McCain isn’t the only trailing Republican candidate whose campaign tactics are getting increasingly nasty. Erik Paulsen of Minnesota is giving him a run for his money. Months back I observed how eerily similar Madia’s campaign against Paulsen is to Obama’s against McCain’s. A week ago Amardeep followed up with more nastiness. And now the s*it gets deeper:
While Republican Party representatives took heat this week for claiming in fliers that DFL candidate Ashwin Madia had the “wrong demographics” to serve the people of the 3rd Congressional District, they got off lightly with respect to the not-so-veiled undercurrent in their attack on Madia’s “lifestyle.” By larding in mentions of Madia’s household (he’s a renter, not an owner) and his hobbies (he’s not a soccer coach), the tacit insinuation that Madia must be gay is made easier to politely ignore. But it appears to be the real payload behind GOP efforts to point out Madia’s purported, um, difference from the stolid homesteaders of the 3rd District.“Gutter politics are a gross insult to the good people of our district,” Rep. Jim Ramstad said Tuesday while praising Republican candidate Erik Paulsen for upholding of the “proud tradition of clean politics and ethical campaigns.” But as history demonstrates, there is a long and unadmirable record of flogging a political opponent’s unmarried status as a genteel means of throwing the race into the gutter. And since no accusation is ever actually made, the implication is not really susceptible to rebuttal. It just hangs out there with a wink. [link]
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p>Got that? Not only is Paulsen’s campaign implying that he is “the wrong demographic” (ethnically) but now they are hinting that because he is ~30 and single he might be gay. Geez, and you thought desi parents were the ones putting on the marriage pressure! Now for some good news. SurveyUSA and DNCC internal polling shows that Madia may actually be up on Paulsen. The expected high Democratic turnout may further boost Madia via the coattail effect:
SurveyUSA (10/6-7, likely voters, 8/26-28 in parens):Ashwin Madia (D): 46 (41)
Erik Paulsen (R): 43 (44)
David Dillon (IP): 8
(MoE: ±4%)These numbers aren’t far off from a recent DCCC internal poll showing Madia leading by 44-39. SUSA still seems to have a questionably GOP-tilted sample of young voters (they break for Paulsen by a 51-40 margin in this poll), but that might be offset by a possibly-skewed 53-38 Madia lead among 50-to-64 year-olds. [Link]
There is much reason to be optimistic of Madia’s chances at this point. Late this afternoon WashPo reported about several Republican pollsters who are now predicting a, and I quote, “bloodbath.” An even better indication that Madia has a great chance is by taking a look at the company he has been keeping recently. Lot’s of Dem bigwigs have been showing up:
The Madia campaign had a roundtable event for small-business owners scheduled this afternoon and a Tuesday morning plant tour with visiting U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., who serves as Democratic Caucus chair in the U.S. House of Representatives — this coming on the heels of visits over the past few days from Sen. Ross Feingold (D-Wis.) and U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). [Link]
You know what makes me most excited about this campaign though? Check out this SOUTH ASIAN AMERICAN action:
Around the time of the DCCC poll, Madia was getting some other good news: the Maryland-based Pakistani American Public Affairs Committee (PIKPAC) gave him its endorsement. PIKPAC encouraged Pakistani-Americans in the 3rd District to get out the vote and contribute to Madia’s campaign, but with voters of South Asian background in short supply in the West Metro congressional district, PIKPAC’s Web page for donating to Madia may have the greater impact. According to SAJA Forum, Madia would be only the third person of South Asian descent to be elected to congress — after Dalip Singh Saund of California (who served from 1957-63) and Bobby Jindal (2005-07), now governor of Louisiana. [Link]
That’s right! The Pakistani community is getting behind their fellow South Asian. Now that is what I’m talking about. That’s real progress right there!
Let me leave you with one last bit of absurdity. The National Republican
In any case, there is still time to support or volunteer for Madia’s campaign if you are so inclined.
Eerily similar? Sure.
Ashwin’s content-free ads featuring himself jogging, presuming his unlikely personal narrative to be experience enough itself for a national political office, attacking a decent Republican as rubber-stamp agents of Bush & Co., and uninspiring, standard liberal boilerplate for a policy platform.
You’re right — Obama does come to mind!
Todd, don’t forget about the race baiting by a candidate on his last legs.
i’m surprised hank’s son’s doing as well as he is
You’d think the IP candidate would be doing better in Minnesota. Shouldn’t he at least win Hibbing?
Methinks its time sunny leone is called to service her country, and put an end to these rumors.
The liberal madia bias is staggering.
1 · Todd said
Agents of Bush can’t be decent Republicans? Maybe the party shouldn’t have hitched its collective wagons around the guy.
hey delurker: you’ve commented more than once on this blog. isn’t that the moral equivlence to losing your virginity twice.
