That Obama Picture

Who is behind that Obama picture? You know, the one with him in traditional Kenyan dress so blatantly circulated to remind everyone that Obama has a partially Muslim and, God forgive, non-American background. This is despite the fact that he is a Christian, as he has repeatedly emphasised in his response to the picture. Naturally, the finger has been pointed at Hillary Clinton's campaign with the Obama campaign assiduously accusing them of shameless scare-mongering. However, if you ask me, it is not with Hillary that the guilt lies, but the likely Republican candidate John - the swinging hot-head - McCain.

McCain has already been targeting Obama specifically in anticipation of him being the likely candidate and is no doubt sweating the latest polls which say that if a general election was called tomorrow between Obama and McCain, Obama would win in a 50% - 38% landslide. Granted the poll is just a snapshot of national popular opinion and doesnt' specify how they would fare in each state, but that is hardly necessary to get McCain panicking.

That said, McCain will also be aware that it will be a while yet till his rival candidate is confirmed as the Democrats continue to slog it out primary after primary. Although, he'll probably miss out on his dream candidate, and pretty much guaranteed win, he can still make the most of the ongoing contest and do his best to drag it out as far as possible. After all, Obama can't concentrate his fire on McCain until he's finished off Hillary.

However, the main reason for McCain to do this is simply the knowledge that the Clintons would get the blame, regardless of how profusely they denied it which is, incidentally, exactly what's happening. In so doing, he would stoke up enough fear of Obama secretly being a Muslim to keep Hillary in the game for a little longer (and not damage his own chances in the general either) and, most importantly, poison what has already been a bitter and dirty contest for the Democratic nomination. The aim of this is to ultimately make the Democrats look petty, petulent, and most of all, divided.

As an aside though to obserivng and commenting on what appears on the surface to be just another fascinating political manouver, how depressing is this entire episode? It seems so ironic that such is the lack of progress of religious and racial tolerance in America, in spite of their constitution, the Obama camp has felt so hideously aggrieved by the circulation of the picture. In contrast, if such an image of a British Parliamentary candidate were to be circulated, nobody would have bat an eyelid. Rather, what would have most likely caused offence is the response the the Obama camp felt obliged to give that he is a committed Christian and has never been a Muslim.

It's funny how it's things like this that make me feel incredibly proud to be British.