As to the more charitable question of a choice between Hillary and Obama, my gut instincts say it will be Hillary. Obama may be the more likable young, handsome, rhetorically eloquent poster child of a progressive America (where in lies the lie, yes I know how that sounds) but Clinton is a reflection of America's uncomfortable truth. Dogged, connected, established, calculated, ambitious and effective all in a nicely coiffed exterior. All admirable if she wasn't a she.

Personally, I prefer Clinton. I do not find her likeable but I admire her, every line on her face, every battle, every position she has is earned and won in spite of the fact that she is not a lovable cuddly person. She works hard, she is knowledgeable, she has experienced public admiration, disdain and derision at different levels and roles (student activist, lawyer, mother, wife, first lady, senator) of her adult life and emerged, bruised but winning, hair blow-dried. I can only salute such a person. I am suspicious of the fact that the most important reason I am supposed to like Obama is because he has African roots, so what? I have not even heard a definitive statement about the Kenyan wahala from him. His speeches are too slogany which irks me as a Nigerian used to that sort of hoodwinking (vision 2010, 2025, change agents, change agenda, anticorruption etc, e bloody tc). I am also suspicious of squeaky clean public image or untested public poster children. That deep American drawl, 2.5 kids, stepfordy wife and goody two shoes rhetoric from a black man though understandable (no white establishment anywhere can digest a less dusted down black male) is Oreolly, Denzelly and motivational speaky.

As a Nigerian, I don't expect any of the candidates, including the now frankly uninteresting white males to favour me, however as an Africa black female person I once again lean towards Clinton. This after comparing their actions and positions on things like immigration, foreign policy and women's rights. I actually empathize with Obama because he cannot overtly play that African card too much or it will hurt his candidacy, similarly, if elected he would have to constantly prove that he is not unduly biased by his ethnicity. With experience he will learn to walk that thin line, right now, he hasn't got the experience. Clinton has had to walk that line regarding her gender and has found that balance and her voice.

America stands at the cusp of a very interesting reality; a new sort of leadership is required even if it is only on the surface. None of the white males bring that to bear, Obama would be great if I had more to go by in terms of experience and concrete action but Hillary is more deserving and perhaps better prepared, I like warriors and humans whose flaws I know. However, whether America will vote either of them against a fairly good white male candidate is a matter I am undecided about but I just feel that Clinton might be a more interesting new world leader going forth.

Funmi Iyanda's Blog