The funny thing about this whole “whisper campaign” is that Ashwin’s campaign manager has to beat the girls off with a stick. He’s the best looking man around – single minded in his purpose to win this race! If the GOP even bothered to look closely they’d see that this is ridiculous. They’re terrified. They’re being outworked and the only thing they know how to do is go dirty.
9 · ladybelle said
so, well, er, never mind…too easy
I suggest we put up his biodata on shaadi.com and find him a decent girl for the good of the country.
Accusing Madia of not playing soccer is tantamount to accusing him of being gay?
That can’t be right. American homophobes think soccer is a “gay” sport.
Who is the republican strategy chief? alec baldwin?
dude should just get a fake girlfriend.
Isn’t it sad that being gay is part of a “whisper campaign?” It sort of reminds me of Obama’s smear site talking about how Obama is NOT Muslim because of that “whisper campaign.” Why should Ashwin have to deny his own family and friends who may be gay and publicly denounce that he is not?
8 · Manju said
Tried registering. Ran into some sort of snag; can’t remember what exactly. Oh and on topic, go Madia!
speaking of gay, how is the campaign against prop 8 doing in california? is it looking like prop 8 will pass? what can i, as a non-californian, do to help the movement opposing prop 8? thanks for any answers.
Isn’t it sad that being gay is part of a “whisper campaign?”
it’s politics. there are lots of sad things people do. in any case, i don’t care if someone is gay or not, but what about the argument people want to be represented by someone who can relate to them? 95% of people are heterosexuals. i think that’s a crap argument myself, but all the people who complain that there aren’t x, y, z groups appropriately represented in politics should consider taking their logic to its extreme. i don’t see any great value-add in having brown politics being elected as such as opposed to politicians who support your values. but judging by reports of brownz rallying to both bobby jindal and people like ashwin madia i guess i’m missing something.
but judging by reports of brownz rallying to both bobby jindal and people like ashwin madia i guess i’m missing something.
by this, i mean brown donors who give to politicians at opposite political ends….
14 · razib said
i wonder if the services of minnesota’s best known beard are available…
Just gave him some money.
It would be great to have a liberal-progressive Desi voice in the House. And, I I have to admit, it’s kinda cool to have a dude in congress with the same first same as my cousin…
Go Madia!
Definitely give him money!
Please don’t forget about all the brown local candidates either. With less than 4 weeks to the elections I’d love to see a space where we can compile names of these candidates, many who are running in historic elections as well with opposition that is sly casting aspersions at times on their “funny names” and where they were born.
I know I’ll do my part to put that kind of politics to bed.
Not that it would prevent him from being a good congressman (Barney Frank), but this fellow really IS gayer than a tangerine.
15 · inothernews said
He doesn’t have to. At least, unless the political costs of not doing so aren’t overwhelming. There are multiple ways to respond to charges like this.
6 · Rahul said
You mean the same liberal media bias that is projecting the presidential race as close when in fact Obama is blowing out McCain?
When will this meme die? The media is driven by the market, its ownership structure, and, beyond that, news cycles, groupthink, and stupidity, nothing more.
Not just a member, Andrew Arulanandam, the NRA’s director of public affairs.
I want you all to listen to this very carefully. I am a 31 y/o abcd hindu punjabi living now in dc with my parents. When I was 23 I worked as proprietary trader at a small trading firm. I performed exceptionally well and was probably the most productive trader in my 40 person trading class. After my performance peaked I was harrassed due to not having a girlfriend. Rumors were spread around the office, I was humilated, I ended up having a nervous breakdown. I got so messed up in the end that I could not talk to guys for a couple of years for fear that they would think I was gay.
I held myself together by relating to one particular Indian girl, who gave me an identity of myself. Incidentally was featured here on sepia as she is now a novelist. The level of emasculation that I experienced was so severe that I have yet to regain functionality and do not think that I could be viable in any work environment. At least not as of yet. In this fashion I have been emasculated and what kills me is that the people who emasculated me are the type of people who would use that power to date Indian women – which in turn would further emasculate me. In fact the person who was emasculating me was dating an Indian girl at that time. If I were connected to her, I could not be harassed. A similar, albeit very different situation is playing out here and an achilles has been exposed where people like ex-military men, Mr. Madia, can go through a potentially horrifying experience. It is not one’s sexuality that they are talking about, rather it is an attempt to make a person feel shameful. As someone who has been through a similar experience I ask, I beg, Indian women to be responsible in terms of who they date. In other words do not land yourself in a position where you can get disconnected from people like madia and myself who need that connection to be grounded. In my case I had no way to defend myself against those allegations. There are a lot of people who are of the mindset like the people assasinating madia and if Indian women date people like that or date people removed from others like that – we can lose the ability to connect with the people we need to ground us. Gool luck MR. Madia – laugh at those accusations. Be baptised by fire.
