ABDUL BANGURA
Nnaemeka, Obioma G
The moment Barack Obama scaled the 270 electoral votes hurdle, two words popped out of my mouth: ABDUL BANGURA! In anticipation of the fireworks that will explode on this list, I come with a plea: Brothers and Sisters, please show mercy J
President, Association of African Women Scholars (AAWS)
Dept. of World Languages & Cultures Phone: 317-278-2038; 317-274-0062 (messages)
Cavanaugh Hall 543A Fax: 317-278-7375
425 University Boulevard
Akurang-Parry, Kwabena
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
Iorhemen Kyeleve
To: "usaafric...@googlegroups.com" <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 7, 2012 12:38 PM
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2012 11:25 PM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - ABDUL BANGURA
President, Association of African Women Scholars (AAWS)
Dept. of World Languages & Cultures Phone: 317-278-2038; 317-274-0062 (messages)
Cavanaugh Hall 543A Fax: 317-278-7375
425 University Boulevard
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
La Vonda R. Staples
shina7...@yahoo.com
Well, I don't care. All I want now is for him to take a honourable step and redeem his bet with me. And I stated from the onset that I don't want a smelly camel (even though the prospect of frying camel meat and soaking it with garri). What I want is my cow, or the cash equivalent. And I warned Prof earlier that cow don cost for Naija (Boko Haram factor).
Adeshina Afolayan
udo...@appstate.edu
"No man becomes a hero by taking arms against his fatherland or village." We
must debunk or rethink that popular philosophy that goes something like this:
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Congratulations! congratulations! to those who supported us through thick and
thin since 2008.
Ike Udogu
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
> The only thing that happened in this election is that a lot of
> folks sold
> wolf tickets. They growled and they snarled and their mouths
> spewed venom.
> But in the end, the went into those booths and turned Brother
> Romney back
> to Utah.
>
> Please. Abortion doesn't work to get votes. Gay marriage doesn't
> work to
> get votes. Hinting at war only scares mothers with sons.
> Threatening to
> end contraception, some forms, doesn't win elections.
>
> Romney followed Bush II's playbook and it was simply an exercise of
> The religious right did Romney in. Americans who are out of work
> do not
> care what you do within your bedroom as long as both people are
> grown and
> give consent. The states can no longer afford to house a man who got
> caught with ten dollars worth of weed on Saturday night.
>
> And, if I'm honest with myself, I will concede that Brother Barry
> won many
> votes by default. Romney turned them off so badly and there was no
> place. Americans have a prejudice, a Roman empire prejudice, against
> secret religions.
>
> La Vonda R. Staples
>
> PS In case anyone wants to know I apologized to Dr. Bangura weeks
> ago. I
> trusted him as my teacher and I should have had enough respect for
> him to
> let him have his own opinion. He made his choice. I made my mine.
> "nuff
> said.
>
> On Tue, Nov 6, 2012 at 10:38 PM, Akurang-Parry, Kwabena
> <KAP...@ship.edu>wrote:
> > Ah! Mercy to Papa Abdul Bangura! Ah! Mercy for Papa Abdul Bangura.
> > Before we accept Papa Abdul Bangura's plea for mercy, he must
> submit the
> USAAfricaDialogue> .
> >
> >
> >
> > Kwabena
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > *From:* usaafric...@googlegroups.com [
> > *Sent:* Tuesday, November 06, 2012 11:25 PM
> > *To:* usaafric...@googlegroups.com
> > *Subject:* USA Africa Dialogue Series - ABDUL BANGURA
> > The moment Barack Obama scaled the 270 electoral votes hurdle, two
> > words popped out of my mouth: ABDUL BANGURA! In anticipation of
> the> fireworks that will explode on this list, I come with a plea:
> Brothers> and Sisters, please show mercy J
> > Obioma Nnaemeka, PhD
> > Chancellor's Distinguished Professor
> > President, Association of African Women Scholars (AAWS)
> 274-0062(messages)
> > Cavanaugh Hall 543A Fax: 317-278-7375
> > nnae...@iupui.edu
> > 425 University Boulevard
> > Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
> >
> > --
> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> > For current archives, visit
> > http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> > For previous archives, visit
> > http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> > To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com> To unsubscribe from this group,
> send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> > unsub...@googlegroups.com
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> > For current archives, visit
> > http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> > For previous archives, visit
> > http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> > To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com> To unsubscribe from this group,
> send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> > unsub...@googlegroups.com
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> *BA Psychology 2005 and MA European History 2009*
> *www.lavondastaples.com*
> *
> *
> *“If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.”*
>
> Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, *This Child Will Be Great; Memoir of a
> RemarkableLife by Africa's First Woman President*.
OLUWATOYIN ADEPOJU
They gave me much pleasure.
I have not been following the elections but am not surprised Obama won.
The image in terms of which he won the first time is diluted but remains strong.
toyin
Moses Ebe Ochonu
---Mohandas Gandhi
joan.Osa Oviawe
Godwin Okeke
Mmaduabuchi
From: "shina7...@yahoo.com" <shina7...@yahoo.com>
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 6, 2012 11:40 PM
ZALANGA SAMUEL
Integrity in scholarship and any kind of work is very important. And the demographic analysis or projections of the future look dismal for the Republican party. I just finished teaching Huntington's "Who Are We?" where he expresses his fear about the changing nature of American national identity. Too bad. Well, unless the Republican party or any organization for that matter begin to transform themselves, they will be left behind. With every election, the percentage of White voters is reducing and in the next 10 to 15 years, it will be very spectacular. For many Republicans, WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) is the default core American identity. Obama with about 40% of White voters and a coalition of minorities defeated the Republican candidate. And if it were not for some mistakes, the margin would even be higher.
For me the lesson is also useful for us in Africa. Across Africa, how can we create societies that are more inclusive of all the diverse people in the country. Even when looks the convention of the two parties, the Democratic party has more diverse faces, and one may say that minorities are deceiving themselves by supporting one party, but they are not stupid. To live in a party where certain slogans are used deliberately as proxy for race or strategies to exclude some Americans is terrible. It is so embarrassing to support a policy that is aimed at denying people the opportunity to freely cast their vote even though officially it framed as something else. In one assessment I came across, even Brazil has a more efficient arrangement to make people cast their votes than the U.S. where some have to wait two or three hours to cast their votes.
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2012 09:47:06 -0600
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
La Vonda R. Staples
ok
Even when looks the convention of the two parties, the Democratic party has more diverse faces, and one may say that minorities are deceiving themselves by supporting one party, but they are not stupid. To live in a party where certain slogans are used deliberately as proxy for race or strategies to exclude some Americans is terrible. It is so embarrassing to support a policy that is aimed at denying people the opportunity to freely cast their vote even though officially it framed as something else. In one assessment I came across, even Brazil has a more efficient arrangement to make people cast their votes than the U.S. where some have to wait two or three hours to cast their votes--Zalanga Samuel
Hi Zalanga:
our partcipation in the democractis process by blonging to and supporting or voting for only one party.
Firstly, we stand the danger of having our votes beings taken for granted and secondly we would never have the opportunity to change what is wrong in the
the other party, in the case of the USA, the Republican Party.
It is unrealistic to expect all African-Americans and other identifiable minority
racial or social groups to share the same views on economic, social and other issues. The spectrum of our beliefs are not less diverse than those of the majority race.
We must encourage those few African-Americans and continental Africans who are blazing the trails in the Republican Party.
Change can only come from within. The more of our people are represented at the precints, state and national levels of the Republican party the better are the chances for the future generations that we would live behind.
The best way to challenege the Tea Party Movement is to have a strong alternative voice from within the Republic Party!
Bye,
Ola
Abegunrin, Olayiwola M.
Congratulations to our brother-President Barack Obama and to those who supported us throughout this election period and since the then Senator now President Obama got into the race in 2008. We should be proud of our own.
'Layi Abegunrin
John MBAKU
Creating a political and economic society that encapsulates all of the diverse peoples (ethnic and religious) that live in each African country requires introducing and adopting institutional arrangements that allow each group to maximize its values without preventing others from doing the same. These laws and institutions can only be obtained through a bottom-up, participatory, inclusive and people-driven approach to the reconstruction and reconstitution of the post-colonial state.
Africans are capable of living together peacefully--this is evident in the fact that there was little destructive ethnic or religious mobilization until the arrival of external actors (a.k.a. the mercantile pact that brought colonial rule to the continent). The Europeans came and introduced European-centered laws and institutions, specifically to enhance their ability to exploit Africans and their resources for the benefit of the metropolitan economies and in the case of colonies such as South Africa, the Rhodesia, South West Africa, Kenya, Algeria, Angola and Mozambique, where there were significant groups of European colonists (or sellers), such institutions were also designed to enhance the ability of resident colonists to subjugate Africans. Unfortunately at independence, little effort was made to undertake genuine transformation of the critical domains. The new urban-based African elites who took over from the departing Europeans retained the exploitative European institutions--in some cases, the names were changed--and proceeded to exploit their fellow citizens for their own benefit. Marginalized groups and communities, unable to receive any protection from the state or benefit from the new post-independence economic growth, began to look at their ethnic and religious communities as the only mechanism for survival. Hence, the resort by many of these groups to violent and destructive mobilization. Well, you know the rest.
J.D. (Law), Ph.D. (Economics)
Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law
Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
Attorney & Counselor at Law (Licensed in Utah)
Presidential Distinguished Professor of Economics & Willard L. Eccles Professor of Economics and John S. Hinckley Fellow
Department of Economics
Weber State University
3807 University Circle
Ogden, UT 84408-3807, USA
(801) 626-7442 Phone
(801) 626-7423 Fax
>>> ZALANGA SAMUEL 11/07/12 12:04 PM >>>
Integrity in scholarship and any kind of work is very important. And the demographic analysis or projections of the future look dismal for the Republican party. I just finished teaching Huntington's "Who Are We?" where he expresses his fear about the changing nature of American national identity. Too bad. Well, unless the Republican party or any organization for that matter begin to transform themselves, they will be left behind. With every election, the percentage of White voters is reducing and in the next 10 to 15 years, it will be very spectacular. For many Republicans, WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) is the default core American identity. Obama with about 40% of White voters and a coalition of minorities defeated the Republican candidate. And if it were not for some mistakes, the margin would even be higher.
For me the lesson is also useful for us in Africa. Across Africa, how can we create societies that are more inclusive of all the diverse people in the country. Even when looks the convention of the two parties, the Democratic party has more diverse faces, and one may say that minorities are deceiving themselves by supporting one party, but they are not stupid. To live in a party where certain slogans are used deliberately as proxy for race or strategies to exclude some Americans is terrible. It is so embarrassing to support a policy that is aimed at denying people the opportunity to freely cast their vote even though officially it framed as something else. In one assessment I came across, even Brazil has a more efficient arrangement to make people cast their votes than the U.S. where some have to wait two or three hours to cast their votes.
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2012 09:47:06 -0600
From: "La Vonda R. Staples" <lrst...@gmail.com>
Sender: usaafric...@googlegroups.comDate: Wed, 7 Nov 2012 00:17:31 -0600
The only thing that happened in this election is that a lot of folks sold wolf tickets. They growled and they snarled and their mouths spewed venom. But in the end, the went into those booths and turned Brother Romney back to Utah.Please. Abortion doesn't work to get votes. Gay marriage doesn't work to get votes. Hinting at war only scares mothers with sons. Threatening to end contraception, some forms, doesn't win elections.
Romney followed Bush II's playbook and it was simply an exercise of going to the well one too many times.
The religious right did Romney in. Americans who are out of work do not care what you do within your bedroom as long as both people are grown and give consent. The states can no longer afford to house a man who got caught with ten dollars worth of weed on Saturday night.
And, if I'm honest with myself, I will concede that Brother Barry won many votes by default. Romney turned them off so badly and there was no other viable candidate. Republicans should have NEVER run this man in the first place. Americans have a prejudice, a Roman empire prejudice, against secret religions.
La Vonda R. StaplesPS In case anyone wants to know I apologized to Dr. Bangura weeks ago. I trusted him as my teacher and I should have had enough respect for him to let him have his own opinion. He made his choice. I made my mine. "nuff said.
