Campaigning and voting in America

Last week, Americans re-elected Barack Obama for another four-year term in the presidency office. Caroline Somanje covered the elections and gives her analysis of the elections.

Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential contender, held one of the biggest rallies and concert on Monday, a day before the polls, at the huge sports complex of Verizon Center in Manchester, New Hampshire [NH].

The arena was filled to capacity in all its upper, lower and side seats at an estimated crowd of 10 000 people who braved the 0 degrees Celsius cold weather and waited for his final campaign speech which he delivered just after 11 pm.

The crowd was ecstatic; the mood was alive in spite of the timing. Food stalls were awash with people buying popcorn, hot dogs, French fries, hamburgers, fish, chicken, chocolates, coffee, sodas and you name it.

It was just as if people were settling in for a newly released movie of some famous and world class rock band. None seemed political except for the Romney and Paul Ryan posters pasted all over the auditorium as television screens in the arena and hallways blasted Romney’s life story, business successes and his vision for America.

Red, blue and white colours complimented the fired up mood as supporters chanted pro-Republican party slogans and booed at the mention of Obama and his Democrat beliefs.

His message: “Believe in America. I have the right leadership that America needs to come rolling back from whatever it lost during Obama’s reign. One final push and we will get there. Walk with me”.

Obama’s closing rally

In contrast, Obama’s rally in Concord, New Hampshire a day earlier, was with less spectacle, pomp and glamour. Indeed, there was music played before his arrival and a sizeable crowd gathered to hear him out. But it was no match for what seemed to be the multimillion dollar glitz of the Romney camp.

This was held in an open space where spectators froze and depended on their cups of coffee for warmth. The only display of campaign material was placards written Obama/Biden (Vice President Joe Biden). Others included the usual vote for Obama placards.

Former president Bill Clinton brought the rally to life with his usual articulation of persuading voters to re-elect his fellow democrat. But this rally looked more like an opposition candidate sacrificing his last financial existence in the hope of multiplying it all upon his victory.

Obama’s message: “We rise and fall as one nation and one people. Our fight goes on. New Hampshire has a choice to make not just between two candidates but two different visions for America. We cannot give up now.”

Freedom of choice

This is how elections go in America. A time when every contender for the presidency, governor and senator is accorded a level playing field for campaigning and every voter freely makes choices for who they want to lead them.

Without comparing Romney or Obama’s popularity, what is striking is that here in Malawi and most African countries, the biggest, most glamorous and expensive campaigns come from the ruling party and their parliamentarians. This ‘naturally’ is because they are already sitting on State coffers which they divert into their campaign and election missions.

In the US, even press credentials for the two candidates told stories of their worthiness. While Obama’s ordinary paper work was engraved with the words ‘White House Press Pool’ and a black and white picture of the White House, it bore nothing but space to write the journalist’s name, affiliation and date. It was held in place by a safety pin.

Romney’s on the other hand bore his colour photograph and written victory rally for the local press. It was laminated and was specific to the NH event on Monday

It was surprising and shocking to many of the 25 international journalists covering the election night tour under the Washington Foreign Press Centre, who admitted that was not the case in their countries.

These participants came from Albania, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, St.Kitts and Nevis, Bhutan, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Greece, Jamaica, Indonesia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Philippines and Singapore.

Intellectual campaign

Noticeably, too, was the love Americans have for their country and one another in spite of their political differences. People co-exist and tolerate each other’s views. In Malawi, politics and elections in particular are a brutal battlefield where blood is shed just because of dissenting views.

Yes, American politicians castigate each other over policies. These are typical intellectual wars, not the Malawian type that move to bedrooms at times over how many women or men a rival has bedded or how many times they have married.

You will not find opposing camps spending sleepless nights to remove placards of their competitors or rush to stop another’s rally. Different candidates’ placards are all over the place without one dominating another. The rule is to let voters access all messages and pick what is suitable to their needs.

Our State-owned public broadcaster, the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) television/radio, naturally accords air time only to the ruling party and their cohorts.

