Lessons to be learnt from Obama’s Campaign!!!

By Stanford Conway
Editor-in-Chief-SKNVibes.com

Stanford Conway, Editor-in-Chief, SKNVibes

The world has seen a United States of America, created in 1776, enslaved Africans from 1620 until the end of its Civil War in 1865. The world has also seen the inhumane treatment meted out to the Africans and their offspring during slavery and also the deplorable conditions under which they lived during and after that era.

Further, the world has seen the protests by white Americans when the then President Theodore Roosevelt invited Booker T Washington as his dinner guest at the White House on October 16, 1901. Today, not only will a black man dine in that building, but he, the First [Black] Lady and their daughters will make it their home for the next four years and even more.

The 47-year-old President-elect has made history in the USA and is the seventh African-American candidate to have campaigned for the presidency, with the first being the late Shirley Chisholm in 1972. She was also the first African-American female to be elected in Congress in 1968.

Chisholm was followed by Baptist Minister and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson in 1984 and 1988; political activist and psychotherapist Lenora Fulani in 1988 and 1992; political activist and diplomat under the Ronald Regan administration Alan Keyes in 1996 and 2000; Senator Carol Moseley-Braun in 2004; and Baptist Minister and founder of the National Action Network, Alfred ‘Al’ Sharpton in 2004.

One of the most memorable and significant statements made in US history is Dr. Martin Luther’s “We shall not be judged by the colour of our skin”. And this was predicated in Obama’s landslide victory over McCain when he took 364 electoral votes against his rival’s 163. These votes, which evidenced Obama’s vision, were not achieved only by African-Americans or by the Democrats, but by an amalgam of Americans of all colours from the Democrats and Republicans.    ~~Adz:Right~~

This victory has also realised a transformation of America’s voting pattern. It has clearly shown that the younger Americans have accepted inter-racial relationships as part of the normal social and sexual landscape of the most powerful nation in the world.

The fact remains that President-elect Barack Obama will not only be the most powerful man in the world, but he has also set a near-perfect example of how election campaigns should be ran, from which many lessons are to be learnt by our political leaders in the Caribbean.

While campaigning, attempts were made by many, including Senators McCain, Sarah Palin and even Hilary Clinton in the assassination of Obama’s character. It was a mud-slinging contest among his rivals, and the media also dug into his past, tried to smear him and postulated that he is unequipped to lead the USA, especially the reporters on Bloomberg. However, Obama, the phenomenon, remained cool, calm, collective and did not respond in kind.

According to Bob Schieffer on CBS’ ‘Face the Nation’, “Time and time again in a hard-fought campaign there were lines Obama could have crossed and didn’t. He made no issue of John McCain’s age; he raised no questions about his health; he never went after Sarah Palin. He knew how it would have looked. Communicating, cutting through, connecting with people is more that the words he chose. It also means understanding when no words are necessary.”

Schieffer also noted that plans were made by Obama’s campaign to celebrate his victory with fireworks but the President-elect said no, for “he understood that the rally that night would speak for itself. There was no need to guild the moment with fireworks, nor would a stern-winding speech that rubbed victory in his opponent’s face have been appropriate. Tuesday was a night to say ‘thank you’, not gloat. The faces in the crowd would tell the story”.

He also pointed out that that restraint, Obama’s understanding of how it would all look - an ability so often lacking in today’s politician - may have well been what brought him to victory.

Do we see this happening in the Caribbean? No, we do not! Instead, we see Caribbean leaders rubbing salt and even hot peppers in the proverbial wound of their opponents. We see them basking in the rays of their victory and ostentatiously displaying party colours or symbols and placards bearing messages of hate for their opponents and their supporters.

Caribbean leaders should take a page from the book of the man whom many of them were publicly rooting for in the US presidential elections. He has demonstrated a rare and unique quality in his ability to lead. A typical example of his leadership qualities lies in one of the statements he made during his victory speech: “To those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices…I need your help, and I will be your president too.” This and more are what Caribbean political leaders need to possess! 

A page should also be taken from Senator John McCain’s book. In his gracious concession speech, McCain reflected on America’s history of racism and the moral significance of electing an African-American. He saluted Obama for inspiring so many young people and first-time voters while calling upon all Americans to support the new administration and to seek common ground.

“This is a historic election, and I recognise the significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight. We both realise that we have come a long way from the injustices that once stained our nation’s reputation,” McCain said.

He also made a statement in his concession speech that would put many Caribbean politicians to shame: “I wish God’s speed of the man who was my former opponent and will be my president.”

It would be a welcomed moment when most, if not all, politicians in the Caribbean can demonstrate such moral and ethical qualities, instead of how some people (including rival politicians who cast aspersions) view them – “as consummate and inveterate liars as well as individuals who seek self aggrandisement”.
 
Conclusively, the world has seen the return of democracy in the United States of America, resulting from the 2008 presidential elections campaign when compared to that of 2004. Therefore, like justice, democracy must not only be preached…it must be practiced if Caribbean political leaders want to earn the trust, respect and continued support of the people they were elected to serve.