On Tue, Nov 6, 2012 at 10:38 PM, Akurang-Parry, Kwabena <KAP...@ship.edu> wrote:
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com [usaafric...@googlegroups.com] on behalf of Nnaemeka, Obioma G [nnae...@iupui.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2012 11:25 PM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - ABDUL BANGURA
The moment Barack Obama scaled the 270 electoral votes hurdle, two words popped out of my mouth: ABDUL BANGURA! In anticipation of the fireworks that will explode on this list, I come with a plea: Brothers and Sisters, please show mercy J
Obioma Nnaemeka, PhD
Chancellor's Distinguished Professor
President, Association of African Women Scholars (AAWS)
Dept. of World Languages & Cultures Phone: 317-278-2038; 317-274-0062 (messages)
Cavanaugh Hall 543A Fax: 317-278-7375
Indiana University E-mail: nnae...@iupui.edu
425 University BoulevardIndianapolis, IN 46202 USA
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
--La Vonda R. Staples, Writer
BA Psychology 2005 and MA European History 2009
“If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.”
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, This Child Will Be Great; Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
There is enough in the world for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed.
---Mohandas Gandhi
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
Alfred Zack-Williams
Sent from my iPad
La Vonda R. Staples
Edward Mensah
Mr Bangura,
You know Rasmussen has always been wrong in its forecasting of election results. But your hatred for Obama blinded your reasoning to the point where you believed racist whites will make the difference. The so-called Wider effect did not materialize. Now I have the bridge that you promised to buy if you lost the election. Well, I am waiting for you to pick up the bridge from Gary Indiana. How can a scholar like you rely on none pollster with an agenda for your political guidance? Beats me!
Kwaku
Chicago
OLUWATOYIN ADEPOJU
'Africans are capable of living together peacefully--this is evident in the fact that there was little destructive ethnic or religious mobilization until the arrival of external actors'
There were major inter-Yoruba wars before the colonial period.
There were wars of conquest in which Shaka the Zulu made his name
The Akan empire is described as building territory through massive use of slaves in clearing forests for settlement
Those better informed can verify or give more examples of inter group conflict in pre-colonial Africa
I think we need a more sophisticated analysis of group relations within the African state
toyin
John MBAKU
Yes, there were inter-ethnic conflicts but they did not evolve into the type of destruction that accompanied colonial occupation. Colonialism exacerbated ethnic conflict and through its laws and institutions, produced the type of violent and destructive mobilization that remains a stable in many of today's African countries. You may want to revisit the rise of Shaka Zulu in South Africa and ask yourself who taught Shaka the value of the spear and how it could be use to make killing more efficient. Before the arrival of Shaka's famous spear, war among the South African indigenous groups was completely different from what it came to be under Shaka and subsequent Zulu dynasties.
Perhaps, historians amongst us can help.
J.D. (Law), Ph.D. (Economics)
Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law
Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
Attorney & Counselor at Law (Licensed in Utah)
Presidential Distinguished Professor of Economics & Willard L. Eccles Professor of Economics and John S. Hinckley Fellow
Department of Economics
Weber State University
3807 University Circle
Ogden, UT 84408-3807, USA
(801) 626-7442 Phone
(801) 626-7423 Fax
Moses Ebe Ochonu
Mobolaji Aluko
Nationally, Rasmussen polled at 49%-48%. The actual result was (so far) 50%-49% Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Colorado, Rasmussen polled at 50%-47% for Romney. The actual result was 51%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Florida, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 50%-49% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Iowa, Rasmussen polled at 49%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll, doubled.
In New Hampshire, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Ohio, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result was 50%-48% for Obama, a two-point swing.
In Virginia, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 50%-48% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Wisconsin, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result was 52-47% for Obama, a six-point swing
UNQUOTE
Then its Election Prediction Index (for these 8 states) is [(4+3) +(0+2)+(3+4)+(2+1)+(4+2)+(4+3)+(1+1)+(2+2)+(3+2)) = 41. A Perfect EPI would be zero (exact modulo tallies between prediction and actual results).
What is Nate Silver's EPI? Or his aggregation of polls does not count?
Well, for Yougov.com, (see http://cdn.yougov.com/r/1/2012%20Election%20results%20table%20YouGovLV%20ONLY.pdf) final polls were:
Colorado 48-47 Obama 3+0
Florida 48-47 Romney 1+3
Iowa 48-47 Obama 4+0
New Hampshre 47-43 Obama 5+4
Ohio 49-46 Obama 1+2
Virginia 48-46 Obama 2+2
Wisconsin 50-46 Obama 2+1
YouGov's EPI would therefore be 29, much better than Rasmussen's.
Bolaji Aluko
PS: I could not lay my hands on how Fordham U. calculated its poll accuracy below...
UNQUOTE
Oluwatoyin Ade-Odutola
| "No one quite knows the first time someone thought to quantify or qualify people's opinions. In the United States, polling goes back to the 1880s; in July 1824, the Harrisburg Pennsylvanian reported a straw vote taken at Wilmington, Delaware, (USA) "without discrimination of parties." Use of original marketing research by an ad agency shows up in early 1879, with questionnaires mailed in 1895 by Harlow Gale of the University of Minnesota (USA) to obtain public opinions on advertising1. Projections of probable opinions of the many from the few remained a mystery of this type of research and, at first, produced skepticism from newspaper editors and the public. The advent of the telephone and, later, the computer propelled public opinion research and market research to a respectable and high-profile multi-billion dollar business of today." Culled from Jerome C. Glenn's report --- On Wed, 11/7/12, Abegunrin, Olayiwola M. <oabeg...@Howard.edu> wrote: |
Wassa Fatti
Wassa
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2012 12:40:27 -0700
From: jmb...@weber.edu
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com; szalan...@msn.com
Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
La Vonda R. Staples
Edward Mensah
Hi All,
In my view we should sentence Alhaji Bangura to read all columns written by Nate Silver. That will be the equivalence of being sent to a re-education camp to retool his intellect towards rational reasoning. He is a well- accomplished scholar in all respects. But why was he so wrong for so long? His hatred and disappointment in Barack clouded his rational thinking faculty. Most people on this forum were also disappointed in some of the president’s decisions, indecisions, and occasional timidity. But we could look at the bigger picture and decide that the alternative was worse for all progressives. Bangura needs to be re-educated to differentiate between blatant falsehood and scientific polling. Nate Silver will do the trick, if some of us are to be saved from having nightmares like Emeritus Professor Assensoh just experienced.
Moses Ebe Ochonu
La Vonda R. Staples
Wassa Fatti
Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
Obioma Nnaemeka, PhD
Dept. of World Languages & Cultures Phone: 317-278-2038 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 317-278-2038 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; 317-274-0062 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 317-274-0062 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (messages)
Abdul Bangura
deha...@uic.edu
Wassa Fatti
Bangura disliked Obama long before the Libyan problem, in fact, before he even became the president. And he has all the right to choose his presidential candidates. But as a scholar and scientist he has provem to be woefully disappointing in his interpretation of evidence. We all have to be open to learning new disciplines. I believe Bangura needs to do some reading about how to aggregate and use polling data collected from different sources. The more he holds on to his failed view point the more irrelevant his political ideas will become, at least among some scholars on this forum. And that will be sad because he has a lot to contribute.
Kwaku
Chicago
deha...@uic.edu
Wassa
Believe me that I am also disappointed in some of the president's actions and inactions. Elections present choices and I happen to prefer the president to the alternative.
Kwaku
Chicago.
Wassa Fatti
Emeagwali, Gloria (History)
Recolonization of Africa on behalf of the corporations is definitely in play.
I am even surprised at the uncritical stance of a lot of the die-hard Obama supporters who are
getting ready to crown another corporatist in 2016, to consolidate the Clinton dynasty.
My beef with Bangura is that he should have gone fishing- or Turkey shooting
on the day of election WITHOUT embracing another enemy of the continent.
I loved Bangura's sobering analysis, initially, but this soon degenerated into
irrational and illogical claims in support of a ruthless neocon. His embrace was so
definitive and passionate that some of us wondered whether he was an agent
of Romney.
Professor Gloria Emeagwali
Prof. of History & African Studies
History Department
Central Connecticut State University
New Britain
CT 06050
www.africahistory.net<http://www.africahistory.net/>
www.vimeo.com/user5946750/videos<http://www.vimeo.com/user5946750/videos>
Documentaries on Africa and the African Diaspora
________________________________
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com [usaafric...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Wassa Fatti [wassa...@hotmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2012 8:36 AM
bykos<http://www.dailykos.com/user/kos>Follow<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/08/1158522/-The-2012-polling-hall-of-shame?detail=hide#?friend_id=3&is_stream=1>forDaily Kos<http://www.dailykos.com/blog/main>
5
PERMALINK<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/08/1158522/-The-2012-polling-hall-of-shame?detail=hide>
16 COMMENTS / 16 NEW<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/08/1158522/-The-2012-polling-hall-of-shame#comments>
attribution: Media Matters
So funny how they pretend.
Few things annoy me more in political analysis than the cherry-picking of favorable polls. That's why, with few exceptions, I dealt mostly in polling aggregates. But there's no doubt that my own assessment of the race was colored by which pollsters were saying what.
I obviously trust PPP. SUSA is good for the toplines, less good at crosstabs. Marist, CBS/NYT and ABC/WaPo are pretty solid. The internet pollsters—YouGov and Ipsos—were a curious (and ultimately successful) experiment. Pew is the gold standard, even when it's off. TIPP was a disaster in 2008, but it appeared more stable this time around. Some states have local pollsters so good they trump everything else, like Field in California and Selzer in Iowa. A few others were mildly interesting.
But there was a class of pollster that was so patently bad, they made me assume the whatever their results said, the opposite was actually true. So follow me below for a tour of this year's polling suck.
Steve Singiser's First Rule of Polling is, "If a poll doesn't look like the rest, it's likely wrong," and Gallup lived this mantra all cycle. While most polling showed a tight national race, Gallup consistently gave Romney 5-7-point leads.
Yet its long and storied history continued to give it credibility despite a disastrous recent track record. In 2010, Gallup claimed Republicans would win the Congressional national vote by 15 points. It was seven. In 2008, Gallup claimed President Barack Obama would win by 11. He won by seven. So how did Gallup save face? It used Hurricane Sandy as an excuse to quit polling for nearly a week, then delivered a late poll that showed Romney +1. No other pollster saw a major Romney erosion that week, and certainly not four points.
Quite the nice way to destroy their legacy.
These Republican hack pollsters single-handedly convinced Republicans, and some in the media, that Pennsylvania was a battleground state that Mitt Romney could win. At a time when the polling consensus was 7-8 points, they were claiming that Obama's lead was around two<http://polltracker.talkingpointsmemo.com/contests/pa-president-12>.
Their last poll this week had the race tied 47-47. Obama won by more than five.
Who can forget this highlight<http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/polls/261189-pollster-pulls-out-of-fla-nc-and-va-says-obama-cant-win> of the 2012 campaign?
“I think in places like North Carolina, Virginia and Florida, we’ve already painted those red, we’re not polling any of those states again,” [Suffolk University polling director David] Paleologos said Tuesday night on Fox’s "The O’Reilly Factor." “We’re focusing on the remaining states.”
UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE<http://polltracker.talkingpointsmemo.com/pollsters/univ-of-nh>
On 9/30, UNH had had Carol Shea-Porter up 46-35 in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District. A week later, on 10/6, her opponent Frank Guinta was up 38-36. There was nothing in between to account for a one-week 13-point swing.
On election eve, 11/4, UNH had the race tied 43-43. Shea-Porter won comfortably by four. Such wild, unexplained swings (a hallmark of UNH results) are a mark of shoddy quality control.
Nate Silver ranked them the least accurate of 2010, and they'll likely earn the same this year<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/07/1157804/-Rasmussen-exposed-as-Republican-shill>:
In Colorado, Rasmussen polled at 50%-47% for Romney. The actual result was 51%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Florida, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 50%-49% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Iowa, Rasmussen polled at 49%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll, doubled.
In New Hampshire, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Ohio, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result was 50%-48% for Obama, a two-point swing.
