-US law professor tells visiting group of journalists
By Heppilena Ferguson in St Louis, Missouri
With just a day before the people of the United States cast their ballots in one of the most anticipated elections in recent times with a huge global following, one US law professor says that Senator Barack Obama “looks comfortable to prevail”.
The journalists on the tour, Heppilena Ferguson is standing fourth from left.
He shared his perceptions with a group of 26 journalists from around the world who have been selected to be part of the Midwest election reporting tour.
Presenting an overview of the 2008 elections at Washington University at St. Louis, Missouri on Wednesday, Professor Gregory Magarian said he felt that it was not race , but his gifted political persona that has made Obama reach the place he is today in US political life
“It is not his race, it’s the fact that he is just a gifted politician,” he said when asked if he felt that Obama’s race was partly the reason for his ascension.
The campaign has generated more interest that it has in many parts of the world in years past, since the Democratic Party formally picked the Honolulu , Hawaii-born senator as its presidential candidate by acclamation after a gruelling campaign against the heavily favoured Senator Hillary Clinton .
As the journalists met for their familiarisation sessions, none was ashamed to admit that Obama has made the US election more interesting to them than it has in their lifetime. The fact that he is an African American making enormous strides, the journalists all agreed that were their countries to decide who would be the next United States president, Obama would be a landslide victor.
Drilled mostly on his perceptions about the debates so far, Professor Magarian told reporters during his brief but interactive session that he felt that Obama’s race had nothing to do with his successes noting that he did not think that America had come that far.
He said that though he admired former US President Bill Clinton, who he also labels “a gifted politician”, he believes that Obama has gone past Clinton in terms of meeting expectations.
“I have never seen a democratic nominee run a campaign with such competence. Clinton ran well but even he did not approach the level that Obama has with such competence. What Obama has done is nothing short of remarkable”, he said.
About whether he felt that Obama had made any mistakes in his campaign so far, he said he could not think of any.
He admitted that both Obama and Republican nominee John McCain entered the race with strong profiles but like many commentators he felt that McCain’s selection of his running mate Sarah Palin was not a judicious one.
He noted that several polls have indicated that the vice presidential candidates did not influence the outcome of elections, but said that issues like McCain’s age for instance would cause persons to pay a closer look at who he chose.
According to him McCain has always come over as a person with solid judgement but he may have fallen down in failing to check out her background, her stewardship of Alaska and her political and international affairs exposure. All of these he said were areas which people would depend on McCain to have researched.
“The fact that he selected her was an impulsive rather than careful process”, the professor asserted.
He said what seemed to be McCain’s greatest asset now seems to, arguably, be his liability.
He said he believed too that the McCain campaign has suffered from a lack of a coherent message.
Magarian felt too that outgoing president George W. Bush and his level of unpopularity has made it exceedingly difficult for any Republican candidate to enjoy easy passage. However he said he felt the party saw McCain as its best bet and a person who might rekindle some hope in the party.
The journalists have so far been lectured about the elections procedures, the private sector’s involvement in the campaign process and pollsters’ predictions and varying perceptions on the process. The journalists would be out on elections day as part of the programme which will extend even after elections.
The tour has been organised by the Foreign Press Centre of the US Department of State, under the auspices of the United States embassies in the participating countries which include Guyana, Sierra Leone, Spain, Mexico, Taiwan, Moldova and The Ivory Coast.
The journalists on the tour, Heppilena Ferguson is standing fourth from left.
Although Obama WILL win, sometimes i wonder if his mother wasn’t white if he would have been where he is today.
This is typical of us being negative i think this is one problems that SOME black folks like yourself and i am stressing SOME face you do not believe in your self you always doubt yourself or other blacks abilities. His mother is white yes, when he is trying to hail a taxi in manhattan that does not help him so when you wonder if he has gotton so far by virtue of his mother being white think about that. This has nothing to do with his mother’s skin color the guy is a harvard grad an academic scholar he has a brain forget color.
Shame on you Sandhurst…….you should realise that everything does’nt have to come down to race,you sound like certain people……Obama is where he should be,IT IS TIME…it looks like you believe those words “bottom of the ladder” well let me assure you that that was wrong….very wrong my friend!!!
every comment from you has to be about black, the guyana govt was right in dismissing you from the army.
Wonder is ALL we can do
We will NEVER KNOW for certain.
I will not call you any names. You are young and young minds ask many questions, which is good. But i believe destiny, and now is his turn. Just like the LATE GRATE BOB MARLEY. DR KING, MALCOLM X. and the list goes on. Maybe you are next for Guyana. And unlike many of us, you are still there.
Sandhurst, I have always questioned your views on issues as you blog about them, and have always come to the conclusion that you belong to a different time and place. My earlier blog was not posted so I am going to modify this one with the hope that it is posted. The other bloggers are saying that you are not politically astude;that your politics is grounded in race. I agree. Wake up and smell the coffee man. It is my opinion that Guyana is what it is today because there are many like you, who only see issues affecting Guyanese as racially motivated. Mr. Obama is where he is because he is smart and a very decent person; and yes, credit his white mother and white grandparents for ensuring that he inculcated the very values that he so admiringly displays in his political and personal life. ISNM
sandhurst never mind those guys u can never get them to change.like these guuys have crystalball they could just watch a photo of someone and say wether they are employed or is firedmaybe if i had post a photo of myself in ragged clothes they might say im a bum.
