CNN
President Barack Obama was due in Ghana Friday, generating excitement in the west African nation and envy among its neighbors with many seeing his visit as sending a message to governments over their poor records on stability.
Across Ghana, street vendors were stocking miniature American flags while citizens donned attire with pictures of the U.S. leader.
"People in Ghana are printing clothes for this occasion," said Adrian Landry, general manager of a beach hotel in the capital, Accra.
"The fact that his father is African and he picked us makes us special," he said. "He is endorsing our strong democracy in Ghana. This is historic."
The president's visit to the nation is the third by a sitting American leader. Bill Clinton was the first U.S. president to visit Ghana in 1998 as part of a six-nation Africa tour. Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, stopped there as part of a four-nation Africa tour during his last year of office.
| Cindy |
July 10th, 2009 3:18 pm ET So..a black/white man visits Ghana and it's all the rage huh? He's not the only president to ever go to that area of the world. The way CNN is acting you would think that he is. Big deal! Is him being there going to stop all of the raping, pillaging, and murdering going on? NO!! Those groups doing this stuff could care less about Obama. IMO this is just another one of his photo ops. He's great at doing those world wide while our economy is tanking, the unemployment rate is rising and more and more people are losing their homes and everything that they own. Yet there he is...photo op central with no care in the world. While here we are tanking and his party is wanting to do another stimulus package because the first did not work. Yeah..Ghana is the place to be right about now for him. That way he doesn't take the heat and can look good while they pass off more bills under our noses while we are gazing at him in the castle which takes us deeper in debt. Cindy..Ga. |
|
| Akua Agyei |
July 10th, 2009 3:36 pm ET Anderson, while I love CNN and your show, I must say I find it somewhat offensive that despite the fact that Ghana is one of over 50 countries in Africa and is by no means a representative of all of those countries, that CNN still feels the need to perpetuate the myth that Africa is one country and any one of the countries in this continent is a good representation of the rest. I would have expected a much better showing from a news network with such prestige. Please correct your show and call in what it is...Obama visits Ghana period...same as when he visits China he is visiting China and not Asia. |
|
| Darrell in Iowa |
July 10th, 2009 4:01 pm ET After all those years of the Neo-Cons talking about making us safer...at last I do feel our country is safer. The Obama outreach to the world has made such a significant change in how the world views us. The world finally once again views us as we view ourselves. |
|
| Ahmed |
July 10th, 2009 7:00 pm ET Let's face it. Barrack's visit to Ghana is symbolic and in support of the emerging democracy in that country. As we all know it, most African countries are ruled by corrupt dictators; littered with fake elections; rampant ethnocentrism and clannism. |
|
|
Comments have been closed for this article |
||
A behind the scenes look at “Anderson Cooper 360°” and the stories it covers, written by Anderson Cooper, the AC360° staff and a network of contributors. Insight you can’t find anywhere else.
We search the news each day to show you what’s on our radar and what we’re planning for the show each night.
For more details, read our tips on how to win 360° approval for comments.
Send your instant feedback to Anderson Cooper 360°.
- About our show
- Live Blog from the Anchor Desk 12/03/09
- Video: Congress questions the Secret Service
- Video: Huckabee in the hot seat
- Photo Gallery: The Amanda Knox case
- Evening Buzz: W.H. Security Breach Investigation
- GOP congressman accuses White House of 'stonewalling' House committee
- Raw Data: Offenders on compact supervision
- Documents: Maurice Clemmons bail receipt
- Beat 360° 12/03/09
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2005