In Virginia, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 50%-48% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Wisconsin, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result was 52-47% for Obama, a six-point swing.
[H]e said he probably won't go back to "unskewing" polls next time. He actually thinks conservative-leaning pollsters like Scott Rasmussen have a lot more explaining to do.
"He has lost a lot of credibility, as far as I'm concerned," [Dean] Chambers said. "He did a lot of surveys. A lot of those surveys were wrong."
M-D is a long-time respected member of the polling community. So what the hell happened to them in 2012?
They had Romney winning Florida 51-45. Obama won it by a point. They had the Republicans taking the Montana governorship 49-46. The Democrats took it by two.
They had Jim Matheson losing his congressional seat in Utah 50-43. He hung on by one. They had Republicans taking the North Dakota Senate seat by two. Democrats won it by one.
They had Claire McCaskill winning her Senate seat by two. She won it by 15. They had the Minnesota gay marriage ban pass by one point. It failed by almost 4.
In fact, it's hard to find any race of particular note that they got right.
No one knows where these jokers came from, but they spent October telling us how Romney was going to win Michigan. In fact, their election eve poll had it Romney 46.92-46.56. Any pollsters that reports results to a single decimal are suspect. Two? Pure wankery. Polling has inherent inaccuracies—hence the "margin of error". Pretending that results are so precise as to require multiple decimal points is simply inaccurate.
But aside from the decimals, their numbers were comical. Obama won Michigan by over eight points—a nine-point miss. They had Sen. Debbie Stabenow winning by just 50-43 (sorry, 50.06-43.45). Stabenow won 58-38. They even ventured into Florida to tell us that Romney led 54-40. They were laughed out of the state, never to return.
There were other crappy pollsters like Gravis, Zogby and ARG, and of course even the good ones had misses here or there. By definition, five out of every 100 polls will be off. But the pollsters above deserve every bit of scorn we can send their way, and then more.
TAGS
• Elections<http://www.dailykos.com/news/Elections>
• House<http://www.dailykos.com/news/House>
• Pollsters<http://www.dailykos.com/news/Pollsters>
• President<http://www.dailykos.com/news/President>
• Senate<http://www.dailykos.com/news/Senate>
bykos<http://www.dailykos.com/user/kos>
<http://www.dailykos.com/weeklytrends>
Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2012 1:00 PM
To: USAAFRICA DIALOGUE
Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
The lesson here is that we scholars must be very careful in assessing and using the sources of our data. The mistake of Rasmussen Poll are so high that one wonders what is happening and why the poll was able to convince gullible people. Yes, as scholars we have to ask tough questions about our sources of data, otherwise we could be misled. I believe that is why Romney did not prepare a concession speech because he was confident he will win based on those polls.
Integrity in scholarship and any kind of work is very important. And the demographic analysis or projections of the future look dismal for the Republican party. I just finished teaching Huntington's "Who Are We?" where he expresses his fear about the changing nature of American national identity. Too bad. Well, unless the Republican party or any organization for that matter begin to transform themselves, they will be left behind. With every election, the percentage of White voters is reducing and in the next 10 to 15 years, it will be very spectacular. For many Republicans, WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) is the default core American identity. Obama with about 40% of White voters and a coalition of minorities defeated the Republican candidate. And if it were not for some mistakes, the margin would even be higher.
For me the lesson is also useful for us in Africa. Across Africa, how can we create societies that are more inclusive of all the diverse people in the country. Even when looks the convention of the two parties, the Democratic party has more diverse faces, and one may say that minorities are deceiving themselves by supporting one party, but they are not stupid. To live in a party where certain slogans are used deliberately as proxy for race or strategies to exclude some Americans is terrible. It is so embarrassing to support a policy that is aimed at denying people the opportunity to freely cast their vote even though officially it framed as something else. In one assessment I came across, even Brazil has a more efficient arrangement to make people cast their votes than the U.S. where some have to wait two or three hours to cast their votes.
________________________________
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2012 09:47:06 -0600
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com<mailto:usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
For me, the winner of last night's election is polling guru, Nate Silver, who called the election with deadly accuracy. He got all fifty states and the popular vote margin right. Again! The loser? Rasmussen. As the results below illustrate, Rasmussen got it completely wrong, as it did in previous elections, where it also overestimated Republican performance. This should completely discredit that Republican polling organization and banish it from the polling mainstream. And hopefully Bangura will not inflict that name on this list in future elections.
byBoris Godunov<http://www.dailykos.com/user/Boris%20Godunov>Follow<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/07/1157804/-Rasmussen-exposed-as-Republican-shill#?friend_id=28270%26is_stream=1>
75
PERMALINK<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/07/1157804/-Rasmussen-exposed-as-Republican-shill?detail=hide>
68 COMMENTS / 68 NEW<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/07/1157804/-Rasmussen-exposed-as-Republican-shill#comments>
Not much of a diary, I know, but I'm about to pass out from exhaustion. Happy exhaustion!
But let it be known: Rasmussen polling is a fraud that exists to prop up Republican candidates. Oh, sure, we all knew that... but the actual numbers prove it beyond doubt.
Nationally, Rasmussen polled at 49%-48%. The actual result was (so far) 50%-49% Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Colorado, Rasmussen polled at 50%-47% for Romney. The actual result was 51%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Florida, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 50%-49% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Iowa, Rasmussen polled at 49%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll, doubled.
In New Hampshire, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Ohio, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result was 50%-48% for Obama, a two-point swing.
In Virginia, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 50%-48% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Wisconsin, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result was 52-47% for Obama, a six-point swing.
In other words, in all the races that mattered, Rasmussen got it egregiously wrong. They didn't call a single battleground state right except for North Carolina, and even there it appears that they overestimated the margin of Romney's win.
Rasmussen was consistently, egregiously biased in favor of the Republican nominee. We have the proof.
Is Prof. Bangura in shock?
Well, I don't care. All I want now is for him to take a honourable step and redeem his bet with me. And I stated from the onset that I don't want a smelly camel (even though the prospect of frying camel meat and soaking it with garri). What I want is my cow, or the cash equivalent. And I warned Prof earlier that cow don cost for Naija (Boko Haram factor).
Adeshina Afolayan
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
________________________________
Sender: usaafric...@googlegroups.com<mailto:usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2012 00:17:31 -0600
ReplyTo: usaafric...@googlegroups.com<mailto:usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
The only thing that happened in this election is that a lot of folks sold wolf tickets. They growled and they snarled and their mouths spewed venom. But in the end, the went into those booths and turned Brother Romney back to Utah.
Please. Abortion doesn't work to get votes. Gay marriage doesn't work to get votes. Hinting at war only scares mothers with sons. Threatening to end contraception, some forms, doesn't win elections.
Romney followed Bush II's playbook and it was simply an exercise of going to the well one too many times.
The religious right did Romney in. Americans who are out of work do not care what you do within your bedroom as long as both people are grown and give consent. The states can no longer afford to house a man who got caught with ten dollars worth of weed on Saturday night.
And, if I'm honest with myself, I will concede that Brother Barry won many votes by default. Romney turned them off so badly and there was no other viable candidate. Republicans should have NEVER run this man in the first place. Americans have a prejudice, a Roman empire prejudice, against secret religions.
La Vonda R. Staples
PS In case anyone wants to know I apologized to Dr. Bangura weeks ago. I trusted him as my teacher and I should have had enough respect for him to let him have his own opinion. He made his choice. I made my mine. "nuff said.
Ah! Mercy to Papa Abdul Bangura! Ah! Mercy for Papa Abdul Bangura. Before we accept Papa Abdul Bangura's plea for mercy, he must submit the blood of a young stone to pacify the gods/goddesses of USAAfricaDialogue.
Kwabena
________________________________
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2012 11:25 PM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com<mailto:usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - ABDUL BANGURA
Obioma Nnaemeka, PhD
Chancellor's Distinguished Professor
President, Association of African Women Scholars (AAWS)
Dept. of World Languages & Cultures Phone: 317-278-2038 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 317-278-2038 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; 317-274-0062 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 317-274-0062 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (messages)
Cavanaugh Hall 543A Fax: 317-278-7375
Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
________________________________
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
--
La Vonda R. Staples, Writer
BA Psychology 2005 and MA European History 2009
“If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.”
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, This Child Will Be Great; Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
--
There is enough in the world for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed.
---Mohandas Gandhi
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
--
There is enough in the world for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed.
---Mohandas Gandhi
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
--
Abdul Bangura
----- Original Message -----From: Wassa Fatti
Wassa
Bro. Mensah,
attribution: Media Matters
So funny how they pretend.
Few things annoy me more in political analysis than the cherry-picking of favorable polls. That's why, with few exceptions, I dealt mostly in polling aggregates. But there's no doubt that my own assessment of the race was colored by which pollsters were saying what.
I obviously trust PPP. SUSA is good for the toplines, less good at crosstabs. Marist, CBS/NYT and ABC/WaPo are pretty solid. The internet pollsters�YouGov and Ipsos�were a curious (and ultimately successful) experiment. Pew is the gold standard, even when it's off. TIPP was a disaster in 2008, but it appeared more stable this time around. Some states have local pollsters so good they trump everything else, like Field in California and Selzer in Iowa. A few others were mildly interesting.
But there was a class of pollster that was so patently bad, they made me assume the whatever their results said, the opposite was actually true. So follow me below for a tour of this year's polling suck.
Steve Singiser's First Rule of Polling is, "If a poll doesn't look like the rest, it's likely wrong," and Gallup lived this mantra all cycle. While most polling showed a tight national race, Gallup consistently gave Romney 5-7-point leads.
Yet its long and storied history continued to give it credibility despite a disastrous recent track record. In 2010, Gallup claimed Republicans would win the Congressional national vote by 15 points. It was seven. In 2008, Gallup claimed President Barack Obama would win by 11. He won by seven. So how did Gallup save face? It used Hurricane Sandy as an excuse to quit polling for nearly a week, then delivered a late poll that showed Romney +1. No other pollster saw a major Romney erosion that week, and certainly not four points.
But even its last minute recalibration didn't save it, as its results put it 24 of 28 in accuracy. Below Rasmussen.
Quite the nice way to destroy their legacy.
These Republican hack pollsters single-handedly convinced Republicans, and some in the media, that Pennsylvania was a battleground state that Mitt Romney could win. At a time when the polling consensus was 7-8 points, they were claiming that Obama's lead was around two.
Their last poll this week had the race tied 47-47. Obama won by more than five.
Who can forget this highlight of the 2012 campaign?
�I think in places like North Carolina, Virginia and Florida, we�ve already painted those red, we�re not polling any of those states again,� [Suffolk University polling director David] Paleologos said Tuesday night on Fox�s "The O�Reilly Factor." �We�re focusing on the remaining states.�
Funny thing was, Suffolk's own polling showed Obama in the lead! Yet he claimed that Obama was toast because undecideds would go to Romney. That kind of mistake might be understandable for those who haven't spent much time looking at polling data. Truth is, the 50 percent rule doesn't apply in presidential races. Someone who makes a living generating polling data should know better. As Armando wrote, Paleologos just ignored his own polling.
On 9/30, UNH had had Carol Shea-Porter up 46-35 in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District. A week later, on 10/6, her opponent Frank Guinta was up 38-36. There was nothing in between to account for a one-week 13-point swing.
On election eve, 11/4, UNH had the race tied 43-43. Shea-Porter won comfortably by four. Such wild, unexplained swings (a hallmark of UNH results) are a mark of shoddy quality control.
Nate Silver ranked them the least accurate of 2010, and they'll likely earn the same this year:
In Colorado, Rasmussen polled at 50%-47% for Romney. The actual result was 51%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Florida, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 50%-49% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Iowa, Rasmussen polled at 49%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll, doubled.
In New Hampshire, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Ohio, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result was 50%-48% for Obama, a two-point swing.
In Virginia, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 50%-48% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Wisconsin, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result was 52-47% for Obama, a six-point swing.
What's more, these final numbers were actually closer than some of their mid-year results, which were clearly designed to impact the polling aggregator numbers (and RCP, in particular) and to try and craft a "Romney is winning" narrative. This led, in a hilarious twist, tocondemnation from the infamous "unskewing" guy:
[H]e said he probably won't go back to "unskewing" polls next time. He actually thinks conservative-leaning pollsters like Scott Rasmussen have a lot more explaining to do.
