I Couldn't Have Said it Better Myself

Let me preface this entry by saying "I support Barack Obama 100%" I voted for him during my primary election and will vote for him in November.
That being said, it really annoys me that everytime I speak to a friend or family member in Africa, conversation is CONSUMED with questions about Obama. I fully respect an individual's desire to follow news and politics abroad, because I clearly do the same. What I don't understand is this obsession with the elections in the US (as ground breaking as it is) when all is not at right at home!
I'll stop here and include an excerpt from Dorene Namanya's piece in The Monitor

"Obama- Let's Not Get Carried Away"
The morning after he won the democratic nomination, he was all everyone was talking about. From local TV and FM stations, the taxi driver chatting enthusiastically to his conductor, the leading dailies, to even talk among women who are normally far removed from the political surroundings (although to be fair they were discussing his looks). The Obama drug was taking effect. It was as if the prices of fuel, food and the northern war peace treaty (or lack thereof) no longer seemed to matter. Ugandans had embraced Obama.

This is worrying on so many fronts. One that we almost seem more enthusiastic about than our neighbours in Kenya and he is after all their cousin. Kind of like that woman who howls, wails and threatens to kill herself at the death of her stepchild when the child's mother is weeping quietly in a corner.

Two, that Obama's election will not change the situation here. Honest, those potholes will remain. Three, that Zimbabwe is still being led by a tyrant, Ugandans are being harassed in South Africa, there is a crisis in Darfur and yet we channel our energies in the Obama campaign. Four that he is still only just a candidate.

This is probably the one topic where people are taking advantage to show off their knowledge of international politics, but all that enthusiasm is not going to pay off in the end. I hate to disappoint all of you enthusiasts, but your opinion as Ugandans matters only so much.

Reminds me of the last US presidential elections, how a certain tabloid here ran an editorial on Election Day that read, "Here at (insert tabloid name) we support John Kerry." I bet John Kerry wrote them a letter later thanking them for their support. I bet he didn't.