A View of the Dark Side of US Politics
Thursday 28th February 2008

If we thought that Hillary Clinton’s recent outbursts against Barrack Obama were as bad as the Democratic nomination campaign were going to get we were grossly mistaken. In the last few days a picture of Barrack Obama wearing a white turban and a wraparound white robe presented to him by elders in Wajir, in northeastern Kenya in 2006 have been spreading all over the Internet. Obama’s estranged late father was Kenyan and Obama visited the country in that year

The Associated Press photograph was posted on the gossip and news website The Drudge along with a story claiming it was being circulated by “Clinton staffers” and quoting an email from an unidentified campaign aide. The Drudge did not include proof of the email.

There are a number of issues to consider here. Firstly there are the implications that Americans are supposed to take from seeing Obama in traditional dress. Is it supposed to portray him as African and, as such, somehow inferior or less worthy of trust? Is it supposed to place him in the same category as Muslims who are a feared and marginalised group in mainstream America? For whatever reason the photo appeared it is an indictment of America and what is increasingly appearing to be a less tolerant and open society.

Obama’s campaign manager David Plouffe accused Clinton’s campaign of “the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we’ve seen from either party in this election.’’ Clinton campaign manager Maggie Williams said the Obama campaign’s reaction was inflaming passions and distracting voters.

“Enough,” Williams said in a statement. “If Barack Obama’s campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed. Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely.”

Whoever is telling the truth it is a shameful incident because of the undercurrents it is exposing.

The question of which camp released the photograph should be examined closely. Strangely there is as much chance the Obama camp released it as the Clintons. If, as many expect, Obama is to run out winner in the battle for the nomination then a picture of this sort is better to come out now rather then during the campaign proper. If it were to emerge during a run off between the Republican John McCain and Obama the Republicans would no doubt make hay and exploit racial and religious tensions for their own advantage. It is for these same reasons that the Clintons, now facing a very real defeat, may have released the picture at this stage.

This whole sorry saga is an example of the filthiest of politics. It is an attempt to bring race, creed and skewed perception into a race which should be about policies. Let us hope that things will change for the better but let us also acknowledge that things are very unlikely to change.

CRIME WATCH

The police are asking the general public to call any of the following telephone numbers: 

112 / 99 66 967 / 99 60 109 / 99 76 012 / 99 76 008 / 99 76 010 to report anyone suspected or caught engaged in criminal activities.