"He has lost a lot of credibility, as far as I'm concerned," [Dean] Chambers said. "He did a lot of surveys. A lot of those surveys were wrong."
M-D is a long-time respected member of the polling community. So what the hell happened to them in 2012?
They had Romney winning Florida 51-45. Obama won it by a point. They had the Republicans taking the Montana governorship 49-46. The Democrats took it by two.
They had Jim Matheson losing his congressional seat in Utah 50-43. He hung on by one. They had Republicans taking the North Dakota Senate seat by two. Democrats won it by one.
They had Claire McCaskill winning her Senate seat by two. She won it by 15. They had the Minnesota gay marriage ban pass by one point. It failed by almost 4.
In fact, it's hard to find any race of particular note that they got right.
No one knows where these jokers came from, but they spent October telling us how Romney was going to win Michigan. In fact, their election eve poll had it Romney 46.92-46.56. Any pollsters that reports results to a single decimal are suspect. Two? Pure wankery. Polling has inherent inaccuracies�hence the "margin of error". Pretending that results are so precise as to require multiple decimal points is simply inaccurate.
But aside from the decimals, their numbers were comical. Obama won Michigan by over eight points�a nine-point miss. They had Sen. Debbie Stabenow winning by just 50-43 (sorry, 50.06-43.45). Stabenow won 58-38. They even ventured into Florida to tell us that Romney led 54-40. They were laughed out of the state, never to return.
There were other crappy pollsters like Gravis, Zogby and ARG, and of course even the good ones had misses here or there. By definition, five out of every 100 polls will be off. But the pollsters above deserve every bit of scorn we can send their way, and then more.
bykos
From Fordham University's Costas Panagopoulos, director of the university's Center for Electoral Politics and Democracy.
UNQUOTE
For me, the winner of last night's election is polling guru, Nate Silver, who called the election with deadly accuracy. He got all fifty states and the popular vote margin right. Again! The loser? Rasmussen. As the results below illustrate, Rasmussen got it completely wrong, as it did in previous elections, where it also overestimated Republican performance. This should completely discredit that Republican polling organization and banish it from the polling mainstream. And hopefully Bangura will not inflict that name on this list in future elections.
Not much of a diary, I know, but I'm about to pass out from exhaustion. Happy exhaustion!
But let it be known: Rasmussen polling is a fraud that exists to prop up Republican candidates. Oh, sure, we all knew that... but the actual numbers prove it beyond doubt.
Nationally, Rasmussen polled at 49%-48%. The actual result was (so far) 50%-49% Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Colorado, Rasmussen polled at 50%-47% for Romney. The actual result was 51%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Florida, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 50%-49% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Iowa, Rasmussen polled at 49%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll, doubled.
In New Hampshire, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Ohio, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result was 50%-48% for Obama, a two-point swing.
In Virginia, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 50%-48% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Wisconsin, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result was 52-47% for Obama, a six-point swing.
In other words, in all the races that mattered, Rasmussen got it egregiously wrong. They didn't call a single battleground state right except for North Carolina, and even there it appears that they overestimated the margin of Romney's win.
Rasmussen was consistently, egregiously biased in favor of the Republican nominee. We have the proof.
On Wed, Nov 7, 2012 at 5:40 AM, <shina7...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Is Prof. Bangura in shock?
Well, I don't care. All I want now is for him to take a honourable step and redeem his bet with me. And I stated from the onset that I don't want a smelly camel (even though the prospect of frying camel meat and soaking it with garri). What I want is my cow, or the cash equivalent. And I warned Prof earlier that cow don cost for Naija (Boko Haram factor).
Adeshina AfolayanSent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
From: "La Vonda R. Staples" <lrst...@gmail.com>
Sender: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2012 00:17:31 -0600
ReplyTo: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
The only thing that happened in this election is that a lot of folks sold wolf tickets. They growled and they snarled and their mouths spewed venom. But in the end, the went into those booths and turned Brother Romney back to Utah.
Please. Abortion doesn't work to get votes. Gay marriage doesn't work to get votes. Hinting at war only scares mothers with sons. Threatening to end contraception, some forms, doesn't win elections.
Romney followed Bush II's playbook and it was simply an exercise of going to the well one too many times.
The religious right did Romney in. Americans who are out of work do not care what you do within your bedroom as long as both people are grown and give consent. The states can no longer afford to house a man who got caught with ten dollars worth of weed on Saturday night.
And, if I'm honest with myself, I will concede that Brother Barry won many votes by default. Romney turned them off so badly and there was no other viable candidate. Republicans should have NEVER run this man in the first place. Americans have a prejudice, a Roman empire prejudice, against secret religions.
La Vonda R. Staples
PS In case anyone wants to know I apologized to Dr. Bangura weeks ago. I trusted him as my teacher and I should have had enough respect for him to let him have his own opinion. He made his choice. I made my mine. "nuff said.
On Tue, Nov 6, 2012 at 10:38 PM, Akurang-Parry, Kwabena <KAP...@ship.edu> wrote:
Ah! Mercy to Papa Abdul Bangura! Ah! Mercy for Papa Abdul Bangura. Before we accept Papa Abdul Bangura's plea for mercy, he must submit the blood of a young stone to pacify the gods/goddesses of USAAfricaDialogue.
Kwabena
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com [usaafric...@googlegroups.com] on behalf of Nnaemeka, Obioma G [nnae...@iupui.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2012 11:25 PM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - ABDUL BANGURA
The moment Barack Obama scaled the 270 electoral votes hurdle, two words popped out of my mouth: ABDUL BANGURA! In anticipation of the fireworks that will explode on this list, I come with a plea: Brothers and Sisters, please show mercy J
Obioma Nnaemeka, PhD
Chancellor's Distinguished Professor
President, Association of African Women Scholars (AAWS)
Dept. of World Languages & Cultures Phone: 317-278-2038 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 317-278-2038 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; 317-274-0062 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 317-274-0062 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (messages)
Cavanaugh Hall 543A Fax: 317-278-7375
Indiana University E-mail: nnae...@iupui.edu
425 University BoulevardIndianapolis, IN 46202 USA
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
--
La Vonda R. Staples, Writer
�If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.�
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, This Child Will Be Great; Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
--
There is enough in the world for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed.
---Mohandas Gandhi
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsub...@googlegroups.com
--
There is enough in the world for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed.
---Mohandas Gandhi
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
Edward Mensah
I love these statements of yours: " My beef with Bangura is that he should
embracing another enemy of the continent. I loved Bangura's sobering
analysis, initially, but this soon degenerated into irrational and illogical
claims in support of a ruthless neocon. His embrace was so definitive and
passionate that some of us wondered whether he was an agent of Romney."
to the level of science. Then I started suspecting he may be an agent of the
Romney-Ryan ticket. And my soul tells me Professor Bangura is nobody's
agent. Then what was the matter with his reasoning in thinking Romney would
be a better choice? Oh sure, he is free to choose any candidate. But trying
to use scientific methods al la Rasmussen to explain the choice was
unacceptable to critical thinkers. Go ask the native Americans, the
African-American farmers who lost their land under previous administrations,
or the Historically Black Colleges that almost became bankrupt until Obama
bailed them out. Ask then to choose between Obama and Romney and it will be
a no brainer. I have not met a single supporter and friend of Obama yet,
even in his own backyard ( zipcode in Chicago) who is not disappointed in
some of the president's decisions, the worse if you ask me, are the drones.
Romney will not have used less drones and Ron Paul, the pacifist, was
against most progressive government interventions.
We should all hold Obama's feet to the fire and remind him that he does not
have to run for a third term and must address poverty seriously. Good
poverty alleviating programs will address poverty among all, not just
poverty among Blacks.
Yes, the Chinese are all over Africa and engaging in retail trade, selling
apparel, electronics, etc. in our local markets, from Ethiopia to Ghana.
Pretty soon they will be selling pepper, tomatoes, and okra. God save our
local market women. How are they going to compete? Some will turn to
prostitution to survive. And Obama will have nothing to do with it. The
Chinese are already involved in illegal mining in Ghana, digging everywhere
looking for gold and diamond, and turning Birim river into mercury
contaminated muddy waters and an impending public health catastrophe.
Again, Obama and Romney will have nothing to do with it. Let us demand
accountability from our own African politicians and leave the West alone.
As for North Africa joining the European Union, that will be a choice they
have to make and good luck to them. Go ask Turkey. She has been a member of
NATO for a long time and asking to join the EU. But EU says, NO WAY!!
Kwaku
Chicago
But aside from the decimals, their numbers were comical. Obama won Michigan
ventured into Florida to tell us that Romney led 54-40. They were laughed
out of the state, never to return.
There were other crappy pollsters like Gravis, Zogby and ARG, and of course
even the good ones had misses here or there. By definition, five out of
every 100 polls will be off. But the pollsters above deserve every bit of
scorn we can send their way, and then more.
TAGS
. Elections<http://www.dailykos.com/news/Elections>
. House<http://www.dailykos.com/news/House>
. Pollsters<http://www.dailykos.com/news/Pollsters>
. President<http://www.dailykos.com/news/President>
. Senate<http://www.dailykos.com/news/Senate>
PPP is a robo-pollster that doesn't call cell phones, which was supposedly a
So thanks to PPP for making us look good, and thanks to SEIU for sponsoring
our weekly State of the Nation poll for the past two years. It's been an
awesome ride.
bigger and bigger issue every year, it seems clear that the internet is the
future of polling. I'm glad someone is figuring it out.
But let's be clear, you have to go down to number six on the list to get to
someone who called cell phones. And Gallup called 50 percent cell phones and
they were a laughingstock this cycle.
UNQUOTE
On Wed, Nov 7, 2012 at 9:30 PM, Edward Mensah
<deha...@uic.edu<mailto:deha...@uic.edu>> wrote:
Mr Bangura,
You know Rasmussen has always been wrong in its forecasting of election
results. But your hatred for Obama blinded your reasoning to the point
where you believed racist whites will make the difference. The so-called
Wider effect did not materialize. Now I have the bridge that you promised to
buy if you lost the election. Well, I am waiting for you to pick up the
bridge from Gary Indiana. How can a scholar like you rely on none pollster
with an agenda for your political guidance? Beats me!
Kwaku
Chicago
From:
usaafric...@googlegroups.com<mailto:usaafric...@googlegroups.com
>
Anunoby, Ogugua
Whose list is in issue? I do not know that it is Obama’s list. Why one of “our people” for the job of CIA director? Is there anyone who believes that the position has been filled? Is that all Obama has to do to dilute the vitriol poured on him by some? He is not even into his second term yet? One would have thought that a few appropriate lessons should have been learned after the events of the last week. Lord have mercy. Give the man a chance.
oa
John MBAKU
J.D. (Law), Ph.D. (Economics)
Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law
Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
Attorney & Counselor at Law (Licensed in Utah)
Presidential Distinguished Professor of Economics & Willard L. Eccles Professor of Economics and John S. Hinckley Fellow
Department of Economics
Weber State University
3807 University Circle
Ogden, UT 84408-3807, USA
(801) 626-7442 Phone
(801) 626-7423 Fax
Whose list is in issue? I do not know that it is Obama?s list. Why one of ?our people? for the job of CIA director? Is there anyone who believes that the position has been filled? Is that all Obama has to do to dilute the vitriol poured on him by some? He is not even into his second term yet? One would have thought that a few appropriate lessons should have been learned after the events of the last week. Lord have mercy. Give the man a chance.
Wassa
Bro. Mensah,
Hi All,
In my view we should sentence Alhaji Bangura to read all columns written by Nate Silver. That will be the equivalence of being sent to a re-education camp to retool his intellect towards rational reasoning. He is a well- accomplished scholar in all respects. But why was he so wrong for so long? His hatred and disappointment in Barack clouded his rational thinking faculty. Most people on this forum were also disappointed in some of the president?s decisions, indecisions, and occasional timidity. But we could look at the bigger picture and decide that the alternative was worse for all progressives. Bangura needs to be re-educated to differentiate between blatant falsehood and scientific polling. Nate Silver will do the trick, if some of us are to be saved from having nightmares like Emeritus Professor Assensoh just experienced.
