I am a firm supporter of Barack Obama. It’s strange to show such support for a candidate in an election in another country. In theory it has no physical direct effect on me as an individual in South Africa.
Yet I feel an affinity for the man. The other incredible thing that I’ve noticed is that almost all of my experience of the man has been online. I follow him on twitter, I subscribe to his updates on Facebook and religious visit his website to see what he is doing and what he has to say. I also follow the news websites when they write about him. I found his entire campaign utterly intriguing.
But so what? What does it matter? I’ll tell you.
Africa can learn from the man and his campaign and closer to home our politicians need to take a page, no, the entire book from Obama and run with it.
What do I mean?
I think that Obama and his campaign have revolutionised the way that politicians practice politics. Obama spoke to the people, about the people and for the people. Yes, that sounds very “American” in essence but not recently. Recently American politics has been dictated top down from a leader who was not voted in by the entire country. In fact, Bush received a shocking low percentage of votes when considering the entire population. America’s active voting numbers are exceptionally low. And if Bush received 25% of the population’s votes I would be impressed. I don’t want to get in to the working of the American political system because that is an essay all on its own, never mind a single blog post.
From what I have experienced and noticed from Obama’s campaign is that he pushes an agenda of hope, faith, belief and change. He obviously discusses his political policies when he needs to but never confuses the masses with excessive lingo that baffles the mind and confuses voters. He kept it simple and kept it real.
African politics is not real, South African politics is not actionary (is that a word?), it is REactionary. Helen Zille is the perfect example of this. When was the last time you heard Helen Zille speak to her constituency about anything that was not a reaction to something that the ANC has done, or not done? I can’t remember that particular moment. All I can remember her talking about is the ANC and how badly they have managed to do. This might be true much of the time but it is negative politics.
I am not saying that Obama did not partake in negative politics but for the most part of my experience of his politics it has been steadfast action. Solid opinions about his country, his politics, his people (even though they aren’t “his” yet). This is a breath of fresh air.
Imagine a candidate in SA who did not run against the ANC but ran for the country and its people. As I write this I am slowly starting to believe that this candidate right now is Zuma. He runs for the people. He is the people.
Here are some quick-fire points that I think SA politicians can learn from Obama:
- Talk to the people, not down to the people
- Live amongst the people – physically and in an empathetic sense
- Get more votes from people who don’t vote
- Recruit the youth to support you
- Speak to the individual, literally, you don’t need to address the masses at every turn
- Fighting against the politicians wont work, fight with the people for their needs
- Use the media available to you and the voters – grassroots newspapers, radio stations an leaders, lecture theatres at Universities, school halls to speak to the 17/18 year olds who will vote next year
- Don’t hedge your bets, politics can be all or nothing, Obama is proof, YES WE CAN
- Put faith in the humanity of people, not the politics
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Popularity: 4% [?]
June 9th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Great post Nic. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Being surrounded in Japan by loads of Americans i have been able to gain some useful knowledge about the way American politics is run. Its not great. But i am so glad that Obama has been chosen. He represents a new era in the political process. As you mentioned in your post, he is a peoples candidate. He speaks to and for the people.
I was a bit concerned with your Zuma comment though. Do you not think that it is all just a plan of his to show that he is the African version of Obama? That he has the peoples concerns at heart. Until he is elected and ends up being the same kind of politician that Africa has come to attract.
When i talk to foreigners about SA and politics I honestly hope that i am proved wrong and Zuma comes through to be the politician we need to help our country. But in the back of my mind i am always plagued with his past. Someone with a past as shady as Zuma should not be given the opportunity to lead a country. What kind of role model is he for the youth. The youth that actually seem to be following him funnily enough…wow, another weird story there huh.
June 9th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Hey Verge,
Ye, ofcourse my Zuma statement is a massive call, in fact it’s not really a call but a hypothetical I suppose.
I think that Obama had a “decorated” past too, filled with drugs and scandal, or so I hear. Everyone has done wrong. Would you rather not have a politicians dirty laundty hung out to dry for all to see than think (assume) they are squeeky clean?
June 9th, 2008 at 11:17 am
I’d prefer a leader who can honestly say “been there, overcame it, and I’ll help you in the same way” – instead of “OMG you horrible sinner!”.
From what little I’ve heard (I have very little interest in politics to begin with), Obama is doing a sterling job. Unfortunately, there is one point stacked against him – voters have a history of choosing terrorists as leaders. I’m talking about every nation south of the Sahara here, too.
If he pulls off a victory, though, it’ll be legendary. No matter what happens after that
~ Wogan
June 9th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Well he certainly looked better than Hillary Clinton, but I wonder how much better.
June 9th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Firstly I think the American elections have a huge impact on our lives. We all should be as intrigued by this election race as you seem to be. Do you think oil prices would be what it is today if Al Gore won that fateful electoral vote in Florida 8 years ago? The US president has influence across the globe.
Secondly I agree that opposition politics in SA is very negative and reactionary. I think in general the DA and the rest of the opposition does a good job trying to keep the ANC in check but it would really be amazing if they start actually doing something on their own.
I hope Obama wins. I don’t know much about the specifics about his campaign, but he seems to be a “positive DOer” that will get things done for the better of all people across the globe where McCain looks like a copy of Bush.
June 9th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
During the 20th century America became big, rich, gluttonous and apathetic and it started to irritate the world. Finally Americans seem to be looking beyond their immediate comfort zones to the less familiar and more controversial and Obama is a perfect representation of that. I believe the sub-prime crisis, resource scares and recession concerns have gotten everyone, everywhere on the edges of their seats, thinking, questioning and talking about politics. Even if he doesn’t win, just the fact that it was possible proves that massive progress has been made.
South Africans are quicker to complain and emmigrate than they are willing to actually contribute. I have also not quite worked out what alternatives the DA are offering but if they haven’t quite realised that they need a strong, black leader to be taken seriously then they’ll probably never really offer much.
They say South Africa is in a bad way, that we’re the next Zimbabwe, that Zuma will destroy us all etc.. what an interesting time to be living in, what an amazing opportunity to initiate change and stop all this from happening! Go mentor a kid, teach a prisoner to read, help the refugees. It’s not philanthropy, its citizenship and realising that you live in Africa. We need more positive conversations, more political awareness and a lot less apathy. If the Americans can think differently then we can think and act differently too.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:32 am
I dont think what USA is going through and the kind of change it needs can even barely compare to the giant problems of SA at the moment. Sa needs REal change. What is amazing is how many people support obama and believe he is the CHANGE in America. All this ONLY becasue of his speeches.. What has he done yet? nothing.