Bobby Makes History

Mutineers, we have our first brown Governor. 🙂 Join me, as I bold my favorite parts of the NYT article which declares this history-making outcome. Bobby Zindabad.jpg

Bobby Jindal, a conservative Republican congressman from the New Orleans suburbs and the son of immigrants from India, was elected Louisiana’s governor Saturday, inheriting a state that was suffering well before Hurricane Katrina left lingering scars two years ago.
Mr. Jindal, 36, defeated three main challengers in an open primary, becoming this state’s first nonwhite governor since a Reconstruction-era figure briefly held the office 130 years ago.
With more than 90 percent of the vote counted, Mr. Jindal received 53 percent, above the 50 percent-plus-one threshold needed to avoid a runoff in November. He will be the nation’s first Indian-American governor when he takes office in January.

Have I popped champagne? Yes, I have. No, I don’t believe in teaching Intelligent Design, I certainly am not an advocate of getting rid of a woman’s right to choose and I still support hate crime legislation.

I can guzzle bubbly despite all that, because there’s something else stirring within me– recognition that someone who looks like me did something so significant, combined with an uncomplicated thrill over the fact that Bobby made history.

There are so many valid reactions to Jindal; I know about them because thanks to Amardeep’s post, we have hosted a lively discussion regarding his background, his policy positions and the greater implications of his politicking, for “the community”. Amardeep’s thoughts resonated with many of us who are conflicted about Louisiana’s new Governor. The good news is, there are no wrong reactions.

Each of us is allowed to feel how we do, so while some of you gnash your teeth, I’m happy for him and by extension, us. Better than that, the next time some little kid decides that they want to be in government when they grow up, their immigrant parents now have a visual, a template, a precedent to latch on to, much the same way my English minor was suddenly acceptable once Jhumpa won.

There is much to do, much which is owed to the great state of Louisiana and her people; this is just the beginning of that story and I idealistically hope that it has a happy ending. What Jindal can do (and really, whether he can do it) remains to be seen. But I don’t think it’s disrespectful or inappropriate to raise a glass to him tonight and wish him a sincere congratulations.

Doing so doesn’t mean we buy in to his positions lock stock, neither does it mean he’s like, the greatest thing EVAR. It just means that we are happy for someone who accomplished something extraordinary. Congratulating Bobby is something I humbly think we should do, because ideally we should each choose generosity of spirit over bitterness and rancor. Choosing the former and congratulating a winner doesn’t lessen us or diminish our passionate convictions, it just demonstrates our tolerance, equanimity and good faith that we will allow a person’s actions to speak before we do, negatively and presumptously.

659 thoughts on “Bobby Makes History

  1. So two wrongs now makes a right?

    it’s more like a few dozen wrongs (accusations of jindal’s xtianity making him a wannabe-white) to one wrong 😉

  2. but in any case, jindal and obama are public figures. i don’t think it is wrong to hyper-analyze them, they affect the lives of others in very important ways.

  3. My point is that We all should not be so happy about the fact that a desi has been elected as a Governor there in US. Act this. Suppose a guy, of american origin, who has been staying in India for years, gets into politics and may be somehow gets elected as the CM of some state. Will we, the junta of India, be able to digest the fact that a firangi will now rule? Obviously, There will be maximum negative replies to this question. So guys, the same feeling may be and rather is bugging the citizens of the state whose governor he has been elected as. Not only lousiana, but same is the condition with other americans. They are not at all able to take the fact down their souls that an Indian will rule them. Obviously due to racial factors. And this is true. Should this election not be debated over?

  4. We shouldn’t be basking in Bobby Jindal’s election any more than black people should have celebrated Clarence Thomas’ confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. Both these guys are members of minority groups only because of skin color and ancestory. Otherwise, they both may as well be white, Christian conservatives. Both have politics expressly contrary – and often hostile – to the politics of the minority groups from which they came. Let’s save the champagne.

