Obama's ancestral village boosts its favourite son

 

Obama's ancestral village boosts its favourite son

Like his grandmother says: 'To be president of the U.S. is like being president of the whole world'

TIA GOLDENBERG

From Friday's Globe and Mail

December 7, 2007 at 4:29 AM EST

KOGELO, KENYA — Sarah Obama wouldn't want to live in the United States. A few visits there were enough to affirm that she's comfortable in a tiny, impoverished village in western Kenya, where she tills her fields and tends to her avocado and papaya trees.

"I don't like that place. It's too cold," Mrs. Obama says, speaking in her tribal tongue, Dholuo, as her small, weathered hands waved dismissively in the air.

But she doesn't have any problems with the ambitions of her grandson Barack Obama, who's running for the U.S. presidency.

"To be the president of the U.S. is like being the president of the whole world," the 85-year-old says. "I am very happy."

As Mrs. Obama's renowned grandson scaled the ladder from minor politician to senator and now potential presidential candidate for the Democratic Party, Mrs. Obama has remained here, in the house she has lived in most of her life in Kogelo, Mr. Obama's ancestral village.

Except nowadays, everybody knows her. Visitors from near and far swing by just to say hello and catch a glimpse of the place to which Mr. Obama traces his roots.

Mrs. Obama is actually the stepmother of Barack Obama's father. But she raised Barack Sr., and as the matriarch of the extended Obama family she's the woman Mr. Obama calls grandma.

Evidence of their closeness is all over her one-storey, three-room house.

A shrine to Mr. Obama - both father and son - adorns the cream walls. A signed Senate campaign poster bears a large photo of Mr. Obama with his finely tuned politician's smile. It reads "Mama Sarah. Habari! And love." Habari is a Swahili greeting.

Family portraits taken during Mr. Obama's first visit to Kogelo in 1987, five years after his father died in a road accident, show a beaming young man, with slightly larger hair fit for the decade.

"When he came for the first time it was a kind of mixed feeling for Barack," she says, clutching a photo of the two of them taken during that visit, her grandson helping out with chores. "He was happy to meet his other family and at the same time he was sad that he was coming home and could not see his dad."

Mr. Obama had met his father before on his many visits to the United States, but wasn't able to travel to Kogelo before 1987.

Mr. Obama Sr. is buried on the lawn as is customary in ethnic Luo tradition. His white-tiled tombstone lies near that of Mr. Obama's grandfather, Hussein Onyango Obama.

While Mr. Obama was born and raised in the United States by his American mother, his ties to this village run deep and Kenyans accept him as one of their own.

A visit last year elicited a welcome usually reserved for celebrities. Throngs of people came out to greet Mr. Obama's convoy, sporting his photo on T-shirts and cheering his name.

"In the past he used to sneak into the village and very few people took notice of it," Mrs. Obama said of her grandson's third visit to Kenya. "This time everything was arranged and according to plan."

Kogelo has had an Obamamania transformation: A secondary school is named Senator Obama, and Kenyans drinking local Senator beer have been calling it "Obama" instead.

But Mrs. Obama says her life hasn't changed much.

And while she isn't really able to follow much of the gripping campaign without a computer or television, she's keen to open her home to reporters and well-wishers on election night - should Mr. Obama make it that far - and set up a TV to broadcast the coverage.

Until then, Mrs. Obama will keep hoping her grandson gets what he's striving for and that he knows he still has a place to stay when he's in town.

But the next time he drops by he'll find an Obama 2008 bumper sticker pasted on the door to his room.

Special to The Globe and Mail

globeandmail.com: Obama's ancestral village boosts its favourite son

Kogelo - Mahalo

 

Kogelo

Guide Note:Kogelo, Kenya is the village in Africa that Barack Obama's father's family comes from. His grandmother, Sarah Onyango Obama, and his uncle, Said Obama, still live there.

