A Stubborn Fly in Politics

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A stubborn fly follows the corpse to the grave, a proverb in both Yoruba and Igbo languages of Nigeria. Example? Donald Trump endorsed Dr. Mehmet Oz, the doctor on the Oprah Winfrey show for his Pennsylvania bid for the U.S. Senate. He lost.

In certain jobs, who you know is the deciding factor despite rhetoric that the best candidate gets the job. This goes back to ancient England and the class system. It was all in the family from cradle to the grave.

Aristocrats related to the royal family attended the same church; played polo, bridge and rowed; kids went to the same schools; arranged marriages, and were given positions in parliament and government institutions. They never carried plastic folders or brown envelopes with the printed resume, also called C.V.

Who you know is also crucial in politics. A lot has been written about Dr. Mehmet Oz. It was assumed Oprah Winfrey will endorse his run for the U.S. Senate. She didn’t. She indirectly endorsed John Fetterman, who won and will represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate.

A stubborn fly follows the corpse to the grave. The corpse was Trump’s lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Dr. Oz believed him. That’s why he welcomed the endorsement. He is not the only fly that followed the lie. Many Republicans who ran in the Midterms also dug their own graves by questioning the legitimacy of the U.S. electoral system.

But Dr. Oz will be the proverbial stubborn fly that follows the corpse to the grave for many years to come. A grave matter, indeed.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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