With all the drama already unfolding in the 2007 election campaigns, it may be hard to conceive that Kenyans are still diverting a lot of attention to that other election just less than two years away: The 2008 American presidential elections.
The picture has changed somewhat since late 2006, but generally there have not been any major surprises. Among the Democrats, an AP-AOL January poll showed Hillary Clinton in the lead with 38%; followed by Obama with 21%, then Al Gore with 14% and John Edwards with 10%. The rest are in the single digits and not considered serious challengers.
Obama's gain on Hillary has come primarily from Blacks and young voters. In his nationwide campaign, thousands of young people have attended his rallies - rallies that have drawn far larger crowds than any of the other presidential contenders in both parties -, which shows his growing pull on the youth. He has also made headway among Blacks, with the latest polls showing there an almost even split with Hillary but almost no support whatsoever for other Democrats. It is however important to point out that it is very difficult to effectively poll Blacks who constitute 12% of the American population.
Dave Nyambati writes on why he thinks Obama is the best candidate for the US 2008 elections.
