POTUS and POTROG

Mrs. Mills and Mrs. Obama

The news here is full of stories about the visit of Ghana's third President of the 4th Republic, H.E. Professor John Evans Atta Mills to the White House last week.  According to the Daily Graphic, the meeting reflected the “deepening of partnership between  the two countries.”

According to cynical observers, the timing of the meeting helps Atta Mills to bolster his credentials in this election year.  He is widely accused of doing too little to speed the pace of development. Nor is he charismatic (to say the least), which is a trait that is more valued here than in the U.S. Charisma got several of his predecessors the presidency. Course, so did shooting their opponents, but I digress. 

Friends and I have noted lately some striking similarities between Atta Mills’ and Obama’s political rise. Both are lawyers and former law professors. They were elected president in the same year. Both have been challenged by the wives of former presidents and defeated them. Both are often accused of being too intellectual.
 

Atta Mills, head of the National Democratic Congress, won in 2008 by the slimmest of margins, after a run-off. (He had lost in two previous tries, in 2000 and 2004). He’s being challenged again by the same guy, former Foreign Minister Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, head of the New Patriotic Party. The NPP is considered Center-Right and the NDC Center-Left. I’m still not sure I know any real policy differences between the two but I’m learning. See The Big Six for more trivia on Mr. Akufo- Addo. 

Ghana is proud though that since 1992 there have been peaceful elections and transitions from one party to another with no upheaval. This is a real model for other African countries.
 

I’m looking forward to comparing the Ghanaian election to the US. To date, I’ve seen similar rhetoric, demonizing of gays to score points with conservatives, ad hominem attacks, calls for bipartisanship, vague policy statements, wildly unrealistic promises, and the most superficial understanding of the differences between the parties. Democracy really is the worst form of government no matter where you are, I guess.

US political trivia quiz:

Has anyone run for president three times?
Anyone win on the third try?
Has anyone lost then challenged the sitting president in the next election? Has he won?
(I’m counting on Christine and Maureen to know these answers off the tops of their heads!)