Kwaku
Chicago
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafric...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Moses Ebe Ochonu
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2012 10:21 AM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
THU NOV 08, 2012 AT 08:05 AM PST
The 2012 polling hall of shame
5
attribution: Media Matters
So funny how they pretend.
Few things annoy me more in political analysis than the cherry-picking of favorable polls. That's why, with few exceptions, I dealt mostly in polling aggregates. But there's no doubt that my own assessment of the race was colored by which pollsters were saying what.
I obviously trust PPP. SUSA is good for the toplines, less good at crosstabs. Marist, CBS/NYT and ABC/WaPo are pretty solid. The internet pollsters?YouGov and Ipsos?were a curious (and ultimately successful) experiment. Pew is the gold standard, even when it's off. TIPP was a disaster in 2008, but it appeared more stable this time around. Some states have local pollsters so good they trump everything else, like Field in California and Selzer in Iowa. A few others were mildly interesting.
But there was a class of pollster that was so patently bad, they made me assume the whatever their results said, the opposite was actually true. So follow me below for a tour of this year's polling suck.
Steve Singiser's First Rule of Polling is, "If a poll doesn't look like the rest, it's likely wrong," and Gallup lived this mantra all cycle. While most polling showed a tight national race, Gallup consistently gave Romney 5-7-point leads.
Yet its long and storied history continued to give it credibility despite a disastrous recent track record. In 2010, Gallup claimed Republicans would win the Congressional national vote by 15 points. It was seven. In 2008, Gallup claimed President Barack Obama would win by 11. He won by seven. So how did Gallup save face? It used Hurricane Sandy as an excuse to quit polling for nearly a week, then delivered a late poll that showed Romney +1. No other pollster saw a major Romney erosion that week, and certainly not four points.
But even its last minute recalibration didn't save it, as its results put it 24 of 28 in accuracy. Below Rasmussen.
Quite the nice way to destroy their legacy.
These Republican hack pollsters single-handedly convinced Republicans, and some in the media, that Pennsylvania was a battleground state that Mitt Romney could win. At a time when the polling consensus was 7-8 points, they were claiming that Obama's lead was around two.
Their last poll this week had the race tied 47-47. Obama won by more than five.
Who can forget this highlight of the 2012 campaign?
?I think in places like North Carolina, Virginia and Florida, we?ve already painted those red, we?re not polling any of those states again,? [Suffolk University polling director David] Paleologos said Tuesday night on Fox?s "The O?Reilly Factor." ?We?re focusing on the remaining states.?
Funny thing was, Suffolk's own polling showed Obama in the lead! Yet he claimed that Obama was toast because undecideds would go to Romney. That kind of mistake might be understandable for those who haven't spent much time looking at polling data. Truth is, the 50 percent rule doesn't apply in presidential races. Someone who makes a living generating polling data should know better. As Armando wrote, Paleologos just ignored his own polling.
On 9/30, UNH had had Carol Shea-Porter up 46-35 in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District. A week later, on 10/6, her opponent Frank Guinta was up 38-36. There was nothing in between to account for a one-week 13-point swing.
On election eve, 11/4, UNH had the race tied 43-43. Shea-Porter won comfortably by four. Such wild, unexplained swings (a hallmark of UNH results) are a mark of shoddy quality control.
Nate Silver ranked them the least accurate of 2010, and they'll likely earn the same this year:
In Colorado, Rasmussen polled at 50%-47% for Romney. The actual result was 51%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Florida, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 50%-49% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Iowa, Rasmussen polled at 49%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll, doubled.
In New Hampshire, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Ohio, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result was 50%-48% for Obama, a two-point swing.
In Virginia, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result was 50%-48% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
In Wisconsin, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result was 52-47% for Obama, a six-point swing.
What's more, these final numbers were actually closer than some of their mid-year results, which were clearly designed to impact the polling aggregator numbers (and RCP, in particular) and to try and craft a "Romney is winning" narrative. This led, in a hilarious twist, tocondemnation from the infamous "unskewing" guy:
[H]e said he probably won't go back to "unskewing" polls next time. He actually thinks conservative-leaning pollsters like Scott Rasmussen have a lot more explaining to do.
"He has lost a lot of credibility, as far as I'm concerned," [Dean] Chambers said. "He did a lot of surveys. A lot of those surveys were wrong."
M-D is a long-time respected member of the polling community. So what the hell happened to them in 2012?
They had Romney winning Florida 51-45. Obama won it by a point. They had the Republicans taking the Montana governorship 49-46. The Democrats took it by two.
They had Jim Matheson losing his congressional seat in Utah 50-43. He hung on by one. They had Republicans taking the North Dakota Senate seat by two. Democrats won it by one.
They had Claire McCaskill winning her Senate seat by two. She won it by 15. They had the Minnesota gay marriage ban pass by one point. It failed by almost 4.
In fact, it's hard to find any race of particular note that they got right.
No one knows where these jokers came from, but they spent October telling us how Romney was going to win Michigan. In fact, their election eve poll had it Romney 46.92-46.56. Any pollsters that reports results to a single decimal are suspect. Two? Pure wankery. Polling has inherent inaccuracies?hence the "margin of error". Pretending that results are so precise as to require multiple decimal points is simply inaccurate.
But aside from the decimals, their numbers were comical. Obama won Michigan by over eight points?a nine-point miss. They had Sen. Debbie Stabenow winning by just 50-43 (sorry, 50.06-43.45). Stabenow won 58-38. They even ventured into Florida to tell us that Romney led 54-40. They were laughed out of the state, never to return.
Ha ha, look at Gallup way at the bottom, even below Rasmussen. But let's focus on the positive?PPP took top honors with a two-way tie for first place. Both their tracking poll and their weekly poll for Daily Kos/SEIU ended up with the same 50-48 margin. The final result? Obama 51.1-48.9?a 2.2-point margin.
PPP is a robo-pollster that doesn't call cell phones, which was supposedly a cardinal sin?particularly when their numbers weren't looking so hot for Obama post-first debate. But there's a reason we've worked with them the past year?because their track record is the best in the biz.
So thanks to PPP for making us look good, and thanks to SEIU for sponsoring our weekly State of the Nation poll for the past two years. It's been an awesome ride.
One last point?YouGov and Ipsos/Reuters were both internet polls. YouGov has now been pretty good two elections in a row. With cell phones becoming a bigger and bigger issue every year, it seems clear that the internet is the future of polling. I'm glad someone is figuring it out.
UNQUOTE
?If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.?
ZALANGA SAMUEL
WELL SAID, PROFESSOR MBAKU.
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:18:40 -0700
From: jmb...@weber.edu
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com; Anun...@lincolnu.edu
Wassa Fatti
Chuma Nwokolo
In another vision, the product of a brain's deep reflections determine the future of its body. In that vision, the reflections of that brain are more ordered, and the product of cogitation is telegraphed to the will, and informs the subsequent conduct of the body.
Put baldly, how do we convert a gigabit of electrifying debate on, say rendition, into the release of a single innocent?
Chuma
And yet, good sirs, having debated it, what next?
The purpose of a brain is that it processes information, and having done so
Akurang-Parry, Kwabena
It is one thing to debate Obama's policies and another to detain perpetual hatred in one's heart for Obama. I just gave a "community talk" on the forthcoming elections in Ghana to some Ghanaians/Africans in Ohio. To my surprise, I encountered a lot of "BANGURAS" who asked a lot of questions about AFRICOM, etc. I think that Papa Mbaku's piece addressed healthy debates, not criminalizing ones.
Mobolaji Aluko
Abdul Bangura
----- Original Message -----From: Wassa FattiSent: 11/12/2012 7:56:58 PMSubject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
Well said Mbaku, but discussing/debating about Obama in relation to the threat our continent is facing is no waste of our intellectual capital. Well, AFRICOM is active in Africa under Obama. The US has opened secret detention camps in Africa (example in Djibouti), flying people every where (rendition) for torture under Obama. The US military are building up bases in all parts of the continent under Obama. These few examples as to the reason why the discourse on Obama is a way of using our intellectual capital with regard to the threat of US hegemony in Africa. For me not to be obsessed with this discourse in relation to Obama is criminal. I am not going to be silent about Obama because he is Black. No! He is a disgrace as far as Africa is concerned. So we will debate it. That is another good way to invest our intellectual capital nicely.
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 16:18:12 -0600
WELL SAID, PROFESSOR MBAKU.
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:18:40 -0700
From: jmb...@weber.edu
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com; Anun...@lincolnu.edu
Abdul Bangura
----- Original Message -----From: Akurang-Parry, KwabenaSent: 11/13/2012 5:50:27 AMSubject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
It is one thing to debate Obama's policies and another to detain perpetual hatred in one's heart for Obama. I just gave a "community talk" on the forthcoming elections in Ghana to some Ghanaians/Africans in Ohio. To my surprise, I encountered a lot of "BANGURAS" who asked a lot of questions about AFRICOM, etc. I think that Papa Mbaku's piece addressed healthy debates, not criminalizing ones.
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com [usaafric...@googlegroups.com] on behalf of Wassa Fatti [wassa...@hotmail.com]
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2012 7:52 PM
John MBAKU
I agree. However, I fear that while what we are currently engaged in on this forum at the moment is a debate/discussion, it is not constructive nor productive, especially when it comes to tackling the multifarious problems that our continent and our people suffer from. There are more constructive ways for us to harness the the energy generated by the recently completed U.S. elections for positive change in Africa. Our current efforts, in my opinion, are not likely to get us to an equilibrium that significantly raises levels of human development in Africa. In fact, how is what we are currently engaged in on this forum going to affect, for example, AFRICOM?
J.D. (Law), Ph.D. (Economics)
Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law
Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
Attorney & Counselor at Law (Licensed in Utah)
Presidential Distinguished Professor of Economics & Willard L. Eccles Professor of Economics and John S. Hinckley Fellow
Department of Economics
Weber State University
3807 University Circle
Ogden, UT 84408-3807, USA
(801) 626-7442 Phone
(801) 626-7423 Fax
John MBAKU
You will agree that there has been significant bashing of President Obama on this forum of late. My view is that such is not constructive dialogue, not of the type that would advance human development in Africa. Yes, the re-election of the President has significant implications for Africa and Africans. Nevertheless, what are we, Africa's best and brightest, doing to harness the opportunities made possible by that re-election to enhance constructive change in the continent?
So far, on this forum, I have not seen such a positive step. Perhaps, I am wrong.
Stay well.
J.D. (Law), Ph.D. (Economics)
Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law
Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
Attorney & Counselor at Law (Licensed in Utah)
Presidential Distinguished Professor of Economics & Willard L. Eccles Professor of Economics and John S. Hinckley Fellow
Department of Economics
Weber State University
3807 University Circle
Ogden, UT 84408-3807, USA
(801) 626-7442 Phone
(801) 626-7423 Fax
Anunoby, Ogugua
U.S. elections have implications for Africa and Africans too. Many forum participants of African descent live in the U.S. They are citizens of the U.S. They pay taxes here. They have and raise their children here. They cannot rightly be oblivious of political events here. Does anyone know of the number of African-Africans maimed or killed in Iraq and Afghanistan? Does anyone want another war of choice? Does anyone want their child/children sent to such wars? Elections have consequences.
It is not for Obama or indeed any foreign leader or people to advance human development in Africa. They may support it but Africa and Africans must lead the effort. I dare to suggest that the lead in advancing human development in Africa is best done by Africans living and working in Africa. The most Africans living outside Africa can do is support such leadership with ideas and material resources. China and India are present day examples. China is a powerhouse economy of the world today. China’s political leadership started China’s economic transition a few decades ago. Expatriate Chinese supported them with ideas and material resources. The rest is history.