  5. As a Canuck what I find most beautiful about this election is that CNN has it blared as ‘Louisiana elects youngest governor in US history’. The ‘brown’ part is footnoted as ‘son of Indian immigrants’. What makes me sad is that I don’t think we in Canada would have been capable of overlooking race in this wonderful manner.

  6. Both have politics expressly contrary – and often hostile – to the politics of the minority groups from which they came.

    damn right! bobby needs to consult the what-is-good-for-brown-people flashcard!

  7. . Both these guys are members of minority groups only because of skin color and ancestory. Otherwise, they both may as well be white, Christian conservatives. Both have politics expressly contrary – and often hostile – to the politics of the minority groups from which they came. Let’s save the champagne.

    So, if Jindal lost again, it would be proof that the whites of Louisiana cannot see past skin color. But, if Jindal wins, then that means the whites of Lousiana are clever enough to read his platform.

    Do we extend this to other regions of the country? Why haven’t the Bay Area or NYC, both with no shortage of Indians – failed to elect a prominent Indian to office? Why did it take the state with some of the worst social indicators in the nation to break that barrier

  8. i do think the issue of racial self-hate is an interesting psychological phenomenon, but politicizing it problematic. at least fanon was self-aware, wanting to decolonize his own mind.

    it doesn’t take much knowledge of nehru to realize he struggled with some similar identity issues, and its tempting to see his embrace of fabian socialism as a desire to be accepted by the ruling British intellectual establishment. even gandhi’s indian villager act strikes me as overcompensating, especially when he’s seen freezing his ass off in london. and thus the politicization of a psychological argument cancels itself out, not unlike marx’s theory that locke politicl philosohpy was a cover for the values of the ruling bourgeoisie, could be used against the marxists themself.

    its not that the black klansman doesn’t exist, its just that he may be wearing your robe.

  9. Why haven’t the Bay Area or NYC, both with no shortage of Indians – failed to elect a prominent Indian to office? Why did it take the state with some of the worst social indicators in the nation to break that barrier

    “indian” politicians thrive in an environment with corruption? 😉

  10. This may be a double-edged sword, this victory. Jindal has inherited a lot of post-Katrina baggage from Blanco. If he prospers, he’ll be touted as the “model minority” governor. If he fails, he’ll be the fall guy. Louisiana’s version of Colin Powell or Alberto Gonzales.

  11. I dont understand what you guys are upset about?

    Its not like the people who were running against him him had any different views from his in the “values” area. You have to be anti abortion, etc to even stand in school board elections.

    Blanco was prolife like Jindal too.

    So in a way his belief system is the same as the majority of the people of the place he grew up in. He fits right in.

    And hes still the first Indian American governor.

  12. If he fails, he’ll be the fall guy. Louisiana’s version of Colin Powell or Alberto Gonzales.

    the analogy isn’t apt because neither of them were elected officials of high standing. in any case, jindal is likely going to the brown american politician in louisiana for this generation. as others have noted, the non-christianity of most brownz makes them ineligible de facto for high office in that state, and, there aren’t that many brownz there in the first place.

  13. Its not like the people who were running against him him had any different views from his in the “values” area. You have to be anti abortion, etc to even stand in school board elections.

    abortion is a major issue for brown people, see? jindal’s hardcore pro-lifery is culturally insensitive.

  14. jindal’s hardcore pro-lifery is culturally insensitive.

    Yet, if he were to campaign against sex-selective abortions, somehow I think criticism of his position would be muted. After all, Indians do love sex-selective abortions.

    Reminds me of The Simpsons when Kang possessed the body of Bob Dole, and was campaigning:

    Dole/Kang – Abortions for all!!

    Crowd: Boo!!

    Dole/Kang – Abortions for no one!!

    Crowd: Boo!!

    Dole/Kang – Abortions for some. Miniature American flags for all!

    Crowd: Hooray!!