Pankaj
This is one of those many situations where having flings with 108 people of the opposite sex, and even boasting about it, is far less politically damaging than having one same-sex partner.
pankaj,
looks like you’ve had a rough time, but apportioning blame between your tormentors and their girlfriends, or potential girlfriends, doesn’t strike me as a defensible strategy for recovery. You own your experiences. Desi girls do not. They have their own.
27 · Pankaj
Pankaj, I’m really sorry. I don’t agree with all that you’ve said, but I hope that you’re getting the care and support that you need in a difficult time. If you need support, please check out this link or drop a line.
but soccer-coaching is prob. seen as an all-american, heterosexual) family man function.
perhaps madia will take your queue, nayagan 😉
28 · Nayagan said
well, there is an old southern saying about politicians: the only way he will lose an election is if he is caught in bed with a live man, or a dead woman.
25 · Dr Amnonymous said
😛
I said liberal madia bias.
Don’t they know that there is no such thing as gay in India or among Indian-Americans. It is just like Iran.
i can hear his mom now; “see, you should’ve listened to me and went to med school.”
32 · Rahul said
I canz reed too?
🙂 sorry.
I don’t see where they’re calling him gay. Plenty of people rent–granted, it’s a huge waste if you have a decent income and are committed to living someplace for several years or more, but I don’t understand how people are making the HUGE leap of using that to imply that he’s gay. I read both the articles (the one linked above, and the one linked from that to Madia responding to the bizarre rental allegations) and it feels like people are really reaching. And the soccer thing, more than anything, implies to me that he can’t relate to your standard suburbanite.
This supposed whisper campaign and this original post make no sense to me at all. No offense meant, though…please tell me if there’s some crucial piece in there that I missed–like evidence of someone actually being quoted as saying they think Madia’s gay.
Abhi, why haven’t you posted a picture of Ashwin Madia? I like illustrations.
So many suitable frames you could grab from his web site, where he is called Ash-Medea, though no wig with snakes or anything. Plus a Goog image search comes up with lots of pix– I mean, the guy is three fourths of the way to seriously hot, and seems to have been in uniform a lot in his youth.
–not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Why does Madia rent? Doesn’t he have the “right demographics” for a subprime loan?
Actually, she says,”AhshwiMedea” the first time and slips into Ash-w-Medea” the second time. Nearly one out of two ain’t bad. I never heard that renting is a sign of being gay– they can tell it to James Ivory if not Ishmael Merchant– or conversely, that owning real estate is a sign of being hetero. In any case, buying real property as a connubial dwelling is no longer a sign of commitment, although it may be again quite soon, the way things are going.
If you are an insurgent PUMA, McCain will have you know that unlike Obama’s support of Ayers, McCain’s favorite terrorist has always been Patty Hearst.
You know what’s the difference between Patty Hearst and a pitbull? One is brainwashed to love its master and be incited to extreme violence, the other is a pitbull.
more like the right demographics of a market speculator. how did madia know renting would prove so valuable. What did he know and when did he know it?
This is just a shrill, high-pitched, hysterical smear against low-pitched heterosexual males.
I think Jerry Seinfeld says it best.
JERRY: Y’know I hear that all the time.
ELAINE: Hear what?
JERRY: That I’m gay. People think I’m gay.
ELAINE: Yeah, you know people ask me that about you, too.
JERRY: Yeah, ‘cuz I’m single, I’m thin and I’m neat.
ELAINE: And you get along well with women.
GEORGE: I guess that leaves me in the clear…
I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with it.
@ #17: The campaign against Prop 8 is not doing well. Latest polls suggest that, facing a funding deficit, the anti-gay forces (i.e., supportive of Prop 8) are ahead ~5 points. You can help by donating here.
amazing bs. who gives a £€^%> if he is gay? glbt rights are truly the civil rights issue of this generation. it’s as tho the 60’s never happened. sigh.
47 · campmuir said
glbt rights are inevitable in america. the writings on the wall. any poll on the matter shows a massive generational divide. all we need is about a 1/2 a generation to die and boom, pro-gay becomes an insurmountable majority.
remember, you’ve won the war, even if you’re losing battles. congratulations.
47 · Manju said
The situation is unclear with the Hispanic boom, given that many of them are conservative. Razib’s charts seem to indicate otherwise, but not having seen the data/methodology, I am not sure if this data is reliable (just going by the common perception).
Well, it is easier to take the long view if it’s not your life and your rights on the line, but bigotry is bigotry. These people will be the Thurmonds and Byrds of the next generation, I hope, and deservedly.
well, at least paulsen hasn’t yet followed mccain’s lead and called madia “a guy of the street”.
three cheers for racial progress!
48 · celebrity said
I think it’s unlikely that a broadbased social movement that addressed race, sexuality, feminism, citizenship, and other aspects would fail to address this – whether directly or indirectly. In the same sense that most of the social progress of the 60s and the 70s rested on a social climate that was favorable to looking at the interests of the disempwoered (and the environment). The trick is to make it robust, as sustainable as possible, and as hard to undo as possible.
New constitution.