Fast Facts:

1. Located in western Kenya, near Kisumu
2. Province: Nyanza
3. District: Siaya
4. Economy: agricultural

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• Bushdrums.com: Siaya District , Kenya
• Wikipedia: Siaya District
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• Reuters: Some Kenyans Forget Crisis to Root for Obama (January 8, 2008)
• Associated Press: "Obama Family in Kenya Watches US Vote" (January 8, 2008)
• Guardian Unlimited: "Leadoff Primary Shapes White House Race" (January 8, 2008)
• New York Times: "For Some Kenyan Villagers, the Action Is in Des Moines" (January 4, 2008)
• Video: Nyangoma-Kogelo Awaits Obama (Time 4:53)

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For Harlem Voters, Clintons Experience Is Key

 

Campaign workers distributed leaflets for Hillary Rodham Clinton at 125th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem on Sunday afternoon. (Photo: Marko Georgiev for The New York Times)

A day after Barack Obama’s decisive victory in South Carolina, propelled by overwhelming support among black voters, it remained an open question whether Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton would be able to hold on to her African-American base in New York.

Mrs. Clinton’s supporters were in Harlem on a Sunday afternoon to drum up support for her, at the intersection of Malcolm X Boulevard and 125th Street, just a few blocks from former President Bill Clinton’s office and in the heart of the Congressional district represented by Charles B. Rangel, the dean of Harlem politics, who has been rallying support for Mrs. Clinton. (Mr. Obama’s supporters, meanwhile, organized a rousing rally downtown at City Hall, as Jonathan P. Hicks reports in a companion blog post to this one.)

Despite Mr. Obama’s strong showing in South Carolina, which caused some celebration in Harlem, several voters said they were sticking with Mrs. Clinton. The symbolism of a black president versus the weight of experience plays differently in New York than it does in South Carolina, said Barry Wright, a 47-year-old military veteran who is from southeastern Virginia but now lives in Harlem.

“The view from the North is going to be different from the view from the South,” Mr. Wright predicted, adding that the South is “still living in the past.”

Mr. Wright, who is African-American, said he believed that black voters in the North were likely to vote based on “pocketbook issues,” like the economy, health insurance and social programs — areas where, he said, Mrs. Clinton is the stronger candidate.

“Yes, it’s great to have a black president, but I don’t think Obama has the experience,” Mr. Wright said. “I’m voting Hillary always. She brings a lot to the table. She knows what the economy needs, what the country needs.”

Indeed, Mr. Wright said he believed that black voters in South Carolina were less likely to be well-informed than black voters in New York. “‘Why did you vote for Obama?’ ‘Because he’s black.’ ‘Well why? Tell me about the issues,’” Mr. Wright said, engaging in a hypothetical dialogue. “I think 60 percent of the voters down there don’t have no clue other than he’s black.”

Darryl James, 45, also a Harlem resident, agreed with Mr. Wright’s assessment. “They don’t know anything about him,” he said of South Carolina voters, adding, of Mrs. Clinton: “She’s the one that is going to make a difference.”

Mr. James’s friend Eric Garcia, who is in his 40s, said that he often hears from friends, “We need a black brother for president,” but is unconvinced. “I understand that, but I need credentials,” he said. “I really look at qualifications. We need a qualified candidate where we are now: the deficit, the war. I just find we’re better off with Mrs. Clinton.”

Other voters argued that the historic nature of Mr. Obama’s candidacy should not be overlooked.

“I’m a black person supporting Obama,” said Mike Johnson, 35, who was in Harlem on a visit from his home in Teaneck, N.J. “If it’s a positive black person running for president, I’m for it. Ever since I was born, it was, ‘You were never going to be president.’ A black person in the White House?”

Mr. Johnson said he thought well of Mrs. Clinton, too: “She’s cool. She does a lot for black people.” Then he paused for a moment and a proposed a joint ticket: “Obama-Hillary! That would be a mean slam!” By Jennifer 8. Lee

For Some Harlem Voters, Clintons Experience Is Key - City Room - Metro - New York Times Blog

Barack Obama's Top Ten Campaign Promises

 

10. To keep the budget balanced, I’ll rent the situation room for sweet sixteens.

9. I will double your tax money at the craps table.

8. Appoint Mitt Romney secretary of lookin’ good.

7. If you bring a gator to the White House, I’ll wrassle it.

6. I’ll put Regis on the nickel.

5. I’ll rename the tenth month of the year “Barack-tober.”

4. I won’t let Apple release the new and improved Ipod the day after you bought the previous model.

3. I’ll find money in the budget to buy Letterman a decent hairpiece.

2. Pronounce the word nuclear, nuclear.

1. Three words: Vice President Oprah.

Scenes From The Road

Watch exclusive video from CBS News reporters traveling with the candidates.

