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49 thoughts on “Obama’s family in Kenya moving to the White House

  1. Eli,

    I know you are going to get a flack over this satire by the politically correct crowd out there, but I LOVE IT for it is harmless but fuuuuuunnnnnnyyyyy! Thanks for the laugh!

  2. There is nothing funny about this. If showing a picture of poor Africans is funny then we should all be amazed at the picture of starving Ethiopians as well. This a tasteless piece of crap.

  3. Thanks Elias,
    This is funny but also very sad because it reflects our life back home, from Kenya to Sudan, from Ethiopia to Somalia.
    The dictators and tyrants of the Horn sent congratulations to Obama without a shame but the life of their citizens in the Horn gets from bad to worse without the simplest right to vote.
    Elias, you are indeed our mirror, please keep on showing us our real image. Only hypocrites and ignorants would as usual dispute you.
    Keep up the good work

  4. funny, at the same time a stark reality that Obama must face as a president. most of africa is in abject poverty. the bush administration has been a good friend of dictators in africa, and my hope is that obama will stand with the people and not those blood sucking regime

  5. I used to have high regard for ER, but not any more. I was disgusted when I first got it in my hot mail. But finding it again, in the only Ethiopian website that I used to admire, is sickening.

  6. elias, it is funny and I have no idea why some are lost or offended by the satire. It was not created by you, let them go to the source. Yes if you have a comment on it you would bare responsibility. People, relax and take it easy. We came from a land where even the poorest of the poor knows how to giggle from ear to ear. What has come of people.

  7. send it to AP; you are dying to get a cheap popularity. No media is going to take a look at this picture and cite you. I received this picture a week ago. I did nothing but delete it. What in God’s sake are you trying to convey? What are you trying to achieve? Feud the administration and Ethiopians? Very sad, remember, the NY times so called satire did not bring Obama down. Please I beg you take to it off your page. Otherwise Elias we are going to boycott ER.

  8. Come on guys,

    Be a good sport. This ride is probably one of the “Lucky” trips over the Sahara desert that are sadly being done in increasing frequency by many abused Africans to cross to Europe in search of good opportunity by merciless Arab bedouins. This happens all the time. That is the reality and it will remain so until something drastic is done to correct the political/economic situations many Africans find themselves. That being a reality, what is wrong if it was presented as a harmless political satire with no harm whatsoever? Just because no one satired it, the problem doesn’t go away? Does it?

  9. Elias I admire your guts for posting such a reality-based satire. No other Ethiopian editor would dare post such a thing. The truth of the matter is that perhaps over 90% of Africans live in such a state of destitution. This photo may be a posted in humor, but it carries a gravely seriously message that change must come to Africa. To the politically-correct crowed who get bent out of shape over this, get a life, ok?

  10. Well guys, this picture is not created by Elias. It is the reality of African life. It doesn’t mean Africa is civilized by not publishing this picture. Africa will remain Africa. Leaders after leaders and dictators after dictators have come and gone. Did they alleviated a fraction of misery of their repective people. No. Big No. remember we still from the Dark continent. Not a flicker of light at the end of the deformed and cracked tunnel.

  11. This is a complete nonsense and shows your moronic mind, which is of course, does not think before doing something.
    You can’t post such kind of baloney as news. You should know the difference discussion forum and main News outlet. Sometimes I could not understand your freaking mind.
    Try to be mature and act mature, if you can not act like someone who is responsible you could try to get help from others; I am sure there are so many Ethiopians who will help you.

  12. I watched Obama last night on “Sixty Minutes” on CBS, his fist interview after he beats McCain to become the 44th president and also read his 2005 famous book “The Audacity of Hope” I recommend for all to read if they have not done it and from what I know so far I can conclude that he is hardly talking about his father who left him when he was two years old.

    However, Obama visited Kenya and met his relatives with Michelle many years ago as a tourist and if he has communication with his relatives I have not heard so far but I will not be surprised because this is a good man who loves people.

    Yesterday on sixty minutes, however, he never mentioned Kenya and many Kenyans and I can say all the black race are highly supportive of him for becoming the strongest black man in the world and celebrated exorbitantly here and in Africa and am not surprised for the “Obama family packing to settle in the White House ” if they pass the DNA test.

    For the lucky ones here who would like to be part of history and participate on the January inauguration of Obama you can go to http://www.7online.com and participate on the lottery.