  15. To me, Bobby Jindal getting elected as the first Indian-American governor means nothing. I like him as much as I like Sam Brownback. Another hyper-religious republican nut who wants to end all abortions (regardless of rape or incest!), remove gun restrictions, supports an unending war in pan-arabia, and most likely, the illegalization of teaching anything scientific in schools. Just because he “looks” like me, are we supposed to ignore all those things and celebrate???? Get your head out of your butt. The guy is as Indian as the people who buy the frozen chicken tikka masala dinners from Whole Foods. If we as a minority group (and I mean everyone of south-asian or asian descent), need to validate the accomplishments of anyone regardless of their moral and political stance and just because they are brown, it is indeed sad.

  16. i’m very disappointed that this blog has decided to congratuate a bigot and homophobe, and ask that I congratulate him because he’s desi and risen so far? No thanks.. Don’t we have enough of these crazies running this country into the ground? Well, I’ve been reading this blog for two years, and this is my last visit.

    Behold, such stunning tolerance. Don’t let the door hit you in the knee on the way out, lest that inhibit your ability to jerk it during your next reaction.

    According to you handle, you are in NYC. Why is your opinion smarter or worth more than the people IN Louisiana? New York is a totally different place. A lot of you are acting like this happened where you live; well, it didn’t.

  17. Just because he “looks” like me, are we supposed to ignore all those things and celebrate???? Get your head out of your butt

    Did you need to be such an ass while making your point? You can say you disagree without disrespecting me or others who feel similarly.

  18. Oh, one more thing!

    The guy is as Indian as the people who buy the frozen chicken tikka masala dinners from Whole Foods.

    I’m going to start collecting such pronouncements from the brown mafia, so I know what authentic desis do.

    So far, I have learned that real desis

    • are not Christian
    • like their given name because to change it is selling out
    • name their kids brownly (homonyms like “maya” and “jay” aren’t considered cheating, at all)
    • are democrats
    • don’t buy ready-made desi food from upscale markets

    This is so edifying!

  19. Rather than writing a snarky post on my own blog, I’ll just snark right here:

    This post is ridiculous.

    So we Indian Americans are looking at “what his politicking will mean for the community.” Pardon my Hindi, but who the fuck cares? He’s governor of Louisiana, and I care what his politics are going to mean for people living in Louisiana, whether they are black, white, etc. Are we a part of this country, or what? Are we able to look beyond ourselves and relate to other Americans and what policies mean for all of us? Why does everything have to have a “brown angle” for you? We are Indian Americans, and we should care about what this means for all Americans.

    As for “popping champagne” for his “victory”, this is beyond comprehension. A GOP candidate got voted in because he fits the mold of the overriding establishment in this country, not because he’s a brown guy who has broken some glass ceiling. I for one will rejoice the day a politician- whether he is white, brown, black, yellow, whatever the hell- has politics that are closely aligned with mine (which are not mainstream Democrat/Republican) and actually wins.

    Peace.

  20. not because he’s a brown guy who has broken some glass ceiling.

    OK – were there a bunch of Indian-American governors that we don’t know about?

  21. wow.. what the hell is this ethnic/religious solidarity all about? i am supposed to celebrate if an indian is elected, because am an indian? i am supposed to celebrate if a muslim is elected because i am a muslim. i know the thing about this being a blog about brown solidarity and all that. but no, thank you! i will look much more beyond the color of someone’s skin to celebrate something like this. The man, as i understand, seems like an super conservative from a generally conservative state – and about the greatness of america to have elected a non-white, give me a break, folks. In india, muslims, sikhs, women, and bachelors (an italian came very close too) have occupied the highest position in the country, so having hailed from a place like that, let’s not praise the diversity of this country so much, SPECIFICALLY when it comes to electing people.

  22. The guy is as Indian as the people who buy the frozen chicken tikka masala dinners from Whole Foods.

    The Indian guys behind such brands as Swad and Patel Bros. may want a word with you.