(CBS/AP) Sen. Barack Obama is making some campaign promises we can be pretty sure he won't keep.
Appearing Thursday on CBS' Late Show With David Letterman the Democratic presidential candidate delivered a tongue-in-cheek list of his top 10 campaign promises, including a pledge to rename the tenth month of the year "Barack-tober."
Also on the list is a vow to "appoint Mitt Romney secretary of lookin' good" and another to "put Regis on the nickel."
And the No. 1 campaign promise?
"Three words: Vice President Oprah."
Obama, the latest in a string of candidates to show up on Letterman's show, appeared just briefly to deliver the night's list. Earlier this week, candidate John Edwards came on the show only to have his carefully coifed hair messed up by the host.
On Thursday, Obama joked that Lettermen couldn't repeat that prank, telling him: "you can't muss my hair."
Here is the complete Top 10 list:
10. To keep the budget balanced, I’ll rent the situation room for sweet sixteens.
9. I will double your tax money at the craps table.
8. Appoint Mitt Romney secretary of lookin’ good.
7. If you bring a gator to the White House, I’ll wrassle it.
6. I’ll put Regis on the nickel.
5. I’ll rename the tenth month of the year “Barack-tober.”
4. I won’t let Apple release the new and improved Ipod the day after you bought the previous model.
3. I’ll find money in the budget to buy Letterman a decent hairpiece.
2. Pronounce the word nuclear, nuclear.
1. Three words: Vice President Oprah.

Kennedy to Back Obama Over Clinton

 

Damon Winter/The New York Times

Senator Barack Obama talked to reporters on a flight from Macon, Ga., to Birmingham, Ala., on Sunday.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Senator Edward M. Kennedy intends to endorse the presidential candidacy of Senator Barack Obama during a rally on Monday in Washington, associates to both men confirmed, a decision that squarely pits one American political dynasty against another.

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The expected endorsement, coming after Mr. Obama’s commanding victory over Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in the South Carolina Democratic primary on Saturday, may give Mr. Obama further momentum in his campaign for the nomination.

As Mr. Obama flew here on Sunday, he smiled when asked by reporters about Mr. Kennedy’s plans, saying: “I’ve had ongoing conversations with Ted since I’ve got into this race.” He learned of Mr. Kennedy’s decision through a telephone call on Thursday, aides said, three days before the South Carolina primary.

Of all the endorsements in the Democratic Party, Mr. Kennedy’s is viewed as among the most influential. The Massachusetts senator had vowed to stay out of the presidential nominating fight, but as the contest expanded into a state-by-state fight — and given the tone of the race in the last week — associates said he was moved to announce his support for Mr. Obama.

Mrs. Clinton said Sunday that she had not expected to get the endorsement, yet aides conceded that they hoped Mr. Kennedy would remain neutral.

The endorsement will be announced at a rally at American University on Monday, hours before the State of the Union Address at the Capitol.

One day after defeating Mrs. Clinton in South Carolina by 28 points, Mr. Obama flew to Georgia to speak at a church service before traveling on to Alabama for a rally. Both states are among those holding primaries in the next stop in the Democratic presidential nominating fight on Feb. 5.

Mr. Kennedy, the latest in a string of senators to get behind Mr. Obama, is said by associates to be drawn to the Illinois senator because of his ability to motivate a new generation of Democrats. His niece, Caroline Kennedy, made a similar argument in an Op-Ed piece in The New York Times on Sunday.

“For somebody who, I think, has been such an important part of our national imagination and who generally shies away from involvement in day-to-day politics to step out like that is something that I’m very grateful for,” Mr. Obama told reporters on Sunday, referring to Ms. Kennedy.

During Mr. Obama’s three years in the Senate, he has worked to build allies and gain friendships with many of his colleagues. While Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Obama have not been particularly close, Mr. Obama quickly gained the admiration of the Kennedy family.

