Kenyans awoke on November 3rd and disbelieved their eyes. The party of Barack Obama, has suffered a huge defeat in the 2011 "mid term" elections. The Democrats that Obama heads have been be humiliated by Republicans. Incumbents have been thrown out like trash by angry voters. Obama's presidency, begun so brightly and with so much hope just two years ago has been checked f not wrecked.
One thing won't change - the woeful job of most Kenya media in explaining this to their readers and listeners. Many will echo the politically disastrous theme of the Democrats . The 'Party Line' goes like this.
“The American electorate are ignorant, reactionary, angry and fearful, unable to appreciate the wonders of Obama and his Washington elite and are deeply tinged with racism and bigotry.”
This was the Democratic message since 2009 and the local media have dutifully acted the parrot. That "message" has infuriated American voters and made them vote Republican even when they are not members of the party.
Consider racism: the Democrats 2010 had 26 black Congressmen and25 stand in black majority districts where their re-election against whites is guaranteed. The Republicans have just 6 black candidates. Yet all are stood against whites in white-majority districts. Just who is the “race vote” here is not obvious.
Or Florida senatorial candidate Marco Rubio, a Republican Hispanic, trouncing white incumbent Charlie Christ. And if Obama was elected by whites a in 2008, just how did the non-racists then become racists now? Using racism as a template to describe Obama's debacle is delusionary.
How about ignorance? The day won't pass without some Karaja or Onyango in USA penning a letter to the media or blogging on how ignorant, narrow minded and so on Americans really are. If only they were clever and worldly wise like Obama and his cabinet, or like Europeans, they would elect the Democrats forever!
Naturally, these lectures have gone down as well as someone conducting an election campaign in rural Kenya areas and telling wanainchi that they were too stupid to act like Germans or Japanese.
Perhaps it's ingratitude? Americans are too blind to realize the excellence of Obama's healthcare act and his huge deficit spending to increase the size of government, so it is said. Yet, traditionally since 1776, Americans have, unlike Europeans and Africans, not wanted their government to grow too big, powerful and expensive.
They now feel the national debt and spending are wrecking their future. Voters elected Obama to change that, not to add to 'Big Government' and high taxes -and they feel betrayed.
Kenyans are often wrapped up in ethnic politics that are driven solely by personalities and tribal loyalties ( as serious a problem as racism). We should note that in the USA, people are judging Obama on the failed economy.
Democratic policies of huge spending and increasing the size of government have stuck the deepest nerve in a freedom-loving people who value self-reliance and capitalist hard work.
There was a "Tea Party" in Boston in 1773 to kick-start the Revolutionary War against British colonialism. The issue then was the same as the Tea Party Movement that has helped doom the Democrats in 2010. Americans like to cut government down to size every now and then. Obama and his party are firmly in their sights.
