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 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.
what about the sports guy on espn.com? a few years ago he did an excellent write-up of the oc vs 90210 😉
i find jindal’s winning interesting – i don’t know much about his policies or how he ran his campaign, so i cannot comment on whether i admire him as a politician. but i do think it’s good that somebody can be voted into office when they come from a background that is considered a minority relative to their constituency – it means that, maybe, sometimes, race/background does not matter as much as we think it does. on the other hand, his christianity might have had much to do with this win, making the minority argument weak. but i find at least some sense of progress when this has happened in other situations, as well – e.g. jfk as a catholic winning the presidency was a huge deal. and even though i am not a huge fan of hrc at the moment, i think it’s amazing that the top two contenders are a minority in some way vis-a-vis the general american population and past presidents. these perspectives have nothing to do with being desi – i know nothing about jindal to have any affinity towards him out of sheer desiness. but as a minority (in more ways than one) american, i would have felt just the same about anybody else who was a relative minority in the LA population.
really anna, you need to come up with logical arguments to refute your stand rather than resort to dramatics and nitpicking.
so, try this again, why are desis supposed to celebrate this political opportunist’s win on a narrow conservative agenda which even you say is against your own politics?
What Liberal Media? This liberal media!
that was godless capitalist. but yeah, that shit is always hilarious.
Ooops – that was a post by Godless. Sorry
enough of the jindal for the day, i Guess
I came back to check on where the comments went and sigh feel compelled to comment again.
Color: Let me remind you that this is Louisiana and everything here is about race, more specifically black and white, NOTHING in between. Jindal DID talk out of both sides of his mouth to both sets of racial constituents during his campaign. He also has a storied history of rejecting his ethnic roots, so even if my criticsm of his son’s name was a bit harsh (and, I admit, unwarranted), his desire to be white is not conjecture, but something that is common knowledge in this state. Again, where Jindal’s racial identity lies means a lot for the black people in my state and how they will be treated because of Jindal’s allegiances. That’s how the politics of race play out in this beautiful yet godforsaken state. Get it?
Political party: KXB, as much as you think people here voted for Jindal thinking he’ll fix the state, they just want someone Republican in power. No one in the rest of Louisana gives a rat’s behind whether New Orleans and the Cajun coast are fixed or prepared for hurricanes and further levee failures, and as I’ve already mentioned in a previous comment, as our representative in Washington, Jindal missed some key votes that would have helped us, so that makes me REALLY NERVOUS. So, let’s not pretend Jindal was elected to fix anything, but I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Let’s see what happens. It’s not like I have another choice.
(FYI: The Lousiana Democrat Party makes the Democrats in Washington look like vertebrates, which explains their inability to put up a viable candidate against Jindal. The abject morons threw themselves behind DINO Walter Boasso instead. It’s like watching the proverbial lemmings commit suicide. Feh.)
Religion: Many of you wonder about the relationship between Catholicism and the teaching of creationism/ID. While Lousiana is historically a Catholic state, it is also very conservative, and a lot of these folks used to be Democrats until it became the party of the “godless high-taxing babykilling heathens.” So, when you have only one other choice, where are you gonna go? To the party of anti-evolution because it agrees the MOST with your personal values in a state so divided.
Money: All that race, religion and party stuff said, rich is more important in Louisiana than black or white. People will give up their family members and personal beliefs for a piece of the pie, so Republican and Democrat, black and white, Catholic and Baptist are ALL MEANINGLESS when it comes to graft.
Even if I do live in Louisiana, I don’t know what motivates Jindal the man vs. Jindal the politician, and, quite frankly, the former is none of my business. What I do care about is whether he can separate the two, i.e. how a person’s biases influence their ability to make decisions from their elected position. Too often have we seen this abuse of the social contract, especially in Louisiana. So, to Manju who talked of my whitening because I have a white husband and wholly took the topic out of context, that was a very low blow. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. I married a man out of love, and simultaneously have the utmost respect for my religion and ethnicity. These things are not mutually exclusive. On the other hand, it appears that Jindal has made a concerted effort to distance himself from his Indian-ness IN ORDER TO align himself with one end of the bipolar and biracial political state of things in Louisiana, thus making us question what his motivations and feelings are towards the other race. To make myself completely clear: At a time when Louisiana desperately needs racial reconciliation to move forward economically, I am concerned about how things will play out for the black and poor in Louisiana. We shall see.
