Radical Anti-American Order Threatened By Obama Win: The Daily Nation, Kenya

‘The Seduction of Colin Powell’
[Hoje Macau, Macau]

A little considered aspect of the current American election is this: What will all of the left-wing, anti-American intellectuals in the Third World do with themselves, if the United States of America elects a Black man as its president?

For Kenya’s Daily Nation, Charles Onyango Obbo writes in part:

“In the United States, an Obama victory would be history-making enough. But for Africa and the Third World, it might have far-reaching effects that we aren’t yet fully prepared for. In many parts of the world there is an entire industry built around anti-globalization, involving activists and non-governmental organizations that agitate against the inequities and imperial transgressions of America. A major driver of this anti-Americanism is the moral culpability of the United States on the issue of racism. The evil White hand striking down a promising Black, Hispanic or Asian prospect is a central part of the narrative of the evil American empire. If you take that away – more than 50 years of scholarship and political mobilization in many countries falls apart.

If Obama is elected president, thousands of public intellectuals, radical professors, social activists and nationalist politicians and journalists will be plunged into crisis. Then they will have to explain how it’s possible that a Black person could be elected in this profoundly racist country.”

By Charles Onyango Obbo

October 22, 2008

Kenya – The Daily Nation – Original Article (English)

At the start of August and with the Democratic Party convention a month away, I could only find a sprinkling of Africans who thought Illinois Senator Barack Obama was going to beat Senator Hillary Clinton in the race to be the Party’s presidential candidate. And none of this small number of Africans gave him a chance against Republican Senator John McCain.

It was only a month ago that a few African voices on Internet lists and chatrooms began to express confidence in an Obama victory.

Still, the majority believe he’ll be assassinated during his first few days in office, because America is simply too racist a society and isn’t ready for a Black president.

But now with the national polls showing Obama up on McCain by anything between 10 and 14 points, the ranks of believers are growing. But the fat lady hasn’t sung. So despite the glowing polls, Obama doesn’t have this election in the bag yet. In fact the fat lady is only now ascending the stage. But it would be perfectly reasonable for Obama’s Kenyan relatives in Kogelo to order new suits and dresses in preparation for a grand victory celebration in America after November 4.

READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, along with continuing translated and English-language foreign press coverage of the U.S. election.