  23. Why do people cap comments like this with “Peace.”? Seriously, I’ve always wondered. How can one want or wish others peace if they are so angry?

    I’m sick of explaining myself, especially to people who don’t care to read or give me the benefit of their doubt, courtesy etc. I have repeatedly said that the people of Louisiana are who matter most and that I’m bothered by this monolithic “community” some of you insist we all march with, lockstep.

    I’ve said that I can look beyond my disagreement for a day to acknowledge the very human, flawed feeling of excitement I have over this; that doesn’t mean I judge you if you don’t feel that way, so why attack me? Is my reaction or opinion worth less than yours just because we disagree?

    As for why does everything have to have a brown angle on this blog, that’s like asking Sports Illustrated why everything has to have an athletic one. Has this win upset some of you this much?

    Wow.

    I’m going for a walk– for some peace.

  24. Sorry Anna, I apologize if I sounded like an ass but unfortunately IMHO, celebrating him is like cheering for a Sam Brownback. Now if you think Sam Brownback and his like are deserving of respect then you have to put yourself in that camp. There’s no two ways about it.

    I don’t think there is any such thing as a real desi but there are crazies. Jindal is an extremist. I don’t really care what his religion is, but Jindal’s religion obviously plays into his political stance, and conveniently into his crowd pleasing abilities in Louisiana. His being Republican has little to do with it either. I would vote for a ton of other Republicans before I would vote for Jindal, and as a generally Pro-Brown person, that’s saying a lot!

  25. Oh btw, let me clarify: when I made the comment on people who buy frozen chicken tikka dinners from Whole Foods, I meant our non-indian friends who constantly feel that by doing so they are immersing themselves in indian culture somehow. I am in no way knocking them, in fact they have got me out of cooking for myself many a time.

  26. Jindal is about as much an extremist as Hillary on the other side of the political spectrum. I guess then the question comes if I would be thrilled if a brown person with political views as liberal as Hillary gets elected. Perhaps not, so I would not be too hard on the Jindal bashers.

  27. I meant our non-indian friends who constantly feel that by doing so they are immersing themselves in indian culture somehow.

    When I order chicken cacciatore, I do not believe I have linkage with guys like Garibaldi or Michelangelo. My fondness for kung pao chicken does not make me think of ancient Mandarin poetry. I eat those dishes, and I suspect your friends eat those Indian dishes, because they taste good. Those “rednecks” who voted for Jindal will not become babus and netas on Monday morning – they just want someone who will fix the state.

  28. anna:

    I’m sick of explaining myself, especially to people who don’t care to read or give me the benefit of their doubt, courtesy etc. I have repeatedly said that the people of Louisiana are who matter most and that I’m bothered by this monolithic “community” some of you insist we all march with, lockstep.

    No, you’re not sick of “explaining” yourself, you’re sick of having to fend off criticisms for a lousy argument. There is a difference. You should be able to handle this without accusing people of “insisting we all march with, lockstep”– you published something publicly, and so it is up for public criticisms. And clearly, you want people to march right with you on with regards to this post or else you get defensive.

    No one said that the “community” should all think the same and have the same views. When I said “as Indian Americans” I meant to draw attention to the fact to the “American” part, which means we are connected to Americans (and non Americans). Which means that it’s ridiculous that you would bring in the “community” angle and thus celebrate that Jindal- though he has virulent politics- won as governor.

    And give me a break– if you ultimately thought that the people of Louisiana matter the most, you wouldn’t have posted such a piece on celebrating Jindal because he is “one of us” that “made it”. Clearly, his ethnic background means something to you and stumps the fact that you disagree with his politics.

    It is pathetic that some here see Jindal’s victory as a some sort of self congratulatory and triumphant sense of identity and political inclusion in this country. How sad is that– we’re happy when someone of Indian ethnicity is elected to a high position, even if his politics sucks. People’s criteria for good politics and politicians go very low if it gives them some sense of ethnic identity/victory/etc. I’m glad that some commentators feel the opposite. Kudos to them.