Again, from point 4 above, lining one’s pockets with kickbacks is more important than god, race and everything in Louisiana, so at least there we have the color blindness that you think we’ve achieved.
(This brings up an interesting desi-American-experience question: If you look Indian-American but personally choose to identify with another racial group, does that still make you Indian-American? Who decides? Society or you?)
Although some of his positions are ludicrous (ID), they are necessary. How else could he win in LA? Politics is the art of the possible.
The man appears to be very competent, hardworking, and knows how to work with the system. These qualities are more relevant as LA governor and their leaders have been found sadly lacking on these. AFAIMC, Jindal’s achievement is a first in the country for immigrants of Indian origin and that is not a small thing. Hope he does well during his first term.
2016
Lay off Anna. Seriously. I have no idea why the person that posts becomes a personal target. It is possible to discuss the merits and substance of Jindal’s election without any personal reference to Anna. Her posting this article for our comments was not meant for us to dissect, analyze, and criticize her thoughts and opinions. Simply post your idea/thought re Jindal and move on.
Maitre
You wrote…
“Onthe other hand, it appears that Jindal has made a concerted effort to distance himself from his Indian-ness IN ORDER TO align himself with one end of the bipolar and biracial political state of things in Louisiana, thus making us question what his motivations and feelings are towards the other race“.
Is being in touch with his “indian-ness” as you describe it a necessary criteria for him to govern Lousiana. Who made you the arbitrator of what is “Indian-ness” anyway? He was the first Governor to get elected without a runoff since reconstruction, and he did rather well with the black voters in New Orleans. He apparently convinced a large majority to vote for him. Its not as if Louisiana only had two choices. He apparently represents what the voting public of Louisiana wants.
You have no idea what is in Jindal’s mind. Your speculations are analogous to my speculation of your love for brown race because of your white husband. Both speculations are ridiculous.
I found this post to be quite illuminating..
“If you don’t live in Louisiana, you have no clue what it is like. You may think you do, but you don’t. You make think your state sucks, but it doesn’t really compared to Louisiana. Louisiana sucks in a way that is soul killing because it is such a wonderful, beautiful, wonderful place, and yet it is so dysfunctional it saps and taxes (quite literally, they tax everything there) your talent and your energy and you leave if you can, like I did. Think of the United States if Reagan had claimed victory after 200 years of Carter, instead of just 4. That’s what this is like. That’s the closest equivalent.”
http://www.redstate.com/stories/elections/2007/jindals_victory_is_personal_to_me
On the other hand, it appears that Jindal has made a concerted effort to distance himself from his Indian-ness IN ORDER TO align himself with one end of the bipolar and biracial political state of things in Louisiana, thus making us question what his motivations and feelings are towards the other race.
i don’t see this. he converted to catholicism during his teenage years. if he hadn’t converted we wouldn’t be talking about bobby jindal right now, but how many other piyush jindal’s are out there who didn’t follow a political career because they knew their “heathen” religion made them nonviable? as for his children’s names, that’s a trivial and mixed issue. so it is common knowledge in the state he wants to be white? so dish the dish, i’m curious.
Amitabh, no worries, we can agree to disagree as we often do 🙂
I think what you should get from these posts is that because Jindal puts the interests of the Bush Administration first, many take issue with his political outlook, particularly when it comes to defining “Lousiana’s interests” and “America’s interests.”
I think all the arguments about whether he is “whitened up” are specious, and frankly, more than a little disgusting. I don’t care that he goes by “Bobby,” I don’t care that he converted, I don’t care that he’s a wonk and on the scrawny side. Bringing up Barack Obama is so irrelevant to this topic that it just makes it look like you’re grasping for straws. Is Jindal typical of the “average ABD experience”? Probably not just because of the statistical probabilities, but also probably not because who the hell defines an “average ABD experience”? It doesn’t exist! WHY ARE WE ARGUING ABOUT IT?
