Denial of the reality and the mistakes made is what is making NASA refuse to accept their own shortcomings which led to the thrashing at the polls. They should have won, I mean, they were running against entrenched impunity (Uhuru) and a unbelievably kleptomaniac bordering on psychotic deputy (Ruto).
Found this quite interesting:
C/P ....Interesting read
NOTE TO JOSHUA: HOW TO SURVIVE THE GEMA PRESIDENTIAL BARRICADE
I have to admit, I really don't know how you can overcome this chokehold the GEMA communities have on the presidency. My title is however not misleading. I can only give you survival tips and advice that will help you face it, not overcome it. RAO came unprepared. As you are closer to him than I am, you would be a better witness to the devastation. Don't make the same mistakes. Here goes;
1) Understand your opponent - For starters, WSR is not your opponent. Neither is any other politician from Mt Kenya. Your opponent is a situation. A situation that results in a massive GEMA base coming out to vote like their lives depended on it. The truth, this base believes that their lives do depend on it. They view every contender with deep suspicion. You included. This base has been traumatized by brutal colonialists, a feverishly insecure Moi regime and the 2008 PEV. They have good reason to be suspicious. That suspicion, is your opponent.
2) Suspicious Minds
We're caught in a trap, I can't walk out.
Because I love you too much baby...
- Elvis Presley, Suspicious Minds
Elvis could have told you that a suspicious mind won't acquiesce with you. You need to placate them first. These suspicions have led to a voting pattern that is now predictable. In 2002, the Kikuyu vote splintered as one side voted for a change and another for continuity. Come 2007, RAO consolidated that vote with the 41 vs 1 venom. And unfortunately for you, you applauded it. You need to look for a way to make them forget that. To some extent, WSR has.
3) Slaying a Giant 101: Lull him to sleep first - GEMA is a 7.2M voting behemoth. In this 2017 election, they didn't feel scared enough to turn out in large numbers making Uhuruto have to work extra hard to win additional votes. Why didn't they repeat the previous turnout? Because RAO's effect as a bogeyman is increasingly becoming muted. He is more of a caricature than a bogeyman. But one Kalonzo Musyoka did us a solid by belatedly reminding us that the 41 vs 1 narrative is still alive. As a Jubilee supporter, please pass my appreciation for his unsolicited assistance. The lesson, steer far away from the 41 vs 1 narrative! Actually, I will advise you to run for the hills whenever you hear it. Do not under any circumstances be associated with it. That way, you may , just may have lulled the giant to sleep.
I need not tell you that your past sins will come to haunt you. You did applaud the 41 vs 1. Let's see you wiggle out of this one.
Sun Tzu was right when he said, "
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."
I come from a former very NASA stronghold and the disappointment with NASA on the ground was, to put it mildly, not unexpected. My immediate and extended family, who had supported RAO to the hilt in 2013, abandoned him in droves (I abandoned RAO in 2008, when I personally witnessed the corruption in ODM). Jubilee made inroads not because they were better (they weren't, not even by a very long stretch) but because NASA thoroughly messed up.
NASA presented themselves as chaotically untrustworthy, spending valuable time bickering on who should be the flag bearer and stupidly trying to connect with the youth on stuff they only know from history books. At the same time, NASA governors went on a massive looting spree, blatantly stealing from their own people with nary a peep from NASA leadership (Jubilee governors also did, but Uhuruto never promised change and indeed, Uhuru openly gave up.). The NASA leadership should have forcefully stepped in and spoken out against it, in their backyard. They didn't. All these little screw ups added up.
In short, as Orengo once whispered to Ranneberger, it's quite obvious why this campaign was, yet again, very poorly run.
From Wikileaks: "Odinga is a poor manager who does not follow up"
This, of course, leads to:
Odinga has weakened his own authority and effectiveness by surrounding himself with an incompetent and divided core teamhe has refused to shake up his team and remains ill-served by them. As a result, the positions he takes publicly and privately are inconsistent, erratic and often amateurish.
Source:
Nation: What Americans really think of Kibaki and Raila