Then again symbols are important. Obama is arguably the most admired national leader in the world today. There are those who believe that he is a gift to today’s world. African-Americans should rightly be proud of him.
oa
Moses Ebe Ochonu
Rasmussen explains
11/11/12 1:05 PM EST
Rasmussen Reports, the prolific automated pollster whose projections fell far from the mark Tuesday, explains what went wrong:
Our final daily presidential tracking poll showed Romney at 49% and Obama at 48%. Instead, the president got 50% of the vote and Romney 48%. We were disappointed that our final results were not as close to the final result as they had been in preceding elections. There was a similar pattern in the state polls. For example, in Ohio we projected a tie at 49% but the president reached 50% of the vote and the challenger got just 48%. Although every individual result in the battleground states was within the margin of error, the numbers we projected were consistently a bit more favorable for Romney than the actual results.
A preliminary review indicates that one reason for this is that we underestimated the minority share of the electorate. In 2008, 26% of voters were non-white. We expected that to remain relatively constant. However, in 2012, 28% of voters were non-white. That was exactly the share projected by the Obama campaign. It is not clear at the moment whether minority turnout increased nationally, white turnout decreased, or if it was a combination of both. The increase in minority turnout has a significant impact on the final projections since Romney won nearly 60% of white votes while Obama won an even larger share of the minority vote.
Another factor may be related to the generation gap. It is interesting to note that the share of seniors who showed up to vote was down slightly from 2008 while the number of young voters was up slightly. Pre-election data suggested that voters over 65 were more enthusiastic about voting than they had been four years earlier so the decline bears further examination.
As mea culpas go, this one is a little thin. While Rasmussen wasn’t alone in misreading the composition of the 2012 electorate and it’s true that all the firm’s battleground state polls were within the 4-point margin of error, there are a few clunkers in there. In Wisconsin, for example, Rasmussen was the only public pollster reporting a 49-49 tie -- in the final two weeks, the five other pollsters in the field there pegged Obama’s lead between 3 and 9 percentage points. The actual result was a 53-46 Obama win.
Colorado was similarly errant. In the final round of polls, Rasmussen was the one reporting the biggest Romney lead -- 50-47 – but the outcome was 51-46 Obama.
Rasmussen got a few states right – placing Obama in the lead in Nevada and New Hampshire and Romney ahead in North Carolina – but simply getting the winner correct in 3 of 9 battleground states isn’t going to win over the many detractors who regularly dismiss the firm’s polls for their often overly rosy GOP predictions.
Here is Dick Morris, Fox News commentator and one of several conservative pundits who predicted a landslide for Romney, basically admitting that he was simply trying to psych up a dispirited Republican base of Romney supporters with his forecast. Another evidence that Fox News right wing predictions, statistics, and "realities" are not mistakes but strategic, deliberate efforts go against objective poll numbers in order to pump up a Republican base/audience unsold on Romney's electoral viability.Dick Morris Admits That He Is A Partisan Hack
FOLLOW:When last we left Dick Morris, he was pretending to pen a mea culpa about how he had gotten his ornate prediction of a Mitt Romney landslide wrong. Today, we pick up that story anew, with Morris essentially admitting that he is huge partisan hack, and that both his prediction of a Romney landslide and the ensuing mea culpa in which he tried, in fits and starts, to reckon with the reality into which his prediction collided, were both examples of election-year cruft that should be hurled down the garbage disposal.
Here's Morris explaining to Sean Hannity why he predicted a gigantic Romney win in the face of all evidence to the contrary:
Sean, I hope people aren’t mad at me about it … I spoke about what I believed and I think that there was a period of time when the Romney campaign was falling apart, people were not optimistic, nobody thought there was a chance of victory and I felt that it was my duty at that point to go out and say what I said. And at the time that I said it, I believe I was right.Right, so keep in mind that Morris' prediction is not a part of the "Romney campaign was completely blindsided by the facts" genre of post-election recriminations. Rather, the idea here is that Morris perceived that the Romney campaign was hitting a particularly rough patch, in terms of pessimism, and so he went out like a good soldier and tried to stoke a little positivity by publicly proclaiming that Romney was going to run roughshod over Obama on election night. This isn't entirely stupid -- at the time, there was reason to believe that the Romney campaign writ large was playing the traditional "bluffer's game" in the campaign's final weeks, on the theory that lots of undecided voters simply want to align themselves with campaigns that are winning. But the trick to bluffing is to make your bluff seem plausible, and not, say ...predict that Oregon and New Jersey are on the verge of turning into red states.
I suppose one can see where Morris got the idea that a crazily optimistic prediction would help Romney by looking at the way The New York Times' Nate Silver was constantly being characterized as the guy who liberals turned to to bolster their spirits. Silver may have been a source of totemic reassurance for Democrats during the campaign season, but this is still a broad misconception of what Silver actually does: he works with data to rationalize outcomes and their probabilities, as opposed to working backwards from a desired outcome to cherrypick data that supports it. It's possible that this won't be clear to everybody until Silver gets to work a presidential election in which the GOP contender is much stronger than the Democrat, and we find out that he doesn't actually dress up the math to make liberals feel good about things.
Obviously, Morris' admission raises some interesting questions. For instance, if the whole point of his prediction was to provide strategic assistance to Romney, then why did he bother to write a post-election column about what he got wrong and why? But more importantly: do we actually live in a world where more than five human beings derive a sense of optimism about the future based upon the things that Dick Morris says? Because that is potentially sad and/or terrifying.
Moses Ebe Ochonu
Segun
Segun
Sent from my iPhone
udo...@appstate.edu
this forum in 2008 that we can not and should not wait for London, Paris and
Washington to tackle Africa's problems. We can write from now to "thy kingdom
come" and get nowhere. In my judgment, if we want to effect a change on policies
related to Africa we must first come together as a strong "lobbying group" in
London, Paris and Washington--particularly London and Paris that colonized the
continent. Right now, my experience "with us" suggests that at this juncture, we
have problems doing that. Just ask us to contribute a $1000--no $100--each with
which to lobby for an African cause--and see how many of us will be scratching
our heads (with a murmur that this is a 419)--not to mention the fact that we
can't even agree on a common platform with which to engage these powers. My
brothers and sisters let us engage one another (positively) first and then our
corrupt leaders before we accuse Washington, London, and Paris of not doing
enough to help Africa--arguably the richest continent in the world because of
its untapped raw materials. Right now, the Chinese are doing "a number" on our
continent as I write and what are we--the intelligentsia--doing about it? Very
little on nothing. I rest my case.
Ike Udogu
----- Original Message -----
From: John MBAKU <jmb...@weber.edu>
Date: Tuesday, November 13, 2012 10:12 am
Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com, wassa...@hotmail.com
> Hello Wassa:
>
> I agree. However, I fear that while what we are currently engaged
> in on
> this forum at the moment is a debate/discussion, it is not
> problems that our continent and our people suffer from. There are more
> constructive ways for us to harness the the energy generated by the
> recently completed U.S. elections for positive change in Africa. Our
> current efforts, in my opinion, are not likely to get us to an
> equilibrium that significantly raises levels of human development in
> Africa. In fact, how is what we are currently engaged in on this forum
> going to affect, for example, AFRICOM?
>
> JOHN MUKUM MBAKU, ESQ.
> J.D. (Law), Ph.D. (Economics)
> Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law
> Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
> Attorney & Counselor at Law (Licensed in Utah)
> Presidential Distinguished Professor of Economics & Willard L. Eccles
> Professor of Economics and John S. Hinckley Fellow
> Department of Economics
> Weber State University
> 3807 University Circle
> Ogden, UT 84408-3807, USA
> (801) 626-7442 Phone
> (801) 626-7423 Fax
> >>> Wassa Fatti 11/12/12 5:57 PM >>>
> 12pt;font-family:Calibri}-->Well said Mbaku, but discussing/debating
> waste of our intellectual capital. Well, AFRICOM is active in Africa
> under Obama. The US has opened secret detention camps in Africa
> Obama. The US military are building up bases in all parts of the
> continent under Obama. These few examples as to the reason why the
> discourse on Obama is a way of using our intellectual capital with
> regard to the threat of US hegemony in Africa. For me not to be
> be silent about Obama because he is Black. No! He is a disgrace as far
> as Africa is concerned. So we will debate it. That is another good way
> to invest our intellectual capital nicely.
>
> Wassa
>
>
> To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
> Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 16:18:12 -0600
>
> body.ecxhmmessage{font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma;}-->
> WELL SAID, PROFESSOR MBAKU.
>
>
> Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:18:40 -0700
> From: jmb...@weber.edu
> To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com; Anun...@lincolnu.edu
> Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
>
> This obsession with the Obama administration is not healthy for us.
> our united efforts, we are here squandering our time, efforts, and
> intellectual capital on things we cannot change. Assume that a black
> person is appointed the next CIA director. How will that advance the
> struggle for human development in the continent?
>
>
> JOHN MUKUM MBAKU, ESQ.
> J.D. (Law), Ph.D. (Economics)
> Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law
> Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
> Attorney & Counselor at Law (Licensed in Utah)
> Presidential Distinguished Professor of Economics & Willard L. Eccles
> Professor of Economics and John S. Hinckley Fellow
> Department of Economics
> Weber State University
> 3807 University Circle
> Ogden, UT 84408-3807, USA
> (801) 626-7442 Phone
> (801) 626-7423 Fax
>
> >>> "Anunoby, Ogugua" 11/12/12 2:15 PM >>>
> .ExternalClass li.ecxMsoNormal, .ExternalClass
> div.ecxMsoNormal{margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:12.0pt;font-
> family:"TimesNew Roman","serif";}.ExternalClass
> h2{margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-size:18.0pt;font-
> family:"TimesNew Roman","serif";font-weight:bold;}.ExternalClass
> h4{margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-size:12.0pt;font-
> family:"TimesNew Roman","serif";font-weight:bold;}.ExternalClass
> a:link,.ExternalClass
> span.ecxMsoHyperlink{color:blue;text-
> decoration:underline;}.ExternalClassa:visited, .ExternalClass
> span.ecxMsoHyperlinkFollowed{color:purple;text-
> decoration:underline;}.ExternalClassp{margin-right:0in;margin-
> left:0in;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times
> New Roman","serif";}.ExternalClass p.ecxMsoAcetate, .ExternalClass
> li.ecxMsoAcetate, .ExternalClass
> div.ecxMsoAcetate{margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:8.0pt;font-
> family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxHeading2Char{font-
> family:"Cambria","serif";color:#4F81BD;font-weight:bold;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxHeading4Char{font-
> family:"Cambria","serif";color:#4F81BD;font-weight:bold;font-
> style:italic;}.ExternalClassp.ecxecxmsonormal, .ExternalClass
> li.ecxecxmsonormal, .ExternalClass
> div.ecxecxmsonormal{margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-
> size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times
> New Roman","serif";}.ExternalClass p.ecxecxmsoacetate, .ExternalClass
> li.ecxecxmsoacetate, .ExternalClass
> div.ecxecxmsoacetate{margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-
> size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times
> New Roman","serif";}.ExternalClass p.ecxecxdate, .ExternalClass
> li.ecxecxdate, .ExternalClass
> div.ecxecxdate{margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-
> size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times
> New Roman","serif";}.ExternalClass p.ecxecxauthor, .ExternalClass
> li.ecxecxauthor, .ExternalClass
> div.ecxecxauthor{margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-
> size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times
> New Roman","serif";}.ExternalClass p.ecxecxdivider-doodle,
> .ExternalClass li.ecxecxdivider-doodle, .ExternalClass
> div.ecxecxdivider-doodle{margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-
> size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times
> New Roman","serif";}.ExternalClass p.ecxecxmsochpdefault,
> .ExternalClassli.ecxecxmsochpdefault, .ExternalClass
> div.ecxecxmsochpdefault{margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-
> size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times
> New Roman","serif";}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxmsohyperlink{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxmsohyperlinkfollowed{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxheading2char{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxheading4char{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxballoontextchar{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxemailstyle36{;}.ExternalClass p.ecxecxmsonormal1,
> .ExternalClass li.ecxecxmsonormal1, .ExternalClass
> div.ecxecxmsonormal1{margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-
> left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times
> New Roman","serif";}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxmsohyperlink1{color:blue;text-
>
decoration:underline;}.ExternalClassspan.ecxecxmsohyperlinkfollowed1{color:purple;text-decoration:underline;}.ExternalClass
> p.ecxecxmsoacetate1, .ExternalClass li.ecxecxmsoacetate1,
> .ExternalClassdiv.ecxecxmsoacetate1{margin-right:0in;margin-
> bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-
> size:8.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}.ExternalClass
> p.ecxecxdate1, .ExternalClass li.ecxecxdate1, .ExternalClass
> div.ecxecxdate1{margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-
> size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times
> New Roman","serif";}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxheading2char1{font-
> family:"Cambria","serif";color:#4F81BD;font-weight:bold;}.ExternalClass
> p.ecxecxauthor1, .ExternalClass li.ecxecxauthor1, .ExternalClass
> div.ecxecxauthor1{margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-
> size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times
> New Roman","serif";}.ExternalClass p.ecxecxdivider-doodle1,
> .ExternalClass li.ecxecxdivider-doodle1, .ExternalClass
> div.ecxecxdivider-doodle1{margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-
> size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times
> New Roman","serif";}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxheading4char1{font-
> family:"Cambria","serif";color:#4F81BD;font-weight:bold;font-
> style:italic;}.ExternalClassspan.ecxecxballoontextchar1{font-
> family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxemailstyle361{font-family:"Calibri","sans-
> serif";color:#1F497D;}.ExternalClassp.ecxecxmsochpdefault1,
> .ExternalClass li.ecxecxmsochpdefault1,
> .ExternalClass
> div.ecxecxmsochpdefault1{margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-
> size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxfor{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxstmainservices{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxstbubblehcount{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecximagecontainer{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxskypepnhprintcontainer1352558481{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxskypepnhcontainer{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxskypepnhmark{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxskypepnhhighlightinginactivecommon{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxskypepnhleftspan{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxskypepnhdropartspan{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxskypepnhdropartflagspan{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxskypepnhtextareaspan{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxskypepnhtextspan{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxecxskypepnhrightspan{;}.ExternalClass
> span.ecxEmailStyle60{font-family:"Calibri","sans-
> serif";color:#1F497D;}.ExternalClassspan.ecxBalloonTextChar{font-
> family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}.ExternalClass
> .ecxMsoChpDefault{font-size:10.0pt;}@page WordSection1{size:8.5in
> 11.0in;}.ExternalClass div.ecxWordSection1{page:WordSection1;}-->Whose
> the position has been filled? Is that all Obama has to do to
> dilute the
> vitriol poured on him by some? He is not even into his second term
> learned after the events of the last week. Lord have mercy. Give
> the man
> a chance.
