Eugene McCarthy, an American Senator in 1916 once said that being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game and dumb enough to think it is important.

Two hundred years earlier, Johann Goethe, a German poet had professed that in politics, like on the sickbed, people toss from one side to the other thinking they will be more comfortable.

I thought about these two geniuses after reading and watching on our media the intrigues and grandstanding that accompanied the ODM- Kenya retreat in Naivasha last weekend.

As an observer from a safe distance, I cannot help but notice dangerous undercurrents being fueled by selfish misguided characters that masquerade as advisors and spokesmen for the presidential contenders.

If there is one thing that will destroy ODM-Kenya, it is a clique of politicians who masquerade as advisors to these presidential aspirants when in fact they are nothing more than hangers-on who depend on these leaders for their own political survival. It is my sincere belief that if we left Raila, Musila, Kamotho, Ligale, Musyoka, Mudavadi, Balala, Okemo and now Joe Nyagah and Julia Ojiambo alone to discuss how best to arrive at a consensus on the agreed candidate, many ODM- Kenyans would be spared the headache of living with the nightmare of a possible walkout by Raila, Kalonzo, Mudavadi or Balala just incase their petty demands are not met!

Let me give ODM presidential candidates one unsolicited advice. It is one thing to aspire to be president of Kenya and another ball game to win the elections. It is one thing to clamor to be nominated presidential candidate and quite another to conduct a successful campaign and actually win even if one had tones and tones of cash to do it.

If you doubt me, please ask Simeon Nyachae who left the Rainbow Coalition in a huff thinking that his wealth would give him the presidency. He only ended up with Kisii votes after burning quite a chunk of his personal fortune.

If you doubt me, ask Uhuru Kenyatta whose combined personal fortune, family name and state resources including the outgoing president as his chief campaign manager yet he went ahead and lost the elections.

In politics, there is what we call surprise and attack. Politics is like war. You don't walk straight into your enemy camp. You lay winning strategies. You don't bare your plans out a year earlier! This is why Moi ruled Kenya for 14 years and bagged another 10 years after the advent of multi-partyism. In all those years, Moi used to jokingly tease his opponents that he would unleash his secret weapon at an appropriate time. He was the master of political strategy.

It is therefore the height of political naiveté to see that some politicians want ODM Kenya to name its presidential candidate now just because some opinion poll had rated President Kibaki ahead of them all. These people missed one obvious point; that President Kibaki has not made up his mind whether run for a second term and even if he did, he has yet to decide which party to go to. Remember Kibaki has three choices to make. He can either run under DP, NARC or NARC Kenya. Then there is another alternative in the offing fronted by Cabinet ministers in the Government of National Unity also gunning for Kibaki as their presidential flag bearer. So, why the hurry with naming an ODM- Kenya presidential candidate when the main rivals have not named theirs?

As Onyango Obbo of the Sunday Nation said this week, it is too early to decipher the political landscape. The fat lady hasn't sung her tune yet. The pool is yet to stabilize before we can plunge and swim.

Just look around you. It is confusion everywhere. Tribal alliances are yet to settle down with some level of sanity. The Luhyas have yet to finish with their oath of tribal unity under the administration of Martin Shikuku. Daniel Arap Moi is not over yet with KANU renegades from the Rift Valley headed for ODM- Kenya.

The truth of the matter is it is too early to name a presidential candidate because the list of ODM candidates is still growing. With Julia Ojiambo and Joe Nyagah added to the list it is only sensible to restrain ourselves from being named the flag bearer even if we have promised our communities the earth.

Remember, this promise that we have made to our communities is not unique to us. Every community is gunning for the same. If that were not so, Martin Shikuku would not be administering the oath of Luhya unity so soon after the ODM Kenya mammoth rally at Muliro Gardens. The Kalenjins too turned in large numbers as did the Luos in subsequent rallies in Eldoret and Kisumu. They did not do this to hurriedly pronounce Ruto, Raila, and Balala, Musalia or Musyoka tosha.

We need this virtue of patience to emanate from all presidential candidates, their supporters, advisors and youth wingers. Let us build party structures the way Musila and Nyongo' are suggesting. Those who are in a hurry to name themselves sole presidential candidates should be allowed to find another outfit instead of being allowed to destabilize a young party like ODM Kenya from within.

John Galbraith, an American economist of the early 20th century once said that nothing is so admirable in politics as short memory. I think those who Galbraith had in mind nearly a hundred years ago were the politicians in the ODM Kenya in the year 2006. The way some of them forget recent events that are as fresh as three years back is amazing. They have now forgotten the formula Narc used to dislodge Moi from power. Had Moi known that Kibaki would be the coalition candidate he would have cut them to size. He would have literally bought every influential player in the coalition.

When Raila Odinga declared Kibaki tosha, it was a surprise assault on the enemy.

It baffled foe and friend alike. Even those on his side who expected to be declared tosha were stopped in their tracks. The attack was so devastating that only Nyachae had the presence of mind to rebel. And by the time he declared that he was going solo, he and every one knew he was a loser. That is why nobody else followed him to his political wilderness except fellow Kisiis.

Given, Raila comes third in the recent opinion polls. Given, Kalonzo comes second in the same polls with Uhuru, Ruto and others trailing behind. However, in coalition politics, unity of purpose reaps greater benefits than lone ranger with misguided illusions of imaginary popularity. When these luminaries stick together, they will go far.

Let us not spoil the party by injecting poisonous ideas in to their heads.

Left alone, they have nothing.

Left alone, they are all losers.

Put together, they are a winning team.

If they doubt me, let them ask President Kibaki.