  29. Razib, thanks for the link. I hope I will be able to get a real get together with Jindal or at least someone in his family. My uncle is giddy about this and told me the offer to request a meeting still stands. Maybe we can get some first hand clarifications if this thing goes through.

    And I cant believe people are still whining about why this news is on this blog. This is an Indian American blog. Not a MYDD as in My Desi Democrats type blog. I really do not care Condi Rice’s tenure in this administration. But she can be seen as a role model for African Americans through personal example. her negatives are bad judgement, loyalty to a bunch of morons(which Democrats are just as capale of , witness John Lewis endorsing Lieberman). But she has worked hard all through her life, does not seem to be a hateful person, she seems sincere even if she has to engage in double talk when her blunders are exposed(again, not unique to Republicans), she does not seem to be as bitter about her own race like Clarence Thomas is.

    It’s funny. I am one of the negative people about Jindal over here, but on liberal blogs, I tend to give him more slack because I find the praise of his opposition kind of silly.

    Regarding the link to his speech, he seemed pretty gracious about his enemies. But I was interested in the accent. I need to ask my contacts if he made up that accent Hillary style. My cousins who know him dont have anything close to that accent. It seemed a little deliberate. But still, overall, a pretty decent speech. I think he deserves to bask in the glody. Democrats had plenty of opportunity to groom a candidate against him. They had plenty of warning he was going to run again.

  30. Shouldnt us Jindal hating browns be given a cookie for looking beyond his color!

  31. I’ll be clear, I have white friends from Louisiana that think that Jindal is a whacko. That said, I’ll be quite frank when I say that the reason I read Sepia Mutiny is because I think it is a mostly liberal assembly of south-asians (justifiably so). If not there’s no reason in getting into a pointless debate on frozen indian dinners or Hillary’s extremism (or centrism).

  32. It is pathetic that some here see Jindal’s victory as a some sort of self congratulatory and triumphant sense of identity and political inclusion in this country. How sad is that– we’re happy when someone of Indian ethnicity is elected to a high position, even if his politics sucks. People’s criteria for good politics and politicians go very low if it gives them some sense of ethnic identity/victory/etc. I’m glad that some commentators feel the opposite. Kudos to them.

    Well, Jindal was elected in a competitive field, in a state where he has no natural constituency – aside from the Roman Catholic population, which by itself would be no guarantee of victory. That he was able to learn lessons from the loss in 2003 and come back is something to admire.

    Unfortunately for some, he did not lose – which means all the ready-made arguments of how this country, with its history of racism, sexism, colonialism, yada yada yada, will never accept a well-qualified Indian for office will have to gather some dust a bit longer.

  33. Are we able to look beyond ourselves and relate to other Americans and what policies mean for all of us? Why does everything have to have a “brown angle” for you? We are Indian Americans, and we should care about what this means for all Americans.

    this is true, but you contribute to a brown-themed political weblog yourself. so take a chill.

  34. which means all the ready-made arguments of how this country, with its history of racism, sexism, colonialism, yada yada yada, will never accept a well-qualified Indian for office will have to gather some dust a bit longer.

    right, so the only recourse is to tun jindal white.

  35. not when a lot of you are hypocrites. race matters. except when it doesn’t.

    We brown liberals are not the only ones! I was at a friend’s house last night watching college football with a few other friends who range from moderately liberal to raging liberal. When the news of Jindal’s election came up, the reaction of the white liberals in the room was rather muted. Once I lashed out at Jindal then the abuse started flowing more freely.

  36. I’ll be clear, I have white friends from Louisiana that think that Jindal is a whacko

    And white folks have done such a splendid job of running the state 😉 But at least they said the right things.

  37. I guess according to some of you, we all need to think the same way, feel the same way, be the same way.

    DesiItalian: I’ll give you– and me a break from this crap. Yes, yes my post is lousy, my argument (that wishing someone congratulations when they won is allowed) is lousy, everything is lousy. It takes two to fight, you can win with your interpretation of what I was trying to say. Feel better now?

