Maybe Democrats need to take a page out of the Republican playbook (via Asian Pacific Americans for Progress).
South Carolina State Representative Nikki Haley has just announced she’ll be running for Governor of the Palmetto State. Not only that, but as the preferred candidate of Republican Governor Mark Sanford, who is being term-limited out, Haley will have a lot of muscle behind her candidacy.[apap]
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p> Looks like Nikki calls herself an an Indian-American, but there is little other reference to being Desi on her site.
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Since becoming the first GOP Indian American in the nation to win a State House seat in 2004, Nikki has been named Chairman of the Freshman Caucus (2005), and Majority Whip (2006). In 2008, Nikki was re-elected by the largest margin of any state representative with a contested general election in South Carolina.Born in Bamberg, S.C., Nikki graduated from Clemson University with a B.S. degree in accounting. Nikki currently serves on the board of directors for Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church Medmission. She is a member of the Lexington County Chamber of Commerce, Lexington Rotary Club, National Association of Women Business Owners, West Metro Republican Women, Lexington County Republican Party and the NRA.[nikkihaley]
First Bobby Jindal and now Nikki Haley. I’m surprised that not only is it the Republican party that is supporting South Asians into Governorship, but that they are in South Carolina and Louisiana. These are hardly states where I would imagine people of color gaining popular votes into leadership roles. I’m not sure what her chances are, but I have to say it is good to see a Desi woman vying for political power, even if she’s an NRA member. Question is, when will the Democrats start supporting Desis vying for higher political power as well?
Just a couple of observations:
Both Jindal and Haley are hardly ‘desi’ as I think of them. One almost feels that if they did not look Indian, there is no way one would know from their talk/ interests/ associations.
More Indians in Amreeka seem to be drawn to the Conservative party (at least prior to Obama) so maybe that’s why they have more desi members/ officials?
Finally – seeing how many indian names have been mentioned in connection with Obama’s new Govt, its probably just a matter of time before we see more Democrat desis in politics .
By the way, Nikki Randhawa-Haley was the subject of the first blog post I ever wrote on Sepia Mutiny. 🙂
Incredibly ignorant comment. And that is saying a lot given some comment threads.
Also a false statement. South Asians in America vote overwhelmingly Democrat.
Wow that IS a blast from the past.
Sooooo.. she’s dropped the Randhawa bit then. Not that I blame her.
I wonder how her heritage will play out statewide. SC was the state where John McCain’s adopted Bengali daughter became, through a nasty whisper campaign, an “illegitimate black child,” and likely cost him the Republican primary in 2000. I hope Rep. Hawley’s heritage won’t be subject to anything so odious.
In addition to Republican politicos, there are many prominent conservative thinkers who are on the writing and pundit circuit. Dinesh D’Souza, Ramesh Ponnuru, and Reihan Salam come to mind. Democrats/liberals need to step it up.
Isn’t it insane / interesting that the Republican party has more Indian politicians in major office than African American ones ? I mean, this is the party that had an entire convention laughing cynically at someone being a “Community Worker” in Chicago’s South Side while they had a tiny percentage of minority attendees:
“According to polls of delegates conducted by The New York Times and CBS News, 93 percent of the Republican delegates are white (compared with 85 percent in 2004 and 89 percent in 2000), while 5 percent are Hispanic and 2 percent are black. The Democratic delegate pool in Denver, according to the survey, was 65 percent white, 23 percent black and 11 percent Hispanic, roughly the same as at other recent Democratic conventions.”
Every single member of the Congressional Black Caucus has been Democratic.
And I won’t fall for the “Lincoln was a Republican and he freed the slaves” argument – he wouldn’t recognize today’s Grand Ol’ Party and was more of a big government themed man (he kind of had to be considering what was going on). And the Republican and Democratic parties back then (after they split from one party) were ideologically the reverse of what they are today.
I don’t know the number of African American Republicans at the State senate and governor levels – but will Indian politicians soon outnumber African American ones – at least at the Gubernatorial, Senate and House level ?
Also – when are we going to get Indian Senators / Congresspersons / Governors who aren’t Christian convert, gun-loving conservatives (not that there is anything wrong with that – I respect their rights and beliefs) – just interesting that these are the only ones at the higher, non-Obama appointee levels.
Hmm..Shouldn’t that be South Carolina Governor or Southern American Governor?:) She isn’t going to be a governor anywhere in South Asia. Perhaps you wanted to say that unwieldy South Asian-American Governor. But you could have stuck to desi American, since you don’t like Indian-American as she is referred to in South Carolina and other mainstream American media.
