The Othello Metaphor

Below is a link to an extraordinarily open exploration of the fear of a black super male and the regular damning of Senator Obama with faint praise. I do not know who writer Venetia Thompson is both along with Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal she has been a discovery. I however disagree with the latest analysis of Ms Noonan but two reasonable people can agree to disagree without being disagreeable.

We will know by the 4th of March how much damage the effort to crudely stop the momentum of Senator Obama has been. In my humble opinion he needs to switch his approach at the next debate by backing every policy argument with examples and data moving the debate away from himself to the issues he stands for. The reason is no matter how popular you are there is a diminishing return to media exposure in a race as long as this one. I encourage readers to read this article and view it from a credible and talented lens.

In Nigeria the Tribunal reviewing the last year's Presidential election is expected to rule tomorrow. Whatever the result it is a triumph for Nigerian government accountability and institutional capacity. I refuse to use the word democracy because it has become a buzzword that is neither credible nor is it adaptive enough for a complex country like Gidi. An independent process of checks and balances would have done Kenya a world of good or even restored credibility to the first Bush presidency. In a world where Nigeria is often used as a buzz word for failure, danger and corruption it is only fair it get its praise for what it does right.

http://www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine/features/514311/part_3/obama-is-an-othello-for-our-times.thtml