The word is out that many white Americans do not support Barack Obama. Recently in Chicago, after alighting at the Chicago Hilton during the Kenya Marathon Dinner, a white door man realized that I was from Kenya. He smiled, “I voted for Barack Obama the first time. I did not vote for him a second time! Never again”. The young white guy noted. I wondered what I, a Kenyan attending the Chicago Marathon dinner had to do with American Politics. But there I was, a Kenyan in Obama’s home State . . . how can I escape? Obama is a Kenyan American!
When Barack Obama run for the first time for president of the United States, I did not think he would win. In fact I wrote a piece on Kim-Media group declaring that he would not win. He won and I took back my words. I am a conservative Diaspora, I do not submit to the Democratic Party and its social issues. Not that it matters, politicians are the same worldwide: They do not care about anything they do, it all has to be with self interest: Every politician has an agenda! Politics has nothing to do with reality; rather, it has to do with perception. How do the public perceive of you? Not who are you?
Any ways, now that we are in the republican primaries, I have followed the man Ben Carson. I was at Regent University two years ago when he gave a speech and meeting the man, he is not “political material,” He does not strike one as a person who would honestly seek a high office. But looks can fool you for here he is running to be the president of the United States under the Republican Party. One thing I would say about the man is that he is a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. His claim of faith (born again) is not a political stunt to win votes. Therefore I have followed him to see how he would play the political game under the umbrella of faith.
What has come out in his campaign is that he truly believes in the historical conservative principles. These include the economic idea of self reliance instead of government hand outs. St Paul argued that those who do not work should not eat. Basically government hand outs are not for the strong who can work, rather for the weak. Paul declares that if you are strong, like many “poor” people are in America, we should let them die! He also holds true to the idea of life as Sacred. The issue of killing the un-born stands true within the biblical idea. No one has the right to deny the child the right of life. If you believe in abortion, you should have been aborted. The idea of GOOD as a divine principle is conservative. This means that all things must be submitted to the theory that they must add value to humanity. The conservative theory puts value on the person and seeks to promote the individual so that they in turn can benefit society. These principles apply both to economics and social issues.
The American conservative, especially the evangelical agree with Carson. What is encouraging in this campaign is that even though many white Americans want nothing to do with Barack Obama, it is not because of the color of his Skin. Because if it was, then Ben Carson would not be holding great leads in the polls of the Republican Party primaries.
On this case then, I am to think that the white American has come of Age and though there remain hard core racists in the United States, in the realm of understanding the philosophy of leadership, many can entertain another black president!
As for me, I would put my ‘brain’ in the surgeon’s hands; he might pull this one through!
Teddy Njoroge Kamau (PhD). HTBluff Associates-An EMG Consortium @HTBluff. Diaspora Messenger Senior Columnist