Ha! I played with the word arrangement forever for the title…. Your comment was literally the process I went through. Then I gave in. 🙂
I just wish we had South Asian politicians like Nikki Haley and Bobby Jindal in Canada who get into office on issues and not demographics.
Nikki Haley does seems to have alot of things in common with Bobby Jindal and those are the same things that many here have attacked Mr.Jindal for. I hope that Mrs.Haley does not get attacked at the same level.
BC has had many Indian politicians and one who was Premier.
At the municipal levels, yes, demographics come into play (ie – Gurmant Grewal and his wife) – but at the higher, provincial level – it takes a leader who can win all demographics in their party, not just their own.
BC has had many Indian politicians and one who was Premier.
Yes we had a Premier in Ujjal Dosanjh[who I like], but he get into office after the Premier before him resigned and he won the party leadership race, but lost the next election with his party only winning 2 of 79 seats. But other then Dosanjh and Wally Oppal alot of these other indian politicans in BC only could win in areas which have a huge south asian populations. I’m not sure but it probably the same in Toronto with people like Ruby Dhalla who run in areas that have the South Asian demographics.
In the States, South Asians don’t really have the numbers in there own community to get elected like that. My 1st cousin is mayor of small town in Central Califronia which is over 90% hispanic, but that didn’t stop him becoming mayor twice.
Regarding her heritage, I read about some of the ignorance she faced in her first election that mentioned people assuming she was Hindu or Buddhist, and an attack ad against her that made a point of listing her maiden name and a desi first name. It also mentioned that she attended both church and temple with her kids, which is more nuanced than the typical description in coverage of her now: that she is Methodist. I saw it on desiblog but that link doesn’t work anymore so here’s the archive of the story.
True – but an interesting question would be would Dosanjh and Oppal have gotten to the higher levels without the lower demographic support ? Just like in India where you have local leaders voted in by caste or religious support and then eventually make it to the national level.
Even without race, the entire concept of politics (ie Senators, Congress, etc) is that your local constituency votes you in and from there it is up to you to make it higher up.
Would it be out of line to note that Nikki Haley is sort of a MILF?
from that article Pavani posted. haven’t been around for all the comment debates about jindal. but lets just say i’m really glad i have a president named barack hussein obama. someone i can point to and say, look, he didn’t have to compromise who he was to make it. some might have a more cynical take and say that his presidency was inevitable, but the reality is during the election there was much brooding over whether issues would trump race.
it’s just frustrating to see, even today, when brown people have come so far in every field—you hear and see people doing and saying things on a micro level (like other kids in my school) as if to ingratiate themselves with various white communities—whether they be mainstream or not. maybe i’m being judgmental, but the reality is that if i met nikki on the street, i would think that about her. why did she change her name? why did “bobby” change his name? i know i’m not bringing up anything new, but it’s just annoying to see. and tangent: i don’t like it when women change their names when they get married…that’s a byproduct of women being treated as property. are regarding all that talk of changing names to make it seem more like a family: i seriously doubt nikki’s husband even considered changing his last name to hers.
Taz, I would say there is a difference between supporting South Asian political involvement and Republicans “supporting South Asians for office.” Democrats do much more to support minority involvement for office; when Democratic candidates do run, such as Judy Chu, they are often successful and their ethnicity is appreciated. I would say this is a South Asian problem, some of the liberals (maybe you) should run! =) Ravi
Because it works and is the politically correct thing to do.
http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/005530.html
Would you rather win or stand by your principles? How many politicians do you know that stick to their principles?
On naming, I agree with Abhi. I don’t hold her choice not to use Randhawa anymore against her. We’ve been over that topic a million times.
More generally, she will be starting at a better place than Jindal did, in that she’s already got the sitting governor’s endorsement. That will help her in terms of raising cash.
On the flip side, because she’s no longer the first, she might not get as much help from the coastal “Indian doctor” fundraising pool — Jindal mined that extensively on his first run. People might be thinking: wait, maybe I should be giving my money to someone running here in Maryland/New Jersey/New York/California?
But really it comes down to what kind of a campaign she runs, and how and whether she connects with voters. Has anyone heard her give a speech yet? I actually don’t think her desi/Sikh background will be the deciding issue.
p.s. I blogged about her even before Abhi first did — back in June 2004! (Before there was a Sepia Mutiny)
The only reason Jindal and this lady have any support from Republicans is because they’re indistinguishable from their white constituents in the south. “American” names and Jesus lovers. If any other brown person who had the exact same beliefs and policy ideas and intellect, but kept their given name and religion (if they’re converts), tried to run, Republicans wouldn’t give a damn.