Besides providing Mr. Obama with an important boost for his campaign, his strong victory in South Carolina also raised questions about the Clinton camp’s strategy of aggressive attacks on him. But in an interview on Sunday on the CBS News program “Face the Nation,” Mrs. Clinton said she would not back off from taking shots at her chief rival’s positions, saying, “It’s important we draw these contrasts.”

“The idea that somehow someone’s record, someone’s words are off-limits, I’ve never seen that in American politics,” Senator Clinton added.

With each of the top Democrats having notched two primary victories, it appears increasingly likely that the party’s presidential nominating fight could extend well beyond the multistate primary elections on Feb. 5.

John Edwards, the former North Carolina senator, received 18 percent of the vote in South Carolina. Despite the disappointing finish by Mr. Edwards, who was born in South Carolina, the former senator insisted that he will remain in the race. Mr. Edwards’s delegates could eventually play a key role in the fight between Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton.

The next big contest comes on Tuesday in Florida. In the Republican race, Senator John McCain received the endorsement of the state’s popular Republican governor, Charlie Crist. On Sunday, Mr. McCain again assailed the Iraq policies of a top rival, Mitt Romney, castigating the former Massachusetts governor for having suggested earlier some sort of unannounced timetable for withdrawal.

“Governor Romney obviously said there have to be ‘timetables,” although they had to be secret,” McCain said on “Meet the Press” on NBC. “If we had done that, as the Democrats and some Republicans wanted to do, we would have lost that surge and al-Qaeda would be celebrating a victory over the United States of America.”

Mr. Romney has demanded an apology from Mr. McCain, saying the Arizona senator had been dishonest in his description.

The Florida primary could be critical for the Republican campaign of Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former New York mayor. Mr. Giuliani on Sunday predicted victory in Florida, seeing the large number of early absentee votes cast so far as a helpful sign and saying his tax-cutting promises were resonating with voters. As of Friday night, nearly 400,000 party Republicans had cast early votes, compared with the 200,000 who cast votes at this point in 2006. Florida is one of 37 states to permit early voting, and Mr. Giuliani has made an effort to get his supporters to vote early over the past month.

Democratic candidates are now taking their campaigns to states like California and New York for contests that hold vast numbers of delegates. Tuesday’s primary in Florida will play an unusual role in this election because the Democratic National Committee has said it would not seat Florida’s delegates because the state is holding the primary earlier than party rules apply.

Democratic candidates have not actively campaigned in Florida because of the party’s decision, but that does not mean a race has not been conducted by Florida supporters of Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama. As of Friday night, nearly 350,000 Democrats had cast early votes — exceeding the turnout in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada — and party officials predicted that roughly 400,000 will have voted by election day.

Jeff Zeleny reported from Birmingham, Ala., and Brian Knowlton from Washington. Adam Nagourney contributed reporting from Boca Raton, Fla.  By JEFF ZELENY and BRIAN KNOWLTON

Published: January 27, 2008

Kennedy Plans to Back Obama Over Clinton - New York Times

About Obama Barrack

This blog is about Barack Hussein Obama and the change that is here ...

Barack Hussein Obama (pronounced /bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/^[1]) (born August 4, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 presidential election.^[2][3] He is the fifth African American Senator in U.S. history, the third to have been popularly elected, and the only African American currently serving in the U.S. Senate.^[4]

Obama was born in Honolulu to a Kenyan father and an American mother. He lived most of his early life in the Pacific island U.S. state of Hawaii. From ages six to ten, he lived in Jakarta, Indonesia. A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, Obama worked as a community organizer, university lecturer, and civil rights lawyer before running for public office. He served in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, he launched his campaign for U.S. Senate in 2003.

Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention while still an Illinois state legislator.^[5] He was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2004 with a landslide 70% of the vote in an election year marked by Republican gains.^[6] As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, Obama co-sponsored the enactment of conventional weapons control and transparency legislation, and made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In the 110th Congress, he has sponsored legislation on lobbying and electoral fraud, climate change, nuclear terrorism, and care for returned U.S. military personnel.

Since announcing his presidential campaign in February 2007, Obama has emphasized ending the Iraq War, increasing energy independence, and providing universal health care as major priorities.^[7] He married in 1992 and has two daughters. He has written two bestselling books: a memoir of his youth titled Dreams from My Father, and The Audacity of Hope, a personal commentary on U.S. politics.^[8]