Rise of extremism in our politics should worry us

One of the most amazing but distressing characteristics of today’s national politics, is the growth of extreme partisanship on even the most basic of issues. We are living in an era where on most positions, facts and rationality are generally sacrificed on the altar of deeply held political persuasions. This phenomenon is not peculiar to Kenya. I have watched the political partisanship in America with increasing incredulity. When President Obama took over in 2008, the American economy was tanking, even former “too big to fail” companies, were tumbling like dominos.

The economy was shedding hundreds of thousands of jobs every month. Many of the poor and middle class America were uninsured. Hundreds of thousands of American soldiers were fighting senseless wars in Afghanistan and Iran. In six years Obama has overseen the recovery of the American economy, reduced unemployment and many Americans are now insured under Obamacare. America has only a small number of soldiers in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Despite that, if you listened to the Republican candidates, and their supporters in the Bible belt and other ‘red states” you would imagine Obama has been an unmitigated disaster. In the same country, there exist many who swear by Obama and would willingly give him a Burundian third term.