Ashwini, What is your basis for this statement? Have you seen others (who kept traditional names, religion, etc) rejected by Republican voters? Name some.
she is about as indian as clarence thomas is black
Eh ? What’s wrong with being an NRA member ? Even Gandhi said “Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the Act of depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest.”
“she is about as indian as clarence thomas is black”
Just as ring-wingers can be counted on to question the patriotism of those who criticize their policies, you can depend on the left-wingers to charge one with being a race traitor if you don’t fit the media approved narrative of what a brown person is supposed to think.
“South Asians in America vote overwhelmingly Democrat.”
Let’s not smother the diversity of the South Asian vote to avoid looking at unpleasant facts. While non-Indian South Asians do vote overwhelmingly Democratic (not surprising given the Muslim-baiting of many recent Republican campaigns), the split among Indian-American voters is not as much. Doctors and IT guys view with suspicion Democratic attempts to curb doctor salaries while allowing trial lawyers free reign and protectionist measures against outsourcing, which are nothing more than attempts to tell you who your company can do business with.
Eh…
Actually, the data that exist for political leanings is more Indian than it is South Asian. This is cuz when you do last name analysis it’s far less accurate to pull out Muslim last names (because they could be Arab, Middle East, or any other kind of Muslim). Based on a last name analysis and examination of voter rolls, last named Desis are not only are more likely to vote Democratic, but they are more likely to register for the Democratic party. Some other research is based on exit polling, and it reflects similar attitudes. The research I’ve seen shows that out of all APIAs, Desis are MOST likely to have a party affiliation with the Dems (versus being party-free). My data is based on reports put out by AALDEF, APALC and some personal analysis. What is your source?
@18 Amardeep: “More generally, she will be starting at a better place than Jindal did, in that she’s already got the sitting governor’s endorsement.”
I think Bobby Jindal was also endorsed by the then Louisiana governor Mike Foster in his 2003 run.
The reason that brown people are gravitating toward the republican party is, in my mind, because the republicans need some token diversity. Democrats already have plenty of black, Hispanic, and east Asian politicians, but republicans have relatively few. Republicans see us – brown folks – as non-confrontational because our ethnic heritage in America isn’t marred by slavery, race riots, one-race neighborhoods, and civil unrest in the same way that blacks, Hispanics, and east Asians’ heritage is marked. Republicans see us as “good” minorities, since many of us have come to American with only educations, worked hard, and achieved financial success. And when it comes to taking minorities on the party, republicans want the “good” ones; that is, they want us.
My guess is that the tipping point for the party naming Nikki Haley as its nominee is because she happens to be colored, and she’s pretty. Republicans know that her politics aren’t going to scare away any traditional SC voters, and they know that her color will only bring in new voters. It’s a win-win for them.
By the way, I’d point that Aziz Ansari is also from SC. It’s not all backwards out there 🙂
http://www.fitsnews.com/2009/01/30/nikki-haley-ready-for-prime-time/ has a long speech by Nikki.
What a surprise, people here have starting bashing her for religion, last name and not being brown enough just like they bash Mr.Jindal.
In fairness, like “Bobby,” “Nikki” is not an uncommon Punjabi nickname.
And for a South Asian American with a South Asian name who’s kept it and been embraced by the Democratic Party, try the fabulously popular Kamala Harris (D-CA), SF DA, running for Attorney General.
there was a compromise. you couldn’t point to the hussein part without O supporters including myself having a conniption. He didn’t exactly embrace that part of his idenity, and if i recall, he went as far as removing some hijabed women from a podium on which he was speaking.
Taz,
You’re right that IAs right now are majority Democatic, but some of the same polls suggest that the majority is not so large that the party should get comfortable. The NAAS survey did say:
The same poll also pointed out that
It seems IAs were excited about Obama pretty much the way other Americans were. That does not mean if the Democrats throw up a loser like Harry Reid, who argues that holding terrorist suspects in American prisons is “releasing” them, that Indians will respond in the same manner.
What should worry Republicans is that Obama is the first Democratic nominee who won the majority of college graduates in several decades. It’s hard to argue you should be in charge of the government, when your base is the less educated voters of the country.
How is it wrong to bring up the religion, or more appropriate their peculiarly illiberal interpretation, of these candidates? How is their vision of American-ness any different from the Hindutva vision of India? The only difference is that India has a corrupted law and order system and this kind of rhetoric readily turns into violence. They may be religious minorities in the South Asian American community but they are part of the majority faith of this country. Why the kid gloves?
