Obamania?

I have an "Obama '08" pin on my handbag here in Nigeria and it attracts quite a lot of attention.  Comments people make about the pin--and about the candidate and the race--aren't what you might expect from Nigerians.  That is, you might expect blanket support for a presidential candidate who is the son of a Kenyan man but public opinion, as far as I've gathered, is more nuanced than that.

Here are some of the Obama comments I've heard from Nigerians:

• I didn't decide to support him until the superdelegates started to side with him.
• I'm supporting him but I hope he has enough experience to lead your country.
• I am a Hillary supporter!  But now that there's only one choice, I'll support Obama.
• I'll support anyone who's not a Republican.
• I want your pin so I can be Obama's champion in Nigeria!  He has so much intelligence and energy.
• I love the man!

To be honest, while comments are mixed, I have yet to find a Nigerian who is not supporting Obama.  On another note, I just saw this week's New Yorker cover illustration.  I'll be careful to listen for Nigerians' reaction to the magazine's very tasteless picture.