The Joy That Dare Not Speak Its Name

So I was just invited to an "Obama-Rama" vistory party here in Nairobi. It starts at 6 AM Nairobi time, at the Tribe Hotel.

Ain't that a blip? 10 months ago, Kenya was going up in flames, and people of different ethnic tribes were killing each other over a disputed Presidential election. On Wednesday, I'll be joining other Americans in Nairobi to (possibly) celebrate the election of the first black American president, who's of Kenyan descent, and whose father was a member of the Luo tribe, which had the biggest beef about Kenyan Presidential election results because the Luo candidate, Raila Odinga, was declared the loser.

Kenyans are saying it's pretty ironic that a Luo will be elected President of the United States before it ever happens in Kenya. But do NOT get me started on the whole tribal thing here...I just don't understand it.

Anyway, I still feel myself holding back about the election outcome. Don't get me wrong...I'm ready to party like it's 2009 up in here. But I guess I'm also following Obama's lead. I'm not taking anything for granted. One of my young Kenyan colleagues, a guy named Phillip who follows every bit of Obama news religiously, just showed me a copy of a leaflet that's being handed out in Virginia, instructing Democrats to vote on November 5th.

To many Kenyans, this just seems like a harmless trick compared to some of the Byzantine poll rigging, intimidation, terror and bloodshed that occurs during African elections. And though they sympathize with the drama surrounding America's 2000 election results, they seem convinced nothing will prevent Obama from being elected this time around.

About 95 percent of me feels that way too. But even at this 11th hour, I'm still keeping a corner of my heart protected. I still believe that if there's a way to cheat and steal an election, disgruntled American politicians can find it. I'm heartened by polls that give Obama a resounding lead, but I just can't let go of that last bit of doubt and fear.

So I'm pretty much gonna be useless until the Obama-Rama party. Maybe there'll be a clear, irrefutable result by that point.

Talk about waiting to exhale.....