>
> oa
> From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
> [mailto:usaafric...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Abdul Bangura
> Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2012 12:04 PM
> To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com;
> usaafric...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
>
>
>
> Mwalimu Wassa Fatti, why wait for four years? Just look at his list
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: Wassa Fatti
>
> To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
>
> Sent: 11/11/2012 8:57:05 AM
>
> Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
>
>
>
> Bro. Kwaku,
> We must not be harsh on Bangura at this stage. He is not alone in
> wishing Obama bad luck. Many of my African Americans friends could not
> hide their anger and frustration towards Obama in turning out to
> be a
> more refined stooge than Bill Clinton More dangerous than George
>
>
>
> Let us wait for the next four years to assess Bangura in relations to
> the performance and actions of Obama. Just check few key areas for the
> next four years: a) Israel will take over more Palestinian lands with
> impunity; b) there will be more sanctions against Iran, which has
> already started; c) there will more US military presence, more
> attack another third world country to impose US will; e) More
> drone attacks in Somalia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan.
>
>
>
> For the worst part: Iran may be attacked, which I doubt. North Africa
> may finally cut off from the rest of Africa and be part of the Middle
> East or the European Union. This will open the rest of the
> continent for
> recolonization to control natural resources in defiance of China. The
> process has already started in the Arab world discreetly and in Africa
> the land grabbing and the increase in poverty is something to pay
> attention to. The US imperialism will become more aggressive and
> Africans will pay price for that. The fear that China will become the
> world's biggest economy in few years time is a nightmare to the
> West. Do
> we know what they are working on secretly? We should therefore
> sense why
> an African, Obama, is needed by co-perate America to lead the "free
> world" at this time. The continent is being looted so aggressively
> theircountries are leaving their shores. Gaddafi was one leader who
> control of his country. Obama's true colour will come to light in this
> process and Bangura can be judged. We are part of a continent that has
> no leader, but "yes sir men and a woman". The calibres of Nkrumah,
> Lumumba, Biko, Toure, Nzinga, Asante-wa, Malcolm X are no more and we
> are not producing them or the type of natural resource nationalists
> Latin America is producing.
>
>
>
> Wassa
>
> To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
> From: deha...@uic.edu
> Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2012 19:25:08 +0000
>
>
> Wassa
>
> Believe me that I am also disappointed in some of the president's
> actions and inactions. Elections present choices and I happen to
> Kwaku
> Chicago.
> Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
>
>
>
> Sender: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
>
> Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2012 15:19:11 +0000
>
> To: <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
>
> ReplyTo: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
>
> Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
>
>
>
> Bro. Mensah,
> Mr. Bangura is angry about the USA's role in Libya. He was right to
> door of Romney. Whatever the case, I do not like Obama. SIMPLE!
>
> To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
> Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2012 11:45:22 -0600
>
> Hi All,
> In my view we should sentence Alhaji Bangura to read all columns
> re-education camp to retool his intellect towards rational
> reasoning. He
> is a well- accomplished scholar in all respects. But why was he so
> wrong for so long? His hatred and disappointment in Barack clouded
> occasional timidity. But we could look at the bigger picture and
> re-educated to differentiate between blatant falsehood and scientific
> polling. Nate Silver will do the trick, if some of us are to be saved
> from having nightmares like Emeritus Professor Assensoh just
> experienced.
> Kwaku
>
> Chicago
>
>
> From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
> [mailto:usaafric...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Moses Ebe
> Ochonu
> Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2012 10:21 AM
> To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
>
> THU NOV 08, 2012 AT 08:05 AM PST
> PERMALINK
> 16 COMMENTS / 16 NEW
>
>
>
> So funny how they pretend.
>
> Few things annoy me more in political analysis than the cherry-picking
> of favorable polls. That's why, with few exceptions, I dealt mostly in
> polling aggregates. But there's no doubt that my own assessment of the
> race was colored by which pollsters were saying what.
> I obviously trust PPP. SUSA is good for the toplines, less good at
> crosstabs. Marist, CBS/NYT and ABC/WaPo are pretty solid. The internet
> pollsters?YouGov and Ipsos?were a curious (and ultimately successful)
> experiment. Pew is the gold standard, even when it's off. TIPP was a
> disaster in 2008, but it appeared more stable this time around. Some
> states have local pollsters so good they trump everything else, like
> Field in California and Selzer in Iowa. A few others were mildly
> interesting.
> But there was a class of pollster that was so patently bad, they
> made me
> assume the whatever their results said, the opposite was actually
> GALLUP
> Steve Singiser's First Rule of Polling is, "If a poll doesn't look
> cycle.While most polling showed a tight national race, Gallup
> consistentlygave Romney 5-7-point leads.
> despite a disastrous recent track record. In 2010, Gallup claimed
> Republicans would win the Congressional national vote by 15 points. It
> was seven. In 2008, Gallup claimed President Barack Obama would win by
> 11. He won by seven. So how did Gallup save face? It used Hurricane
> Sandy as an excuse to quit polling for nearly a week, then
> delivered a
> late poll that showed Romney +1. No other pollster saw a major Romney
> erosion that week, and certainly not four points.
> But even its last minute recalibration didn't save it, as its results
> put it 24 of 28 in accuracy. Below Rasmussen.
> Quite the nice way to destroy their legacy.
> SUSQUEHANNA
> These Republican hack pollsters single-handedly convinced Republicans,
> and some in the media, that Pennsylvania was a battleground state that
> Mitt Romney could win. At a time when the polling consensus was 7-8
> points, they were claiming that Obama's lead was around two.
> Their last poll this week had the race tied 47-47. Obama won by more
> than five.
> SUFFOLK
> Who can forget this highlight of the 2012 campaign?
> ?I think in places like North Carolina, Virginia and Florida, we?ve
> already painted those red, we?re not polling any of those states
> again,?[Suffolk University polling director David] Paleologos said
> Funny thing was, Suffolk's own polling showed Obama in the lead!
> Yet he
> claimed that Obama was toast because undecideds would go to Romney.
> time looking at polling data. Truth is, the 50 percent rule doesn't
> apply in presidential races. Someone who makes a living generating
> polling data should know better. As Armando wrote, Paleologos just
> ignored his own polling.
> UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
> On 9/30, UNH had had Carol Shea-Porter up 46-35 in New Hampshire's 1st
> Congressional District. A week later, on 10/6, her opponent Frank
> 13-point swing.
> On election eve, 11/4, UNH had the race tied 43-43. Shea-Porter won
> comfortably by four. Such wild, unexplained swings (a hallmark of UNH
> results) are a mark of shoddy quality control.
> RASMUSSEN
> Nate Silver ranked them the least accurate of 2010, and they'll likely
> earn the same this year:
> In Colorado, Rasmussen polled at 50%-47% for Romney. The actual result
> was 51%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
> In Florida, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result
> was 50%-49% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
> In Iowa, Rasmussen polled at 49%-48% for Romney. The actual result was
> 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll, doubled.
> In New Hampshire, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual
> result was 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
> In Ohio, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result was
> 50%-48% for Obama, a two-point swing.
> In Virginia, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result
> was 50%-48% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
> In Wisconsin, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result
> pollingaggregator numbers (and RCP, in particular) and to try and
> "Romney is winning" narrative. This led, in a hilarious twist,
> tocondemnation from the infamous "unskewing" guy:
> [H]e said he probably won't go back to "unskewing" polls next time. He
> actually thinks conservative-leaning pollsters like Scott Rasmussen
> Chambers said. "He did a lot of surveys. A lot of those surveys were
> wrong."
> MASON-DIXON
> M-D is a long-time respected member of the polling community. So what
> the hell happened to them in 2012?
> They had Romney winning Florida 51-45. Obama won it by a point.
> They had
> the Republicans taking the Montana governorship 49-46. The Democrats
> took it by two.
> They had Jim Matheson losing his congressional seat in Utah 50-43. He
> hung on by one. They had Republicans taking the North Dakota Senate
> it by
> 15. They had the Minnesota gay marriage ban pass by one point. It
> right.
> FOSTER-McCOLLUM
> No one knows where these jokers came from, but they spent October
> telling us how Romney was going to win Michigan. In fact, their
> to a single decimal are suspect. Two? Pure wankery. Polling has
> precise as to require multiple decimal points is simply inaccurate.
> But aside from the decimals, their numbers were comical. Obama won
> Michigan by over eight points?a nine-point miss. They had Sen. Debbie
> Stabenow winning by just 50-43 (sorry, 50.06-43.45). Stabenow won
> 58-38.
> They even ventured into Florida to tell us that Romney led 54-40. They
> were laughed out of the state, never to return.
> There were other crappy pollsters like Gravis, Zogby and ARG, and of
> course even the good ones had misses here or there. By definition,
> deserveevery bit of scorn we can send their way, and then more.
>
> TAGS· 2012
> · Elections
> · House
> · Pollsters
> · President
> · Senate
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 7, 2012 at 3:32 PM, Mobolaji Aluko <alu...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> Dear All:
>
>
> If Rasmussen's analyses were indeed as follows:
>
>
>
> QUOTE
>
>
>
> Nationally, Rasmussen polled at 49%-48%. The actual result was (so
> was 51%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
> In Florida, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result
> was 50%-49% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
> In Iowa, Rasmussen polled at 49%-48% for Romney. The actual result was
> 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll, doubled.
> In New Hampshire, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual
> result was 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
> In Ohio, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result was
> 50%-48% for Obama, a two-point swing.
> In Virginia, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result
> was 50%-48% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
> In Wisconsin, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result
> UNQUOTE
>
> Then its Election Prediction Index (for these 8 states) is [(4+3)
> +(0+2)+(3+4)+(2+1)+(4+2)+(4+3)+(1+1)+(2+2)+(3+2)) = 41. A Perfect EPI
> would be zero (exact modulo tallies between prediction and actual
> results).
