Barack Obama Photos Leaked

On Monday, February 25, pictures were posted on the Internet of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in the traditional attire of a Somali elder during a visit to Wajir. Obama questioned whether it had been Hillary Clinton who leaked the photos as part of a smear campaign and Clinton retaliated by saying that Obama should be, "ashamed of himself". She claimed that she had, in fact, worn the traditional garb of many countries she had visited and that she was fine with letting the general public see them.

I, personally, don't see why the photos are causing such a stir. It's not like he dressed up as a terrorist. I also think that the bickering is a bit childish and they both need to grow up and stop pointing fingers. I highly doubt that these photos will hurt Barack Obama's campaign. I feel like many people are treating this like the Gary Hart and Donna Rice photographs.

For those who don't know the story, Gary Hart declared that he would be running for president for the 1988 presidential election, and less than a month after he declared that he would run for president, the Miami Herald published a story detailing his affair with Donna Rice. A photo then emerged of Hart with Donna Rice sitting on his lap. In the end, Gary Hart withdrew from the campaign. Although, this wasn't a smear campaign created by another presidential candidate (at least, not one that I know of), it was still an attempt to shoot down a public figure.

In my opinion, this kind of treatment is silly and childish. Unless the presidential candidate has done something that will affect his or her ability to lead the country, there is no need for smear campaigns. It seems like there is always some presidential candidate who thinks he or she can win votes by making a competitor look bad. I don't know whether Hillary Clinton leaked the photos or not, and it doesn't matter, if photos of Barack Obama in Somalian clothing is the best his opposition can come up with, he can't be that bad.

If anything, this photo just shows how hard people are willing to work to bring others down. Tomorrow there will be a democratic debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and I'm looking forward to see how they handle themselves in light of the current situation. Hopefully, they can put this whole problem behind them and really get to the issues that Americans want to hear about.

Furthermore, candidates who fight fair should be commended. It is the issues that need to be what people vote for, not an affair and certainly not a day of dress up.