Black Lincoln? Still too Early to Tell

Obama has won.

No surprise. Nothing illogical.

When everyone is talking about his skin color, my eyes are all on the financial tsunami and the Iraqi War.

In this aspect, the incumbent Republican Bush administration has been Obama’s best campaign members.

American has elected Obama, not because of his skin color or his outstanding political acumen.

While everyone knows his campaign message “The Change We Need” by heart, there are few who are able to even talk about the ten proposals for change put forth by Brethren Obama.

The bullishness about Obama is reflective of the wrath of the Americans against the current government.

Angered by a never-ending war in Iraq, not to forget Afghanistan, plus a financial tsunami that sweeps Wall Street, Americans take it all out on the Bush administration.

Regardless of who would have been the Democratic nominee, be it a Black or a woman or any Tom, Dick or Harry, Americans who are all set to have change in the government would give support.

This panicky economic outlook has impacted day-to-day living. The aversion to war stems out of love for one’s kith and kin. All these issues supersede racial suspicion and gender discrimination.

Under such overtone, the new government takes stage with super-high support from the people. The new leader will, in a bid to cater to popular demand, make war cries for reforms.

Does this sequence of events sound familiar to you?

Oh yes, these plots have been staged in Taiwan, which had an election that took place earlier.

What a rehash! The Bush administration is Chen Shuibian (both have served 2 terms and have squeaked through the last election) while Obama is the Black version of Ma Yingjiu (Ma). How enlightening! Politics are no more than a ‘back to basics’ game.

Economic stagnancy and rampant corruption were hallmarks of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)’s reign in Taiwan. Taiwanese abhor the political games employed to invoke ethnic factions.

After the DPP’s first term, the Taiwanese voters were still open to “give it a second try.” As a result, challengers from the Kuomingtang (KMT) lost the previous election to the DPP by a slim margin.

Throughout this election, a majority of Taiwanese had lost their patience and decided to have a change. Ma from the KMT promised his voters “Immediate Improvement.” As expected, Ma won by a decisive margin.

Then?

It marks the beginning of a nightmare.

Let me quote my article “From Hero to Zero”: Taiwanese have attached too high a hope on Ma’s “Immediate Improvement” slogan. Once global inflation hit Taiwan, China’s spin-off turned out to be infinitesimal, added to the governments ineffective reaction to typhoons and the people’s high hopes imploded. The resultant grievance turned Ma from Hero to Zero.

Ma is not alone. He is joined by new South Korean President Lee Myung-bak (Lee) and France’s Sarkozy. They face a common problem: the passion and expectations generated during election have turned sour, resulting in “negative net-worth of election promises.”

The promissory notes they issued during the elections and what has been delivered look worlds apart. The people soon question their “hero’s” abilities to run the country.

With the “negative net-worth of election promises” remaining, the story of “hero to zero” repeats.

When we look at Obama in the cold light of Ma, Lee and Sarkozy, we find it difficult to feel optimistic for his imminent political career.

To those who know Americans well, Americans are exceptional speakers. They are capable of packaging the ordinary into extraordinary, otherwise, how would they have managed to sell so many junk CDOs (Collateralized Debt Obligations) to the whole world?

Americans are the most skillful when it comes to election promise and image-packaging. Obama campaign team even likens him to Lincoln.

But we must also remember that Americans are equally unsparing in their criticisms. Even a person who is consistently correct like Alan Greenspan has been stripped of his deified position and he has not been spared of mudslinging.

Now that the American version of “Hero to Zero” has hit the screen, let’s wait and see.

Black Lincoln?

Still way too early to tell.