What I care about is that, in a state that is desperately poor and full of incompetent and corrupt politicians (and as Maitri said, not much different from a lot of the U.S.), it is disheartening to know that the Governor-elect has voted against the interests of his own constituents time and time again. For me it goes beyond race. Louisiana is a freaking poor state, and that’s if you’re black, white, brown or pink. Neighborhoods across New Orleans (including those on “higher ground”) will be underwater the next time it’s hit by a Category 3 (or higher) hurricane. And this is where it comes down to politics, in my opinion. It depends on whether you believe that a system of austerity is magically going to generate employment, affordable health care, food-access, or whether you believe that there need to be other steps taken to even out the burdens that poor families face. That’s a perfectly acceptable critique — on either side. In the meantime, we can each reserve the right to celebrate or refrain.
on the scrawny side
sorry to disagree with you camille, but i don’t trust these scrawny fellers…they have that hungry lean look, like the wolf.
Oh, and to totally contradict myself, I do care about how he leveraged race and race-baiting in the election. But I care about that REGARDLESS of the party a person is affiliated with, and I care about it marginally less than I do about everything else I spewed about. 🙂
razib, how did I know that you secretly lust for our rounder-bodied, dravidian phillum-star types?
Mac, Speedy – this is like some desi winning the premiership of Newfoundland. Not equiv to BC. I feel we are behind in some ways in Canada. We are ‘nicer’ but are we really better? Maybe it’s this anti-multiculturalism virus spreading through the country which is depressing me right now…
old TNR article after his 2003 loss http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:Q1VCQxyd7B4J:www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml%3Fi%3Dexpress%26s%3Dkushner111703+bobby+jindal+the+new+republic&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a.
another little known fact is that he is going to replace srk in their next series of ads for fair and handsome. and for all of you who’s complaining that he’s scrawny, don’t worry, he’s buffing up in preparation.
ed. note: who cares if he’s scrawny or “acts white” or whatever? can’t we just judge the man by his politics and political actions? doesn’t he give us enough to dislike him just based on that?
anna said:
This is exactly how I feel..regardless of his political stand on issues (which I completely disagree with), he has achieved something quite extraordinary for Indians in America.
i don’t see this.
Re: Your response to Maitri comment on how he has been disassociating himself from his own ethnicity, and the baggage therein.
Because Razib, you know very little about Louisiana politics, and the meteoric rise of Bobby Jindal in last 10 years. All you are pulling is straws, and 5 second googling.
Let me give you few examples:
a) When BJ got inducted in Mike Foster’s cabinet, he got photographed himself in the group of white cabinet members, he was not in the team of minority cabinet members (this includes all, with african americans) who had their special group photo after the swearing in. This all seems innocent, yet it is not.
b) Years ago, he told the Brown University alum magazine, he does not feel any special connection to asian americans (this is BU magazine, for them south asians and indian origin are asian americans), but only being american. Hey, more power to him to be “the american“. Again, this all seems quite innocent, but it is not. You can see a pattern emerging, can’t you.
c) This is rumor…..but it is believed that he refused to enter a Hindu temple in New Orleans, and asked in his Congress election celebrations not be crowded with ethnically dressed Indians. Now, c) part I cannot fully collaborate but a) and b) you can find out by googling around. Again, it is his life, and his choices, but seems odd people being too giddy about him whom he doesn’t want to be seen too close to. How ironic?
Add this to Jena 6 comment…….you have a straight line emerging.
Well, he is a rising star in GOP (I predict him being a US Senator in 8 years), and I congratulated him earlier in the thread, but do not make him what is not. He know which side of the bread has butter for him in Louisiana………let us acknowledge it and move on.
Re 150:
Sorry, razib, I wasn’t being very clear. What I meant to say was that the faith of the father is not a requisite for someone to be a Muslim (the way a Jewish mother is required in say, orthodox Judaism, in cases other than conversion) — essentially, every Muslim has to accept the Shahadah (effectively undergo conversion) at some point. Now, I’m certain that there will be considerable correlation between someone being a Muslim and his/her father being one too, but I would suspect that there would be almost as strong a correlation between someone being a Muslim and his/her mother being one as well. In the case of a mixed faith marriage, I suspect the majority of the progeny would follow the faith of the father, but I would hazard that this is more an effect of good ‘ole patriarchial influence, and not limited only to Islam. In reference to KXB’s comments, I meant to imply that a Muslim who didn’t know Obama would consider him to be a Muslim based on his father’s faith about as much as they would consider say, Edwards to be a Christian, based on his father’s faith.
