Hamdin Sabahi

I feel that there is a buzz out there in Egypt, especially among the young revolutionaries.  He is running a very-well organized campaign.  He is of course an Arab nationalist Nasserist who was famous in his college years for confronting the Nazi anti-Semite, Anwar Sadat (a favorite among Western leaders of course) on national TV.  I watched part of an interview with him yesterday.  He reminded me of US candidates, and I don't mean that as a compliment necessarily but he was too programmed and too well-rehearsed.  Too smooth perhaps. But he gave very good answers on all issues addressed.  His standing in polls (according to the dynamic poll of Al-Ahram) puts him in fifth place but there will be surprises in the presidential election.  Sabahi is unique in championing the poor as the Muslim Brotherhood is a middle class party, a la Clintons.  Sabahi is opposed to the peace treaty with Israel, of course.  He has a very good team of advisers around him, and he listed them yesterday.  And this morning I woke up to watch `Abdul-Mun`im Abu Al-Futuh, and he was rehearsed and prepared as well.  He also spoke like US-style candidates with emphasis on investments and prosperity.

PS By the way, there is no people on earth more articulate than the Egyptian people.  Give an Egyptian a microphone and he/she can talk for hours, and makes sense too.  It is a gift really.  My father who studied law at Cairo University in the 1940s often talked about their gift of tongue but sometimes complained that they are too talkative.

PPS After posting this, I got word that Egyptian Nobel Laureate, Ahmad Zuweil, endorsed Sabahi.  Wait, the news was later denied by the Sabahi campaign.