  13. I don’t think there is anything wrong with satires once in a while. However, the problem with ER is that it posts anything without referencing source. This is a double-edged sword. If the story or depiction is controversial, you get vilified for it. On the other hand, if it is in good taste, you get credit for it.

    If you want to be taken seriously or not, for heavens sake please always provide your sources…as that is the ABC and fundamental principle of basic journalism.

  14. It is funny and educative. This fact. How can we forget commuting in Addis Ababa public bus crumed like a sandwich. there is no difference to this and it is a reality in the dark continent Africa. How can this be offending unless the person who said he is offended has completely forgotten where he/she comes from.

  15. Isn’t it amazing how we sometimes want be “More Catholic than the pope”? those of you who find the satire, are you telling us that you care about the plight of Africans than Elias, for example. Hey, we are all Africans and we do care about the plight of our people. But this is satire which does not hurt anybody. Just relax and enjoy it and laugh your heart out for laughter is a commodity that is sorely missed in our part of the Africa!

  16. Mr. Elias.. Thank you for showing this sataricak picture on your website. There is nothing untrue about it. These individuals who I see crying foul here are nothing but nitwits. Instead, they should turn their big mouths to their fellow countrymen urging them to get off their lazy asses and go to work. But it is very very funny. My family and I could not stop laughing. Elias…Get’em!!!!!!!

  17. Actually Obama on his first visit as tourist to his village he discribed the method of transportation similar to this. He talked about how he was squeezed with chickens and animals in a lorry that carried him. Elias did very well in bringing this picture to us. Yes, either joke or reality, we Ethiopians like to hid the truth. The picture represents the facts on the ground and in the mean time it is funny. I don’t care if Elias got it from a white supermacist site or from any where. A fact is a fact but nothing else. Face it or leave it. If you think it is too hot get out of the kitchen. No one is pushing you to look at it, you can ignor it.

  18. Even if Eritrea was not in the headlines, is there any doubt what Obama’s position is going to be on the Eritrea-Ethiopia dispute? How is his position going to be any different from that of the UNSC and Bush’s state department? How are Anthony Lake and Susan Rice, the brain trust of Obama’s African policy, going to accommodate the rigid requests of Isaias? The Obama Doctrine is already announced: don’t be afraid to meet your enemies without setting preconditions. And talk, talk, talk. Eritreans should talk to Ethiopians; Ethiopians should talk to Somalis; Somalis to Djiboutis; and the Kenyans to everybody. The conditionality of Isaias Afwerki will face the wall of Obama’s unconditional talk…and within months, Isaias will be back to badmouthing the State Department.

  19. Elias:
    The immediate site of it made me laugh and why lie if it makes us laugh?. Laugh all you can when there is a non malicious message to it.

    After the 60 minutes interview this past Sunday with the Obamas and the tactful humor exchanged between journalist Steve Kroff and Obama about dogs and mother in laws moving to the white house, one might wonder “ how about his side of the family”?.

    This picture and title after that interview and especially after some back ground story of the Kenyan side documented in Obama’s, book,” PROMISE OF MY FATHERS”, it is not only a satire, but nearly believable. In the book, Kenyan relatives who never saw him were openly asking, “what did you bring me”?. That was then, and he was between Chicago and Harvard, young and in search of his roots. My favorite of his relatives is his half Kenyan sister who was teaching at the University in Kenya at the time. She was also present in his wedding in his second book, “” THE AUDACITY OF HOPE”. His books are fun and informative that most people may not put down once they start to read it.

    One major progress and curtsey to their native SON Barrack Obama Sr.’s SON President elect B. Obama is the government had initiated for electricity to be installed in the rural village he came from. Obama’s next visit with all his entourage will not be in the thick of darkness.

  20. This is very offensive and tasteless. What are you trying to accompolish? We all know the level of poverty in Africa and the limitation of resources.
    But why do you have to relate this to Obama. Poverty is not something to make fun of. This is sensless and stupid. You are one of those idiots who think you people are better than other Africans and African Americans, and are the chosen ones. This gives the immpression that the misfortune of others is funny to you. How come you never post any “satire” about your owen people who are starving while their brothers and sisters are living comfortably in the US, who don’t even bother to help them but wait for others to pick up the tab to feed them.

  21. Honestly, I had a kick out of it based on the context not because of the suffering and poverty like scene. There’s no hard feelings and everyone is entitled to their respected views.. But dude out of purity it was funny but I pray for all the people in reality. One word can describe this situation… Talk about “BITTER IRONY” at its best… LOVE IS LOVE…PEACE!!!

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