I don’t think Islam uses a patrilineal identity per se though it certainly favours the male (for instance in issues of inheritance and testimony). That particular doctrinal line (Muslim men being allowed to marry Jewish and Christian women, while Muslim women may not) is pushed by several Muslim schools, but is certainly not accepted by all Muslims. Generally an abbreviated form of the Quranic verse (2:221) is cited which seems to favour the interpretation of these schools.
The full text from the verse (Pickthal’s translation) is as follows:
Jews and Christians apparently are acceptable as being non-idolators/non-idolatresses (more specifically, ahl-e-Kitab, People of the Book). But the verse in question does not seem to make any distinction in the criteria between men and women. Of course polytheists and atheists like us are still persona non grata, but I never suggested that Islam or any other religion was particularly fair or reasonable.
And my apologies to everyone else for a rather long-winded tangential post.
You are right about that. I can see that and that’s why I am very ambivalent about Jindal the person. But I am not sure how that disqualifies him from being a good governor of Louisiana. I believe that he isn’t going to touch any divisive social issues like abortion and would instead focus on running the state efficiently and with fairness. Otherwise he’ll also be jeopardizing his bigger poltical ambitions. The higher the office the more moderate an elected official gets. That is however a good argument against celebrating his victory as an Indian-American achievement. But commenters like Desi Italiana are making it sound as if Anna is feting the first Indian American serial killer rather than the first Indian-American governor.
I just don’t understand the following:
Damned if he does damned if he doesn’t! If he hadn’t assured blacks your complaining would have been fiercer.
bobby jindal’s biggest campaign donor was Exxon Mobil.
that itself will demonstrate where his allegance and priorities are…
amen…
Vic: Is being in touch with his “indian-ness” as you describe it a necessary criteria for him to govern Lousiana. Who made you the arbitrator of what is “Indian-ness” anyway?
What? Please to read entire thread before twisting words.
Indian-ness and its shades are immaterial to me. It’s what Jindal identifies with while a political servant in the state of Louisiana. The rest of the state HATES the Greater New Orleans Area (primarily black and Democrat) with a red, hot passion and southeast Louisiana isn’t favored either. Jindal’s always been seen as a prima donna – it’s about stepping stones to the next better assignment and personal gain, not about Louisiana – and his win to us signifies more upcoming inaction on our problems and the further languishing of this state’s poor.
This is something you would understand if you read my comments in their entirety. You don’t know what it’s like to live and vote here (see comment 211 above, that’s exactly what it’s like, but not because Republicans are better than Democrats or vice versa and instead thanks to a history of corruption, graft, race politics, low levels of education and me-me-me-screw-everyone-else). When one party wins, members of the other party are screwed. When one race “wins,” the other loses. As someone who’s lived in Kuwait, India and the Upper Midwest, I’ve never seen this level of political dysfunction, corruption and hatred. Well, maybe in Jayalalitha vs. Karunanidhi – yeah, if you believe that level of chappal-throwing shit is not possible in the United States, think again, it happens here.
Let me make it very, very lucid: this is not about me, ANNA or the last comment that didn’t sit well with you, it’s about how we here in this state are worried things are going to turn out with Jindal in power, especially when things have to get better.
Yet, we shall see.
Oh, look at the time.
Because Razib, you know very little about Louisiana politics, and the meteoric rise of Bobby Jindal in last 10 years. All you are pulling is straws, and 5 second googling.
“dude,” your patronizing attitude is getting tiresome. i asked for examples, you provided them. thanks.
You have no idea what is in Jindal’s mind. Your speculations are analogous to my speculation of your love for brown race because of your white husband. Both speculations are ridiculous.
Maitri is not running for the governorship of La. Please lay off this shit about her white husband.
There is an obscene amount of sheer pettiness and hypocrisy coming from the mob criticizing Booby Jindal here. Its disgusting how they even stoop to spreading falsehoods about him:
Bull crap.
