Posted on 09/27/2004 12:33:11 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
A group of Kenyans living in America have been blocked from campaigning for Democratic Party Senate candidate Barack Obama.
Efforts by the Kenyans to raise funds and set up a website link were all blocked by Obama's advisors. There is speculations that the Democratic Party advisors have been uneasy about a group of Kenyans engaging actively in the Obama campaigns. There have been fears that the Republican Party might use that to claim that Obama received money from illegal migrants.
In March, Obama made his primary win historic by winning more than 52 per cent of the vote in a field of seven candidates and without the help of the once all-powerful city Democratic Party machine. It is no surprise that Obama's stock in the arena of national spotlight has risen with such ferocity.
State Senator Obama delivered the keynote address at the Democratic Party Convention on Tuesday July 27, 2004 thereby introducing himself to the nation. The speech received rave reviews, thereby propelling Obama into a rising political star of the Democratic Party.
Dennis Byrne, a Chicago area writer and a public affairs consultant who writes a column for the famed Chicago Tribune, is an ardent Republican who finds Obama intelligent, and eloquent. Byrne describes Obama as a politician who stands for issues as opposed to the negative campaign that can be seen currently in the presidential run-off.
Indeed, these sentiments, typical of the political stage in America, will precisely target Obama's campaign run. The Republican Party has imported Allan Keyes from the state of Maryland, a conservative African-American, who many in the state of Illinois view as a token black choice who will lose to Obama come November 4.
Election process
Riding the great storyline, that Obama indeed is an American citizen by way of Kenya, many US based Kenyans are eager to participate in the election process. It is in this mindset that www.kenyans4obama.com was born. It was an initiative to raise funds for Obama's campaign, led by Mr Symon Ogeto and Mr Michael Chitavi. The team has a regional presence in North-Michigan, Minnesota, Milwaukee and Chicago, South Arizona, Dallas and Houston, East-Washington DC, Boston and Virginia.
Fueled by the allure of being a part of history, political analysts say that the kenyans4obama missed the fact that Obama and his campaign office are in the business of politics. Their approach of the Obama campaign office, the numerous advances and offers for financial donations or request for meetings with Obama have been disallowed. Obama, too, is unavailable to meet the group. The campaign office does not want any group making any press releases without direct clearance. They propose a date after the November elections on which kenyans4obama can meet with Senator Obama.
One of the group's leaders who declined to be identified, admitted having mixed feelings about Obama and his campaign office now that they had been shut out of direct participation in the candidate's march to Washington. Speculation among many Kenyans is rife that the campaign office knows they are ahead on points and are winning the election by far. They do not want much to do with immigrants, especially since the Republicans are ever looking for a reason to launch negative attacks, albeit immigration issues, that affect most Africans in the US.
Obama, on his part, is now a very busy politician. He is now traveling around the country helping in the campaigns of struggling democrats around the country.
The Kenyan group's spokesman insists that they have learnt from their mistakes and have to reorganise. He contends that Africans are distraught at being dismissed as immigrants yet they willingly make time and spent money all in an effort to support Obama. He insists that they are not ready to give up.
I think Keyes should make a poster that says 'Obama' is alomost spelled like 'Osama' and that should be cause for concern.
This article might be of interest to immigration officials.
Then Obama can make a poster that says 'Keyes' is almost spelled like 'Kerry' and complete the nonsense.
*ping*
Keyes is not spelled like Kerry nor does it rhyme with Kerry....
No, but as asinine strategies go it's at least as valid a reason for not voting for Keyes as your's is for not voting for Obama.
Keyes is down by 51 points in some polls and that's the best strategy you can offer?
It was funny.
I think when you are down by 51 points, that is the best time to have fun.
No, he shouldn't actually adopt this strategy as this is not strategy but a joke.
However, I am pretty sure, Obama's sympathies are with Osama.
That's a pretty serious charge for a U.S. Senator. I hope you have something to support it.
I may not agree with him on taxes or social programs or much anything else, but I haven't seen anything yet that would indicate that Obama supports terrorists.
Re: your tagline...
Who was the second?
According to my Democrat siblings, Bush.
Some folks could get the idea you agreed with them by the wording of that tag.
No, I chose it because it annoys the southern fanatics on the Civil War discussions that go on around here.
Are you certain you haven't confused FR with another website? NO KKK members here.
Confusing fanaticism with a respect for one's history (regional or otherwise) shouldn't be a matter that deserves being annoyed.
Not Rutherford B. Hayes?
"Confusing fanaticism with a respect for one's history (regional or otherwise) shouldn't be a matter that deserves being annoyed."
Non-Sequitur just made this same point after another poster tried to make a connection between Obama's Kenyan name and support for bin Laden.
Well, there's inclusion and then there's Inclusion.
'Landslide' Rutherfraud? Nope.
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