Fingers Crossed

America cast its vote a week ago, but in spite of a bad-tempered campaign that seemed to have raged throughout the Obama first term, the general election of 2012, in the event, ended in a peaceful outcome as befits a democratic nation. And besides, the people got the President that they deserve. They did their civic duty, albeit within a highly fractious environment and, by a slim majority, elected to maintain the status quo.

In “Two Elections,” my last blog, I played with the idea that America was running a great risk because the country was so severely polarized. I implied that I feared that the result might have been so indecisive that some might have been tempted to draw swords or wield pitchforks in order to gain ascendancy. Of course, I exaggerated wildly there, but only with the objective of raising an alarm at the looming danger threatening in another election. The other election is the one in Sierra Leone, which is about to take place in just two days. That danger has not lessened. It has probably grown, as verbal violence and worse, continues to spark among the contestants.

Campaigning has gone on down to the wire. Parties desperate to win votes have even used tactics that have drawn the military into the frame. Sensibly, the troops are staying aloof, leaving the politicos to disgrace themselves. Thank goodness, today, Thursday, the 16^th is supposed to be the last day of on the ground campaigning which, one hopes, will provide the space for tempers to cool. And on Election Day itself, the 17^th, according to an edict passed by the electoral authorities, traffic within certain areas will be restricted to all but essential vehicles. This has caused the lawyers to expostulate, demanding to know under which law the electoral commission was trying to preserve public order on the Election Day.

             A whole bunch of observers have flown in to make sure that everyone remains on their best manners but somehow, I wonder if their presence would be enough to satisfy the losers, who are already identifying themselves by stating their determination not to accept the results if they do not please them.

Fingers crossed, all will turn out well.

Tell Fren Tru

You're undecided now. So what are you gonna do?

Nothing is quite as mesmerising as the sight of money being spent. I mean, huge amounts. And the spectacle becomes even more absorbing when the object of this largesse seems unwilling or unable to respond in the desired manner.

At least, for one of the two men running for president of the United States, the entire enterprise would turn out to have been a monumental waste of money. But even at this point, neither party can claim ascendency. The polls are deadlocked, Obama clocking 48% and the challenger exactly the same.

The question in everyone’s mind now is, how is the remaining 4% going to shake out? Who will win the prize? Deadlocked it has been for weeks and thus it appears destined to remain until polling day. A game-changing minority seem unable to make up their mind whom they are to trust to lead them out of the swamp in which the country has been stuck for nearly a decade.

For outside observers, it is a strange business that choosing seems so difficult. The incumbent has had a fair record of achievement, when the opposition permitted, whilst the man trying to unseat him does not seem to have much cred outside his coalition of fiscal conservatives, small-government advocates, plus a curious bunch who, despite evidence to the contrary, insist that Obama was not born in America.

I wonder if not being born in America has parallels in not being “Made in America.” This could be important because of the unemployment spectre that is turning the American dream into a nightmare. The parallel is apt because of the love-hate relationship that Americans enjoy with stuff from China. They love the price tags but, with equal intensity, hate the hemorrhaging of all those high-paying manufacturing jobs to the Chinese. In short, they would very much like to eat their cake and have it. If only. Unfortunately that hemorrhage cannot, at present, be stopped: One-half blame the attending physician and demand a change of doctor. One is conveniently at hand carrying a bagful of rubs and licks that he had tried often enough, but which, sadly, had actually resulted in exsanguination rather than staunching the flow. Unreal.

The sense of unreality is deepened further by the notion, held by many in America, that the government has no business in the affairs of the people. Excuse me? How far would you take that? Until there is no government at all? Then what? Don’t worry, if push comes to shove, you have your gun, and you can take care of yourself?

The economy remains the thing, though. The President’s men (and women) reckon that he has done his best given the hand he was dealt by his predecessor and the events of 2008 and after.  And, in these very last days before the vote, employment figures have shown a slight increase, not enough to make a dent in the 7.9% unemployment rate. Exactly what the challenger needed to put on the charge sheet that Obama has mishandled the economy.

It is looking like the undecideds will remain so until that very last moment when they enter the booth on Tuesday. How could you not have made up your mind 48 hours before Election Day? And if it hasn’t been made up by now, what possible chance is there of it being made up by the day itself? Perhaps they are hoping for divine guidance? But if there was to have been divine guidance, surely, it must have been delivered by now.

Instead, what I can see is flashes of silver, as coins are tossed in order to settle on whom to vote for. Trouble is, that trick might still not break the deadlock. I am not very familiar with American electoral arithmetic, but the potential for trouble seems very real.

I don’t know how many of you know about or remember or even care about an election in the year 1967 in an obscure parliamentary election in Sierra Leone that ended in a dead heat: 32:32. That, future historians will record, was the beginning of our troubles which resonate even to this day.

Tell Fren Tru