From the last time he ran for Governor of Louisiana:
http://www.louisianaweekly.com/weekly/news/articlegate.pl?20031020d
“Jindal does not have the threatening reputation that many GOP politicians have in the Black community. It would be hard to believe, even in the most skeptical mind, that a man with brown skin is a “David Duke racist.” Few African-Americans fear a Jindal administration. As one individual commented to this columnist, “He looks like a brother. Give him a chance.”
And from this election:
http://www.lanewslink.com/print.php?article=2393
“Renwick says Jindal has unusual support among African Americans and that could lead to him winning in the primary, and thus avoiding a runoff. “It’s possible,” Renwick said. “To a large extent it depends on the black percentage of the vote. 21 percent of the African Americans (surveyed) voted for Jindal. That’s a very high percentage of the vote for a Republican from African Americans. Four years ago, Jindal got around 9 or 10 percent of the black vote. He’s at least doubled it.”
Here’s Bobby Jindal’s aunt on his victory in the Times of India: “By becoming governor, Bobby has done the unthinkable. Who could have imagined an Indian would become the Governor of an American state?”
Dravidian Lurker: I prefer the Whole Foods frozen dinners to Trader Joe’s. The Amy’s vegetarian brand is my favorite.
Jindal probably has the toughest job any Governor could have in the US (except for whoever should succeed Granholm in MI). He will be under a Microscope as the first Indian American Governor. It does not matter to rest of america if he is distancing himself from his “Indianness” or not…his ethnicity will always follow him and his name will always be preceded with the label Indian American. I wish him luck and hope he does well. Whether we like it or not, potential of future Indian American governors will be shaded by how Jindal performs in office.
please explain how you know that he did this on purpose. I have been included in many family pictures, however the vast majority of them include only male family members. Does this mean that I’m a male chauvinist?
source? It is a defensible statement, if expressed in a spirit similar to the French definition of the citizen. (unrealistic, intensely ideological but not indicative of a desire to jump into a white-out bath)
dude, aside from the patronizing attitude, asking others to do your own substantiation is also fairly annoying. I heard a rumor that George W. Bush scripted the events of 9/11/01. I’ve also heard rumors that alien organisms routinely swoop down from the sky to place signaling devices in human rectums. Does that mean it’s worth mentioning in a rebuttal to any argument?
Whether we like it or not, potential of future Indian American governors will be shaded by how Jindal performs in office.
What a ridiculous prediction.
A few days ago, a (white) friend of mine was in a bar in Shreveport where he overheard a conversation between a group of white outdoorsmen. They were talking about Bobby Jindal and whether they would “take the sumbitch out” if he won. One of them declared his intention to do so, because it would be an affront to the great state of Louisiana if Jindal became governor. Another, however, disagreed, saying that “there ain’t no meat on that critter.”
Here are the headlines from Times of India:
Punjabi brigade scores high in politics overseas
Oh Lordy!
More than one person here has brought up his comments about the Jena protests as a proof of Jindal’s callousness towards African Americans. All I am saying is you can stay away from such protests and still be committed to fair treatment of blacks. Obama also decided to distance himself from the protests and no one is calling him indifferent to the plight of black people. So what’s so irrelevant about making a simple point?
Here is a book the children of Bobby Jindal will not be reading.
The social significance of Jindal’s victory can not be denied. Times of India (the paper of record in India ???) and Rediff, Hindustan Times, and Indian Express all have headlines covering Jindal’s victory.
I’ve also heard rumors that alien organisms routinely swoop down from the sky to place signaling devices in human rectums.
Is it Sunday night already?
Maitri is not running for the governorship of La. Please lay off this shit about her white husband.
even if she was running for the gov. of louisiana it wouldn’t really matter, just like the crap about his conversion and his children’s names don’t really matter.
The annoying liberal tendancy to introduce bigotry into the conversation, attempt to attribute it to conservatives, and avoid responsibility under the guise of raising conciousness.
No that’s your interpretation of his votes. He is voting according to his well-known conservative principles which he thinks will better serve the people of his state including the ones who are most vulnerable. Of course you and I can disagree with him over the best way to serve his people.