> What is Nate Silver's EPI? Or his aggregation of polls does not count?
> Well, for Yougov.com, (see
> http://cdn.yougov.com/r/1/2012%20Election%20results%20table%20YouGovLV%20ONLY.pdf)
> final polls were:
> Colorado 48-47 Obama 3+0
> Florida 48-47 Romney 1+3
> Iowa 48-47 Obama 4+0
> New Hampshre 47-43 Obama 5+4
> Ohio 49-46 Obama 1+2
> Virginia 48-46 Obama 2+2
> Wisconsin 50-46 Obama 2+1
>
> YouGov's EPI would therefore be 29, much better than Rasmussen's.
>
>
> Bolaji Aluko
>
> PS: I could not lay my hands on how Fordham U. calculated its poll
> accuracy below...
>
> http://www.dailykos.com/
>
> WED NOV 07, 2012 AT 10:15 AM PST
> PPP poll for Daily Kos/SEIU was the most accurate of 2012bykos
>
>
> place. Both their tracking poll and their weekly poll for Daily
> 2.2-point margin.
> PPP is a robo-pollster that doesn't call cell phones, which was
> supposedly a cardinal sin?particularly when their numbers weren't
> looking so hot for Obama post-first debate. But there's a reason we've
> worked with them the past year?because their track record is the
> best in
> the biz.
> So thanks to PPP for making us look good, and thanks to SEIU for
> sponsoring our weekly State of the Nation poll for the past two years.
> It's been an awesome ride.
> One last point?YouGov and Ipsos/Reuters were both internet polls.
> phonesbecoming a bigger and bigger issue every year, it seems clear
> internet is the future of polling. I'm glad someone is figuring it
> to someone who called cell phones. And Gallup called 50 percent cell
> phones and they were a laughingstock this cycle.
>
> UNQUOTE
>
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 7, 2012 at 9:30 PM, Edward Mensah <deha...@uic.edu>
> wrote:Mr Bangura,
>
> You know Rasmussen has always been wrong in its forecasting of
> election results. But your hatred for Obama blinded your
> reasoning to
> the point where you believed racist whites will make the
> difference.
> The so-called Wider effect did not materialize. Now I have the bridge
> that you promised to buy if you lost the election. Well, I am waiting
> for you to pick up the bridge from Gary Indiana. How can a scholar
> guidance?Beats me!
> coalition of minorities defeated the Republican candidate. And if it
> were not for some mistakes, the margin would even be higher.
>
> For me the lesson is also useful for us in Africa. Across Africa, how
> can we create societies that are more inclusive of all the diverse
> people in the country. Even when looks the convention of the two
> parties, the Democratic party has more diverse faces, and one may say
> that minorities are deceiving themselves by supporting one party, but
> they are not stupid. To live in a party where certain slogans are used
> deliberately as proxy for race or strategies to exclude some Americans
> is terrible. It is so embarrassing to support a policy that is
> aimed at
> denying people the opportunity to freely cast their vote even though
> officially it framed as something else. In one assessment I came
> votes than the U.S. where some have to wait two or three hours to cast
> their votes.
>
> Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
> From: meoc...@gmail.com
> To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
>
> For me, the winner of last night's election is polling guru, Nate
> Silver, who called the election with deadly accuracy. He got all fifty
> states and the popular vote margin right. Again! The loser? Rasmussen.
> As the results below illustrate, Rasmussen got it completely wrong, as
> it did in previous elections, where it also overestimated Republican
> performance. This should completely discredit that Republican polling
> organization and banish it from the polling mainstream. And hopefully
> Bangura will not inflict that name on this list in future elections.
>
>
>
>
> PERMALINK
> 68 COMMENTS / 68 NEW
>
>
> Not much of a diary, I know, but I'm about to pass out from
> exhaustion.
> Happy exhaustion!
> But let it be known: Rasmussen polling is a fraud that exists to
> prop up
> Republican candidates. Oh, sure, we all knew that... but the actual
> numbers prove it beyond doubt.
> Nationally, Rasmussen polled at 49%-48%. The actual result was (so
> was 51%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
> In Florida, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result
> was 50%-49% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
> In Iowa, Rasmussen polled at 49%-48% for Romney. The actual result was
> 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll, doubled.
> In New Hampshire, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual
> result was 52%-47% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
> In Ohio, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result was
> 50%-48% for Obama, a two-point swing.
> In Virginia, Rasmussen polled at 50%-48% for Romney. The actual result
> was 50%-48% for Obama, the reverse of Rasmussen's poll.
> In Wisconsin, Rasmussen polled at a 49%-49% tie. The actual result
> egregiously wrong. They didn't call a single battleground state right
> except for North Carolina, and even there it appears that they
> overestimated the margin of Romney's win.
> Rasmussen was consistently, egregiously biased in favor of the
> Republican nominee. We have the proof.
>
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 7, 2012 at 5:40 AM, <shina7...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Is Prof. Bangura in shock?
>
> Well, I don't care. All I want now is for him to take a honourable
> don'twant a smelly camel (even though the prospect of frying camel
> soaking it with garri). What I want is my cow, or the cash equivalent.
> And I warned Prof earlier that cow don cost for Naija (Boko Haram
> factor).
>
> Adeshina Afolayan
> Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
>
>
>
> Sender: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
>
> Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2012 00:17:31 -0600
>
> To: <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
>
> ReplyTo: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
>
> Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - RE: ABDUL BANGURA
>
>
>
> The only thing that happened in this election is that a lot of folks
> sold wolf tickets. They growled and they snarled and their mouths
> spewed venom. But in the end, the went into those booths and turned
> Brother Romney back to Utah.
>
>
> Please. Abortion doesn't work to get votes. Gay marriage doesn't
> elections.
>
>
>
> Romney followed Bush II's playbook and it was simply an exercise of
> going to the well one too many times.
>
>
>
> The religious right did Romney in. Americans who are out of work
> do not
> care what you do within your bedroom as long as both people are grown
> and give consent. The states can no longer afford to house a man who
> got caught with ten dollars worth of weed on Saturday night.
>
>
>
> And, if I'm honest with myself, I will concede that Brother Barry won
> many votes by default. Romney turned them off so badly and there
> was no
> other viable candidate. Republicans should have NEVER run this man in
> the first place. Americans have a prejudice, a Roman empire
>
>
> La Vonda R. Staples
>
>
>
> PS In case anyone wants to know I apologized to Dr. Bangura weeks
> ago.
> I trusted him as my teacher and I should have had enough respect
> for him
> to let him have his own opinion. He made his choice. I made my
> mine.
> "nuff said.
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 6, 2012 at 10:38 PM, Akurang-Parry, Kwabena
> <KAP...@ship.edu> wrote:
> Ah! Mercy to Papa Abdul Bangura! Ah! Mercy for Papa Abdul Bangura.
> Before we accept Papa Abdul Bangura's plea for mercy, he must
> submit the
> blood of a young stone to pacify the gods/goddesses of
> USAAfricaDialogue.
>
> Kwabena
>
>
>
>
> [usaafric...@googlegroups.com] on behalf of Nnaemeka, Obioma G
> [nnae...@iupui.edu]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2012 11:25 PM
> To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - ABDUL BANGURA
>
> The moment Barack Obama scaled the 270 electoral votes hurdle, two
>
> Chancellor's Distinguished Professor
> President, Association of African Women Scholars (AAWS)
> Dept. of World Languages & Cultures Phone: 317-278-2038
> begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 317-278-2038
> end_of_the_skype_highlighting; 317-274-0062
> begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 317-274-0062
> end_of_the_skype_highlighting (messages)
> Cavanaugh Hall 543A Fax: 317-278-7375
>
> Indiana University E-mail:
> nnae...@iupui.edu
> 425 University Boulevard
>
> Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> La Vonda R. Staples, Writer
>
> BA Psychology 2005 and MA European History 2009
>
> www.lavondastaples.com
>
>
>
> ?If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.?
>
>
>
>
> Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, This Child Will Be Great; Memoir of a
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> There is enough in the world for everyone's need but not for
> everyone'sgreed.
>
>
> ---Mohandas Gandhi
>
>
> --
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> There is enough in the world for everyone's need but not for
> everyone'sgreed.
>
>
> ---Mohandas Gandhi
> --
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to
> USAAfricaDialogue-
>
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to
> USAAfricaDialogue-
>
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to
> USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to
> USAAfricaDialogue-
>
> unsub...@googlegroups.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
Wassa Fatti
From: Anun...@lincolnu.edu
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com; alu...@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2012 11:07:34 -0600
Edward Mensah
Bangura
As I have said many times on this forum some of Obama’s decisions, indecisions, and timid policies have been disappointing to say the least. But you have to look at the big picture. Obama has done a few good things for the poor and minorities and I hope he does even better in the second term. In the first term he addressed some of the concerns of native Americans. The sub-optimal health reform law was what he could achieve from a Congress that wanted him to fail. I am able to have my 2 daughters on my insurance and that is a huge saving to all people like me, including the Diasporans. The Historically Black Colleges and Universities have been bailed out, at least temporarily. And Gays and Lesbians will soon have the right to get married. I can go on and on listing the little things here and there that have made life better for lots of minorities and the poor. My brother Bangura, give Obama a break and let us all hold his feet to the fire by lobbying for poverty alleviating policies that will address the plight of all the poor, white, black, etc. As for the Motherland, you only have witness how our own leaders are ignoring their peoples’ needs. I maintain that Obama has nothing to do with our inability to deliver good governance to our people in Africa. You will be the most naïve professor if you think a US president can save Africans from their bad governments. You see, there is corruption everywhere. I have lived in Chicago for more than half my adult life and I can smell corruption a million miles away. But the economic burden of corruption on the citizens of our dear African continent is too huge to estimate.
Anunoby, Ogugua
Let us say that your four factors’ advantages of China over African countries are true. How did the factors come to be? The factors cannot be God’s gifts to China. The Chinese people developed the factors. They nurture them. They continue to do so.
Countries wishing to develop and advance whatever the terms mean, must develop cultures which spun beliefs and leadership that will produce values, systems and structures, that will facilitate, including support and drive the countries’ growth.
Culture is not static. It is dynamic. It changes. Even as we have this conversation, culture in African countries and China is changing. The concern is not culture change. It is rather the nature and process of the change, and the change outcome. When change is properly and timely managed, expected outcomes of change are more likely to be realized.
Culture must incorporate responsibility and accountability on all and especially leaders. That used to be the case in all African cultures. It still is in most traditional African communities. You like me, are probably yet to figure out what has been going on lately and why.
There are fundamental universals of country development, growth, and progress (DGP). Every country is endowed with some resources for example. No country has a finite set of the resources. DGP does not require that all countries to be equally endowed. The most successful/progressive countries are not always the most endowed. What we know is that each country desirous of DGP, must continually and prudently harness and utilize her resources to get to where she wants to be. It is not so much how much as it is how well. DGP is a an optimization and therefore a management enterprise.
The intention here is not to underestimate the onerous challenges of DGP for every country. It is a full time enterprise. Human history tells us the a strong resolve is critical. It tells us too there is the agency of self. DGP is self-deterministic. It can also be timely and therefore opportunistic? Some time may be better, cheaper than others.
Whatever happens to a country at the end of the day is the result of the choices that the country makes in terms of what she choose to or not do, and when and how well she choose to. DGP is a choice for the leaders and people of each country. It seldom crawls, creeps, or rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It is a work-in-progress. There comes a time when it is speaks less to truth to continue to blame failure on circumstance, history and nature.
Ayo Obe
Ayo
Anunoby, Ogugua
There are success and failure factors. You create success factors where they do not exist and build on them. You eliminate failure factors where they exist or work around them.
There is good news and there is bad news. What is most important and helpful at the end of the day is correct news.
There is no sustainable long-term benefit in lying to oneself. Anyone wanting to get better has a duty to tell oneself the truth. It has been correctly said that “there is no greater treachery than self-deceit.
oa
Mobolaji Aluko
Anunoby, Ogugua
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com [usaafric...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mobolaji Aluko [alu...@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2012 4:17 PM