Don’t wonder SandHurst his mother is not black. Obama is not white and the time has come for Martin Luther’s dream to prevail. This man is not being judge by the color of his skin or his mother’s skin he is place there by the content of his perso.
americans are hurting at the moment, high cost of living, the mortgage crises,the grave credit situation, the war in irag and afganistan, and george bush’s inability to bring salvation to the american people is another reason for the republicans to be voted out of office come this elections, barack obama is hopefully that change the people are looking forward to his message which is inspireing,( KIND OF reminds me of the great martin luther king whenever he speaks) and then again this was what mlk was talking about when he gave his i have a dream speach, this is the dream that is about to materalised , as americans and the world looks for hope as history is about to be made.
If OBAMA should become the president of the USA it is because of the strategy of the Democratic Party , knowing fully well that America needs a change they deliberately placed a mixed American to lead the party , should they placed a pure African American that might prove disastrous so they used the best strategy to get the votes, Americans who needs a change have no other alternative than to vote Democratic, so if OBAMA becomes the president he have thank the strategists of the Democratic Party and the people who voted for change
We are waiting to welcome him,oh we can wait,his mother must have been the proudest of all.
Long live to his presidency.
Hey its America and the “white” Americans still sees him as ‘Black” Coz they say”If you aint white then you black”
Some blacks dont like him coz they say”He aint black enough”
Some people are so die hard they will vote Rebublican no matter what……They care not about economy as long as they can hold on to their guns and make abortion,gays and illegal immigration disappear…..
They are just like those die hard PNCR supporters….
They dont care what the PNC did to Guyanese but as long as thePNC rule they are comfy with that….
Obama should win this election by a landslide if Americans were to vote on issues…..
John Mcain lost the election on Sept.15th around 9am when he said “the fundamental of the US economy is strong”
Then we have a brilliant lady from up north who could see Russia from her front porch and who could not name a single magazine or news paper or clippings she read to gain her foreign policy experience…
Then again its America they always get what they want huh…..
They choose Bush twice….Once by the court next time by the people…….
Canadians too get what they want….They got Brian for two terms who like Bush are the worse to Govern……Obama wins my a landslide……
Evileyes, I agree with your analysis on Obama! However, tell me honestly, is the PPP any better than the PNC now or ever? Again, tell me honestly!
Man, yuh sure got it right. Love the comparison between the Republicans and PNC supporters. Some folks think that is the right of the few to govern the majority.
YEA UR RIGHT evileyes, i agree with you, BUT in the case of GUYANA, if guyanese were to vote on the issues also then this govt would not be in power.
Evil- I’ll give you the illegal govt part, but I’m sick and tired of the “ban food argument”. Foreign mindedness kept GT from developing, not no party. Everybody think deh gon fly out someday so they do nothing to develop their comunity and country. While deh in GT, deh want Polar bear and not Banks, deh want victoria secret and not Yassin’s. Deh want apple and not guava. Deh want Pottery Barn and not Vanceram. If we understood what it meant to be self-sufficient we would have been light years of many other countries in this hemisphere. Everything that happen to GT people is because they allow it- we continue to accept mediocrity instead of demanding excellence from our leaders. Don’t worry, deh own fart gon wake them…
Sandhurst , his mother has nothing to do with his ability as you may have notice he is more like his father , and in america if you are bi-racial and it include black and white my man you are black nothing else counts, but on the other hand his grandmother could be credit with his upbringing because he got the change to attend the best schools, all in all give the man some credit for his own abillity and charm, also say hi to the next president of these united state of america.
In spite of the fact that his race will have an impact on the vote especially with regards to die-hard white supremacist thoughts he WILL win by the grace of something greater than man, JAH. Like the proffesor says, “He’s exceptional” history will recall that this humble HONEST black male strode to the top of the ladder in one of the earth’s most powerful nations where people of his kind have beeh lynched, hung, mocked & scorned just because of the colour of their skin.
JAH’s will has prevailed.
RASTAFARI!!!!!
I know alot of you guys will be dissapointed when the election is over with and obama is sworn into office and then it’s going to be business as usual. mark my word.
… ok ,, so Obama ,, Will win ! ??? ,,, or will he ?????? but for the sake of argument ,, let us ,, fast forward to maybe 2 and a half years into his presidency
which is where ,, i think our focus should be ,, rather than just the history ,, and race that is the impetus for his wheels ,,, enough already abt his ascendancy to the “chair” !,,,,,
i hope for the sake of all who r besides themselves with awe in his achievement
know ,, and if u don’t then learn NOW that the higher u climb the harder u will fall ,, cos all that goes up must come right on back DOWN !
So whats your point? the first mile begings with the first step and because he comes with a disadvantage it means that he would do his best,and he has to fall no President is the US serves more than two terms. I am trying to find out what you are really getting to but it eludes me. It is always best to ensure that the brain is engaged before putting tongue into motion in this case hitting the keyboard.
Who God Bless no man curse! A higher authority has sanctioned this occasion.
If or when he wins he will have to perform .All eyes will be on him for any slips.
Lets all wish him well!
the elections is not over.it would be very close.