FEATURE ARTICLE

Yahaya BalogunTuesday, February 2, 2016
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Arizona, USA

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USA's ENTHRALLING 2016 PRESIDENTIAL RACE:
A LESSON FOR NIGERIA


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redictably, the next President of the United States in this fall will be Hillary Rodham Clinton. The road to Golgotha is always famished as the path to the White House has never been easy in the United States. It has always been a rumble-tumble to victory for the successful candidates. That is what makes American president thick and respected in the domestic and international arena.

All Presidents of the United States have different temperament to address issues that are germane to the US. Hillary Clinton brings to table her experiences in domestic and foreign affairs with facts and figures. She is a policy wonk who knows policy inside out. She marshals questions with very simple and commanding answers. She looks very smart and presidential and seems very ready from day one to be president.

I trust the judgement of the American people. The then Senator Barack Obama looked vulnerable in 2008, but the extraordinary judgement of the American people brought Obama to the White House. The quintessential Obama and his achievements in the last seven years, in spite of the obstructions of the Republican party, speak volumes as one of the best presidents in the United States' history.

If anyone still doubts the strength and exceptionalism of the United States, in spite of the shinanigans or campaigns of bigotry at the GOP side, the person must be subsumed in self-denial or be conceited.

In the last Democratic presidential Town Hall meeting by CNN in Iowa, Hillary Clinton looked presidential with her forceful but subtle sense of discourse. Her extemporanous elocution, impregnated with confidence and experience in the Town Hall meeting will definately be sending jittery into the spine of the GOP party. This resourceful woman is ready to be president anytime.

As the dice is cast. Donald Trump is trumping GOP's establisment with his daydream government of exclusion, his endorsement from Sarah Palin was like an antic of buffoon, which is comic relief in the marketplace. Sara Palin idiotic and wishy washy demeanors on issues are a big embarrassement to the GOP's establishment, and the undying conservative. She's senselessly foolish. A woman who referred to Africa as a country is not only idiotic but lacks intellectual capacity like unserious third grader. Her endorsement of fascism and bigotry of Donald Trump will bring a wonderful catharsis to a loquacious Donald Trump. I cannot wait to see the impending humiliation of the two GOP's trumpets.

Ted Cruze is cruising haphazardly in his evangelical voyage to the amazement of the swing voters and other independent American voters. Ted Cruz is the most scorned senator in the Senate house. Republican and Democratic establishments hate Ted Cruze for his uncompromising stance on national and international issues. He is an expert at filibustering the legislative procedures in the senate. He singlehandedly helped to shutdown US government in 2013. According to Standard & Poor's, a rating company in US, America lost more than 24 billion US dollars in the government shutdown of 2013. The action alone is a tenable justification to deny him votes in the Iowa caucuses or the primary elections.

Marco Rubio, the son of Immigrant has been so disappointing. A great (un)punctuated orator. His rabble-rousing and flip-flopping on issues like immigration are not working for him amongst the conservatives. His misplaced elocution and disrespect for President Obama are his deadliest shortcomings. Rubio has alienated himself from the moderate and the independent voters.

In this troubled world, Dr Ben Carson, a world acclaimed neurologist and a gentleman; a man with benevolent demeanors which cast him as an outcast on his gaffes on foreign affairs. His greatest undoing was his uncomplimentary comments on Muslims and the African Americans. Unlike president Obama, the brilliant Doctor got it all wrong to be the US president.

A recalcitrant Jeb Bush refused to listen to his mother, the former First Lady Mrs Barbara Pierce Bush. The former First Lady admonished his son not to run to avoid Bush dynasty in the White House. Jeb Bush overdue and ineffective jabbing on the trumping Trump's persona to insult his way to presidency isn't working for him. Trumping Trump at this time by a jabbing Bush is inconsequential. In spite of Jeb Bush's stupendous campaign contributions, his poll continues to plummet amongst the coteries of republican presidential jesters.

Others GOP's presidential candidates are impatient spectators pandering on stage into the fears of the loving American people. Obama remains their political weapon and a nightmare that has prevented his adversaries and haters from depending on their own intelligence. A noxious Trump is GOP's inevitable frontrunner. A beautiful gift for Hillary Clinton in the fall of 2016. President Obama and some of us in the Democratic Party are very proud of the formidable presidential candidates in our party. Democratic Party has common goals that have been the distinct and central cardinal points of the party; and the continued progress and uniqueness of America.

Barack Obama's charismatic and brilliance helped define these goals. In a nutshell, the man Barack Obama means a different personality to different people. But one's greatest joy for President Obama is Obama himself. His simplicity and gangnam style are dazzling. A great man with impeccable credentials and achievements.

One great lesson I have learned about Obama is his rare calm, humility, clear purpose and courage of his conviction; unblemished love for his family and the innate tendency for tolerance at all times. Obama's demeanors greatly expressed and nurtured my thought process about him, and what the future holds for him. I admire his sense of ordinariness for mundane.

Vice President Joe Biden said this in the ongoing Republican race: "We’ve been given a gift from the Lord", refering to all of us, the Democrats as "We" and the "Gift" as dramatis personae in the GOP. Who could have said it better, other than our effervescent and dependable Joe! Personally, I see Obama as a republican's catharsis that has prevented most of their followers to use their innate intelligence.

During the House Democratic Issues Conference, Vice President Joe Biden comments on the current Republican Presidential candidates calling the Ted Cruz and Donald Trump race a “gift from the Lord.” The two leading contenders are scorned by the Republican establishment. The Senate Democrats don't like them either, because they represent the most extreme and talibanistic parts of the Republican party.

I believe very strongly in traditional values. Our subconscious mind is a reflection of "our self". When we exhibit the values that are contrary to traditional values, we go extreme and close our minds to other people's ideas, beliefs and opinions.

The Republican Party has moved completely to the far right. The result of their extreme ideology has produced the menace called Donald Trump and the circus shows in Washington. The "self" in them dominate their rational minds to be receptive to others. That is the norms in the republican party of today. Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and other clowns in the republican party will make our campaign easy when the primaries are over in both parties. Whoever emerges winner or as their flagbearer, will be a beautiful gift for the Democrats in the fall to the White House.

Meanwhile, I love the judgement of the past better than the present; the present is beclouded and conflicted with the confluence of interest. But the future is a drawing testimonial from our present actions and inactions. If truly "history is bunk", then we will not be able to use our past to shape the future. History at present should be a weapon for retooling the future. I believe very strongly in the ?#?HOW? of spirituality of life: ?#?Honesty?, ?#?Openmindedness? and ?#?Willingness? with tenacity to change situations for the good of man in the midst of all odds.

Whatever a man does whether by commission or omission, is an instrument for future development. With patience, perseverance; focus with vision and mission, we can move the mountains and shape the world. America is a better and prosperous nation than when Barack Obama met it in 2008. I hope his achievements will be consolidated and preserved for a united and prosperous America. Three Big Lessons: His sense of ordinariness for mundane things; His courage of conviction and legacy endure forever and the admixture of burdens and joys of history.

The next few months to November will be fun and interesting in the US politics. The world is roll its sleeves; Go getting ready to cruise together with Americans to witness another history in the making. I look forward to when elections in Nigeria will be as peaceful, fun and interesting, as it is here in the United States.

Congratulations to Secretary Clinton in advance, the first woman to become the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces of the United States in November, 2016.

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