THEME: THE FRAGILITY OF POPULIST RHETORIC 

The mid-term elections are over; the chickens have come to roost. The Obama “YES WE CAN” bandwagon has come to a halt. His legislature record sounds good.  However, they are yet to turn the tables and give spirit and fuel to the “Yes we can” wagon. 

Perhaps, his “Yes we can” slogan should have been geared towards educating, enlisting, and inspiring nation and people as to what is wrong, what need be changed, what direction and course, and of course, the realities and dynamics of the necessary change(s). Unfortunately, the economic mess, the ill-fated military adventures, and the heavy national debt have left no room for maneuvering.  Besides, he does appear to lack vision and courage to engage the political, military, and economic establishment in a serious dialogue and confrontation of the challenges faced by the nation. Will he find spirit, courage, wisdom, and avenue to engage Republican Congress in a national venture to find solution and lead the nation out of the woods?  Will American pride and Washington politics permit and make this possible? 

This reminds us of the Mills ‘CHANGE FOR BETTER GHANA’ slogan, which so far has only found expression in rhetorics, political party feuds, insults, and disengagement with national process.  Thanks be to God there is no mid-term election here, otherwise, the serious issues of credibility, political sagacity in the face of political party and national cohesion challenges and team “B” go slow performance would have found expression at the thumb-print gallows. This notwithstanding, it does appear that President Mills can only find confidence in the pursuit of the NDC manifesto and Better-Ghana agenda, to up-grade his performance and save his face and records by seeking fresh mandate from the electorate. 

Fresh elections are the only way to obtain Mills-directed party manifesto and mandate, bring internal party, cohesion and stability, and uphold his NDC party credentials. Regarding Obama, the mid-term blues are no surprise to us. The Spirit of the Lord revealed to us that Obama will face three tests, fail all and exit at the end. We wrote of this in January 2009, describing the end-development as “THE FAIL, FAIL EXIT SCENARIO.” 

Certainly, the Mid-term elections have recorded a major failure for President Obama. What is awaited now is the 2012 election. On other hand, his economic efforts have met with unabating unemployment, rising living costs, the challenges at the military front, and the heavy drain of astronomical national debt.  America is a challenged species of political giants and superpowers. 

Meanwhile, the cries of black and oppressed America, the frustrated youth of otherwise affluent America, and unsettled middle class cannot but weigh heavily on the minds and conscience of Obama who spirited hope and enticed expectation, with “Yes, we can”. There is yet to be avenue and platform to set sail with any ‘do it’ the “Yes, We Can” way. Finally, we see no sign of Obama changing politics à la Washington.  Will politics-as-usual drag him down toward the White House exit door? 

November 8, 2010