  38. It is pathetic that some here see Jindal’s victory as a some sort of self congratulatory and triumphant sense of identity and political inclusion in this country. How sad is that– we’re happy when someone of Indian ethnicity is elected to a high position, even if his politics sucks. People’s criteria for good politics and politicians go very low if it gives them some sense of ethnic identity/victory/etc. I’m glad that some commentators feel the opposite. Kudos to them.

    Curious things, these feelings, as they do not always partake of reason in their formation. But i’ll have to correct you, Desi Italian, who chose not to read through the comments on both Amardeep’s and Anna’s posts–otherwise you would realize that you’re burning a straw man at the stake just like everyone else who thinks that Messr. Jindal will introduce the Inquisition in Louisiana whilst slurping the bone marrow from young black children on his back stoop.

    And give me a break– if you ultimately thought that the people of Louisiana matter the most, you wouldn’t have posted such a piece on celebrating Jindal because he is “one of us” that “made it”. Clearly, his ethnic background means something to you and stumps the fact that you disagree with his politics.

    Hmm, how did the Southpark episode on the Mormon religion go, “Dum dum dum dum dum…” The people of Louisiana do matter the most, and despite his avowed platform of “teaching the controversy” and “no abortions” I sincerely doubt he’ll have time nor the political capital to achieve such goals–instead he’ll be grappling with one of the least healthy, least educated and least wealthy of states. This brings up very real, tangible problems that an overachieving technocrat like him would salivate over all night long–do you think that any his competitors, lifelong LA politicians, can do any better? I’d like to see you provide some proof of their competency in solving these rather formidable problems–it’s not like LA has a thriving industry in stem-cell research that Jindal would stifle by introducing draconian anti stem-cell measures.

    But i suppose, Desi Bambina, that you’ve got a freakin’ time-machine that has allowed you to skedaddle to the future and know every decision that this man will take. If so, i’d like to know who wins the world series and the cricket world cup so I can skip over to Ladbroke’s and pay for my retirement.

  39. i don’t need to like jindal’s opposition to dislike his brand of politics. while it is, no doubt, impressive that jindal could figure out and do whatever it takes to get elected in a southern state, no less, i am not sure that i would extrapolate this to an america of racial and religious harmony, not when mccain’s campaign was run into the ground by mere rumors of a black baby in 2000, not when harold ford’s bid for senate was destroyed by innuendo that he might be stealing our white women, not when obama is assailed with subtle innuendo of his middle name and misspellings of his last name.

    all that said, i am not going to jump up and down in joy because the victory of people like jindal only clarifies the kind of politics that succeeds in this country, or at least, some parts of it. and that is not a brand of politics i ascribe to, and worse, think is a pox upon this country.

    p.s: are the frozen indian dinners in whole foods good? i have been going with the microwaveable trader joe’s stuff, and have liked them, but wouldn’t mind extending a karuveppilai branch to other organic food ideologies.

  40. i have been going with the microwaveable trader joe’s stuff, and have liked them, but wouldn’t mind extending a karuveppilai branch to other organic food ideologies.

    you may extend the banyan branch to other ideologies, but not the prized karuveppilai. May Mother Lemuria strike ye down if ye were to allow another ideology to patent the source of all my cooking mastery.

  41. right, so the only recourse is to tun jindal white.

    Interestingly enough, he was not white when Clinton appointed him to a prominent health care task force, or when LA asked him to reform that state’s Medicaid system, or headed became the president the University of Louisiana. But the moment he ran for political office, he was just a good ole boy with a dark complexion.

    Razib, you once had a post at GNXP about this back in 2003. Here is a trip down memory lane

    What Liberal Media? This liberal media!

  42. The good news is, there are no wrong reactions.

    what sort of desi are you? continue with such a mollycoddling american attitude and your kids will never become harvard and yale educated doctors.