The annoying liberal tendancy to introduce bigotry into the conversation, attempt to attribute it to conservatives, and avoid responsibility under the guise of raising conciousness.
there’s an easy way if you are a person of color to get white liberals to say racist things toward you: be a colored conservative 😉 the “simulated” racism is justified on the basis of the fact that as a conservative you have no problem with racism and should be subject to it to make one aware of what one is in for.
even if she was running for the gov. of louisiana it wouldn’t really matter, just like the crap about his conversion and his children’s names don’t really matter
I dont have a problem with his children’s names and I have not brought that up either. I just dont like his politics.
The annoying liberal tendancy to introduce bigotry into the conversation, attempt to attribute it to conservatives, and avoid responsibility under the guise of raising conciousness.
Maybe the conservatives just dont appreciate good satire 🙂
anna:
Er… you wrote a post on why you personally would like to celebrate Jindal’s victory. May I ask a question? How can you expect people not to take issue with your opinion? But if you want to stop responding, that’s fair and I can respect that (also, very tiring keeping up with comments, so that is understood).
Also:
This is very very loaded…if someone one wants to elaborate on this.
Razib:
I used to. I stopped posting in August. But I think you’re misinterpreting my point. I wasn’t taking issue with SM being a “brown-themed” blog, I was taking issue with this post. Being part of a desi blog and disagreeing with “Oh, his politics suck but I’m celebrating because he won, and by extension, I should feel proud” type of thing are not mutually exclusive.
Muralimannered:
I have no idea how what you are saying is tied into my point. If you agree with Jindal’s politics and challenge anyone to come up with a better “technocrat,” by all means go ahead. Dissect his politics, put up against other platforms and agendas.
What the heck does your (condescending) remark by calling me a “bambina” and asking me if I have a time machine have to do with what I said in my comments?
Dear friends
Whatever the circumstances, contexts, controversies — that Indian has become a governor is certainly a matter of pride for us all.
However the very circumstances, contexts, controversies sorrounding his election throw up a host of uncofortable issues to deal with.
In the US one has to be of the semitic religion to be accepted in the highest offices. So even a muslim can occupy high offices since he is a person of the book. Hindus really do not stand any chance.
It appears that Jindal is not interested in his Indian heritage. His total emphasis is in being an American and an ultra Christian convervative, something which would want him appear disconnected from his indian/hindu heritage as much as possible. That is, in the whiteness quotient he is whiter than the other Hindu compatriots. Any move towards India will affect his political career.
Comparing him to Sunita Williams — who loves her Indian background, is educational.
The issue of his parents still being Hindu is going to give him problems and his enemies ammunition.
Will the cause/image of Indians/Desi/India improve because of him. Yes and no — but to what extent has to be determined.
Most important — w
posterity, it is more than just staying away from the protests, it is also the specific statements with the carefully chosen code words that he has made, as well as these actions in the context of a track record of callousness to blacks. as a friend said, he is most likely not racist, just has written them off as a constituency since he can derive more mileage with the david duke crowd.
No that’s your interpretation of his votes. He is voting according to his well-known conservative principles which he thinks will better serve the people of his state including the ones who are most vulnerable. Of course you and I can disagree with him over the best way to serve his people.
when wealthy or affluent liberals vote “against their own economic interests” (e.g., higher progressive tax rates) they are being compassionate, principled and forward thinking. when less affluent people vote against their economic interests (by prioritizing social issues like gays and abortion) they are being hoodwinked by bigotry.
1. In the US one has to be of the semitic religion to be accepted in the highest offices. So even a muslim can occupy high offices since he is a person of the book. Hindus really do not stand any chance.
there is only one muslim in the house of representatives, but two buddhists (in hawaii and georgia).
also, the first indian american in congress in the the late 1950s was a sikh.
posterity, it is more than just staying away from the protests, it is also the specific statements with the carefully chosen code words that he has made, as well as these actions in the context of a track record of callousness to blacks. as a friend said, he is most likely not racist, just has written them off as a constituency since he can derive more mileage with the david duke crowd.
right, if bobby jindal is as smart and self-aware as everyone says he is then the use of the word “agitator” is likely calculated and not a unfortunate semantic coincidence.
who wins the world series and the cricket world cup so I can skip over to Ladbroke’s and pay for my retirement.
They already did that in Back to the Future II.