Runners train in Kenya on Friday after violence from the political unrest had some sprinting for their lives.Barack Obama is an African (Kenyan) American who maybe in a race for his Presidential life. One of the weaknesses political opponents will try to exploit is the junior senator from Illinois' foreign policy experience. But Obama does have family experience with one of the greatest challenges for the next U.S. president.
As you may recall, Obama’s father was Kenyan. Obama has traveled back to Kenya many times. Most recently in 2006, Obama was welcomed by huge crowds. He held closed door meetings with Kenya’s highest political leaders.
Obama’s warnings in 2006 were prophetic.Obama warned Kenyans of the danger of government corruption. He spoke of the need to trust one’s government. Obama found the renewed tribalism alarming. Ethnic division would hold back the progress Kenya had achieved, Obama said. Further, Kenyan health care must be a government priority.
Sounds a little like speeches on the horse race stump here, in the 2008 primary sprint.
Back in Kenya Obama’s warnings went unheeded. The recent presidential election seemed to have been rigged. Incumbent president, Mwai Kibaki, claimed victory despite his party winning only 35 of the 210 open seats in the government. Opposition candidate, Raila Odinga, feels certain he won. Mob killings, burned villages and social unrest have permeated this important African country.
Our policy makers all too often seem to overlook the importance of Africa burning on the global scene. This is a tragic mistake. Bono last year said what is done/or not by EU nations about Africa will be its defining decision. 
As we transition to the comparative lense, a real race for life was illustrated in the Chicago Tribune on Sunday:
"KUINET, Kenya - When world marathon champion Luke Kibet goes running, he likes to focus on finishing first. But on one run during Kenya's postelection upheaval, the 25-year-old star had something else on his mind: staying alive.
Kibet was knocked to the ground by a large rock that struck his head on New Year's Eve as violence swept the country after the disputed Dec. 27 presidential vote. Regaining his senses with blood oozing from his skull, he looked up to see a mob of machete-wielding men approaching.
He got up and started running -- this time for his life."
The rest of the article is linked here:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-runners_bdjan13,1,4444207.story
The question is, which American presidential horse race candidate has the experience has to deal with this life & death race in Africa. Or will American an the EU sit on the sidelines, disinterested?
1 comment:
I'll tell you this right now: The chances of U.S. or European intervention in Kenya are, sadly, practically nil. We've all seen "Hotel Rwanda," so I don't need to elaborate on that point. If you ask me, Obama is the only guy who would probably intervene who is running for president. McCain might, but that's not a given.
And how should the 44th President of the United States intervene, if he (or she) decides to intervene at all? Will we go to the UN and ask them to deploy their wonderful Peacekeepers, so adept at running away at the first hint of unrest? Do we impose some half-hearted economic sanctions? Should we deploy our own troops? Rwanda was an issue because nobody did anything decisive in time. The violence merely wore itself out, and I bet that's what will happen in Kenya this year. McCain is the only person running who has anything near the experience AND gumption to tackle this issue. Obama lacks experience, although you know he'd do something.
Call Don Cheadle. Looks like we're gonna have to make "Hotel Kenya."
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