Obama: The Emperor’s New Clothes


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Is the democratic campaign getting down and dirty? The reason behind the circulation of Obama dressed in Somali traditional clothes does not escape anyone’s imagination, yet, Clinton campaign manager Maggie Williams found a way of shifting the shame: “If Barack Obama’s campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed.”

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The website that posted this photo claims that Clinton campaign staffers had circulated it. The Clinton campaign said they had not sanctioned the circulation of the photograph.

It does seem, though, that someone is trying to relate this photo to islam and Obama, in an american society where the word islam is, generally, not part of the good book. Does this show a negative turn of the campaign.

BBC’s Somali Service Yusuf Garaad Omar throws more light on the purely traditional significance of these clothes. “these clothes are normal clothes that nomadic people wear… it has no meaning whatsoever in the Somali culture… if you see someone dressed like that you’ll think that he is a nomad… that’s all” He also reiterated that there is no religious meaning to it, stressing on its purely traditional origin. As a matter of tradition, just like cities around europe do when influential people are presented with symbolic keys, these clothes are given to delegates by a council of peace and development in the region.

Does this smear campaign mean desperation is setting in? Polls from Quinnipiac University said Clinton led Obama in Ohio by 51 percent to 40 percent among likely Democratic voters a sharp rise for Obama, considering an earlier poll of 55 percent to 34 percent less than two weeks ago. CNN polls show 50 percent to 46 percent in Texas in favour of Obama.

Hillary is loosing momentum and “desperate times call for desperate measures”. Obama refered to the reason behind the circulation of this photo as “the most shameful and offensive fear mongering”.

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Obama running for the White House  The senator of Illinois is currently running for the White House but first of all he has to win the Primaries
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