Political advantage is only accorded to an incumbent president and his parliamentarians who, most of the time, use State resources for their campaign. The rule is simple here: You are a broke opposition candidate destined to lose the elections unless you perhaps gamble selling your house and other personal possessions to finance a campaign. Even then, there are no guarantees.

In America, television stations across the 50 states become awash with voting adverts for the presidency, governor and senate.

These are propaganda messages by both the ruling Democrats and opposition Republican candidates selling themselves to voters.

What is interesting about the American politics is that in spite of all the observations, every candidate, as long as they have money (fully accounted for), is given air time and equal battleground. The candidates also raise their own money for campaign.

Although disliked and criticised by most American viewers and would-be voters, it is actually real democracy at work and many of them will never know or appreciate it until they come to Malawi.

One voter admittedly said: “We stopped appreciating how good we have it here until we have it spoilt.”

Visiting America during elections, it is easy to understand the frustration of most Americans from the many commercials that break a good show for a while, to the point of almost forgetting exactly where it was before the adverts.

Said one viewer: “Let us have the elections and get it all over with so we can get back to our television watching. These negative adverts tend to confuse many people and contribute to the large voter apathy.”

One businessperson and a major fundraiser for President Obama, Gary Hirshberg, observed that it was no longer an election but a sale. He also described it as obscene to have both parties’ campaigns cost $2 billion when that money would have gone to fighting obesity, cancer and diabetes across America. 

 

 

 

 

On file This week

While working hard to ensure long-term effective plans of procurement, the CMST is exploring emergency procurement through the Office of the Director of Public Procurement (ODPP).—Herbert Chandilanga, public relations officer, Central Medical Stores Trust, The Nation, November 12 2012

 

We had a lot of wrangles and factions in the party and the convention solved that problem such that we can now only talk of one UDF. It is the convention that helped us to do that.—Kandi Padambo, UDF secretary general, Nation on Sunday, November 11 2012.

 

There was a vacancy, so I applied. They recently called me for interviews and last Monday (November 5) I was officially informed that I was successful. I am yet to sign the contract, but I have already started working.—Mary Waya, Nation on Sunday, November 11 2012.

 

Initially, government discriminated against community day secondary schools (CDSSs) for no apparent reason in terms of provision of laboratory equipment to advance science subjects. How do you encourage students to develop interest in science subjects?—Benedicto Kondowe, executive director of the CSCE, The Nation November 9 2012.

 

 

 

 

Still around

Roy Chizimba

 

Zomba Nsondole-Independent (2004-2009)

 

Roy Chizimba, former independent parliamentarian for Zomba Nsondole, is still around. He took over his parliamentary seat from the late James Makhumula, a business tycoon, in 2004.

While in Parliament, between 2004 and 2009, he also served as Minister of Economic Planning and Development under the leadership of the late president Bingu wa Mutharika.

He boasts that as minister, he introduced the Social Cash Transfer system which seeks to assist orphans and other needy people in Malawi meet their daily needs.

The system began in Mchinji on a pilot phase before it spread to Salima and now across the country. Chizimba is also popular among chiefs because of the US$40 million (about K12.8 billion) package he brought from the West meant for infrastructure development at district level.

“I took with me chiefs from Mangochi, Neno, Mulanje, Zomba, Rumphi, Nsanje and Chitipa, among others, to Brussels so they witness talks with European Union (EU) officials on how to administer the project,” he says.

After being elected Member of Parliament, Chizimba joined the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which was formed by Mutharika a year after his election.

He says he joined DPP because of its good economic, democratic and governance principles that led to bumper harvests and won donor confidence.

Although he had a tight schedule, Chizimba claims he managed to develop his constituency by improving access to water, construction and maintenance of roads, setting up of health centres, building of school blocks as well as churches and mosques.

The former MP adds that he also introduced mobile Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centres at Bingi and Namasalima to encourage people to get tested for HIV.

While in the august House, he belonged to the Media and the Budget and Finance committees, though for only a short time due to his tight schedule as he also served as minister.

“I am ready to contest the 2014 elections if people convince me to represent them,” he says.

At 52, Chizimba is married and has five children. He has qualifications in business management.

He has also been selected to pursue Human Resource Management at the University of Malawi.