victory...well the issue of change, that i leave to the religious ones amongst us.

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  27. Obama's final weekend marred by 'illegal' aunt.
    Mrs Onyango (Obama's father sister) has been living in US illegaly for the last 4 years. She still face deportation whether Obama win or not.

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  28. Obama's illigal aunt or McCain's refusal to acknowledge his relatives through slavery? It's all BS coming a little too late.

    "It's the economy, stupid!"

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  29. I can't wait for tomorrow for Obama to carry the day with flying colors. What is the Okuyo going to do now? They wish they could still this victory but this is a son of the lake with a different game plan! i have never been prouder of being a Luo.

    my sources tell me that Obama will order a repeat of elections in Kenya since Krieglar said he does not know who won. OBAMA KENDE!

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  30. Obama will win. There's even an Irish bookmaker who has already paid punters who bet on Obama. Please google for "Irish bookmaker" coz this blog truncates long URLs.

    For those tribalists claiming that kiuks' support for Obama is fake and fraudulent, some of us have been spending 15k a month on Internet costs fighting anti-Obama Internet allegations, e.g. that he's a socialist while the truth is that under Obama, Americans will pay lower taxes (20% lower) than under Reagan, a republican.

    http://origin.barackobama.com/taxes/

    No tribalist in this blog can outdo me in an Obama awareness quiz. The reason we love Obama is because he's a black Kenyan-American, well educated, young, good-looking, a family man, pulled it off despite not being moneyed like Kibaki/Bush n their cronies, and strongly believes in property rights, capitalism with a human heart, and human rights.

    We're also Raila-loving kiuks since he supports the Waki report and is pretty accessible unlike the baks who behaves like he's retired.

    The people posting comments in this blog, regardless of their ethnicity, have the following in common.

    1. We have a higher education or are acquiring one. C'mon, how can you conquer advanced calculus, swatching past midnight preparing for that nasty exam, only to be incited by some political thug who can't even count?

    2. We all wants to own a decent digs that's bila mortgage.

    3. We're middle class and therefore not moneyed.

    4. Because we're not moneyed, we'll have to slave for our employers/customers so that we be able to slave for the bank for 15-25 years paying off that nasty mortgage.

    5. When we're done paying off that nasty mortgage or saving up for a digs, the last thing we want is to loose our lifetime of sweat to some political thug who can't even count. Or even worse, our lives.

    So it's very important that you only support pro-Waki politicians like Raila, Mudavadi, Martha, Mutula, and Orengo. It's no longer about ODM vs PNU but about pro-Waki vs anti-Waki.

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  31. Kenyans please! We should learn to play our position. Stand in line, begging hat in hand, and maybe by the time we get to the feeding trough some left overs will available.

    Obama is the president of the USA, not kenya. He has hardly spent any time there. He is not going to order anything or anyone around in Kenya. Unlike Kenya, the US policies have to be certified through congress. So Obama can not just say do A,B,C in Kenya.

    So while we should celebrate him and the great people of America; let us remember that charity begins at home and no white knight is going to swoop down and deliver us from mungiki, stolen elections, corruption, tribal haterade and violence amongst our brothers and sisters. These are issues we have to want to tackle on our own. No one will do it for us.

    Go Obama, GO!

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