As for what the locals think, it appears that Haley has obstacles to overcome that are not related to her ethnicity:
Carolina Politics Online
Bobby Jindal represents very few of the views common to Indians living in the US. He is an ultra-conservative Christian politician. His rebuttal to Obama being nominated as President was pathetic. It appeared he was reading word for word from either a written speech or from a teleprompter. The Republican party is a mess and it’s sad that the likes of Bobby Jindal is the best they can bring to the table. Also, I realize he is Indian by heritage and birth but the fact he converted to Catholicism while in college (at the age of 18 I think) shows that he knew very well that that was the only way, as an Indian-American Hindu, he could achieve his political ambitions.
Please cite some examples of Nina Haley’s intolerant Methodism.
Bobby Jindal represents very few of the views common to Indians living in the US. He is an ultra-conservative Christian politician. His rebuttal to Obama being nominated as President was inadequate. It appeared he was reading word word from either a written speech or from a teleprompter. Plus, he continued to go on and on about how successful he was in resurrecting Louisiana after Katrina. Really? I thought it was quite a disaster. Still the levies are not as strong as they should be. The Republican party is a mess and it’s unfortunate that the likes of Bobby Jindal is the best they can bring to the table. Also, I realize he is Indian by heritage and birth but the fact he converted to Catholicism while in college (at the age of 18 I think) shows that he knew very well that that was the only way, as an Indian-American Hindu, he could achieve his political ambitions.
Yawn – if you want to compare Jindal to Obama, you are free to do so. Jindal – former McKinseyite, served on a Bill Clinton health care task force, reformed LA Public Health Care System, president of the University of Lousiana, and now governor, before the age of 40. Obama is clearly a smart, disciplined guy, but his resume was thin (I say this as a guy who voted for Obama).
Oh, little fact – all politicians use teleprompters. One of the sillier attacks Republicans had against Obama was his frequent use of teleprompter. Compare that to when Obama speaks without one, like his recent press conference with PM Netanyahu of Israel, and he pauses every couple of seconds so as not to alienate anyone.
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Apologies, I unintentionally lumped her in with Jindal who keeps putting religious identity front and center. To clarify, to keep implying that Haley and Jindal are not “representing” because of their Christianity should be outside the pale. But calling a candidate on it when it is front in center in their definition of American virtue is fair game
I agree with you that Jindal’s public discussion of how he became Catholic is a bit silly to me. I grew up around Italian and Irish Catholics in NY, and none discussed their faith they way Jindal does. But, I don’t see where Jindal has ever said that religion should be just as important to all Americans.
Part of this is for show. Obama went to the Trinity Church in Chicago, partly out of personal belief, but also because if any black politician wanted to have a future in Chicago politics, that was the church you had to go to connect with black power brokers, just as the Catholic Church still is for Irish, Italian, and Latino politicians in Chicago. Thankfully, Obama has not gone to church since the election.
Let’s see how Haley does on the campaign trail. She just announced her candidacy, and we (I include myself) are assigning motives to her that have yet to be proven by any evidence.
Agreed. I have voted for a certain kind of old school socially liberal Republican in the past (when they still existed and could get party nomination) and it is annoying how fellow desis are willing to ascribe some sort of malevolent intent to me. Anyway, don’t want to further derail discussion.
ran across another blog post that echoes what alot of folks have already said here…I for one agree that “Nikki” is kind of questionable…I don’t see her as a fellow desi.
http://theindofiles.com/2009/05/21/nikki-haley-another-desi-who-really-isnt-a-desi/
Note: I support gay marriage.
However, one could argue that Jindal and Nikki are VERY desi in terms of their “family values.” Didn’t angry Indian mobs burn down movie theaters when a movie about two lesbians came out?
I got the impression that being gay is just not acceptable back in India. Also, I can imagine abstinence only education being touted in India.
Maybe Kerala is hyper-conservative, but it seems like many ABCDs (myself included) who lean left are the ones who have been influenced by the west.
I wish a South Asian American politician could succeed in America while keeping their given (desi) name and staying Hindu (assuming that they were born Hindu and with a desi name). I understand why politicians do what they do, but after seeing that Obama won despite campaigning as Barack and not Barry (yeah he did do some politicking, that’s true), it’s disappointing to see that desi politicians basically have to distance themselves from their heritage. It’s the melting pot instead of the salad bowl.
And considering all the hullabaloo on this blog about a black man with a ‘weird’ name becoming President, it seems strange for you guys to get all uppity about posters talking about the issues surrounding a DESI person’s name in politics. What gives?? Is it so wrong to want to feel represented. Even if we don’t agree with them (and I don’t like Obama much either).
Note to aspiring desi pols–whist effective, the embrace of Christianity and gun-rights is not entirely cost-free–it does require some “balancing,” or at least bearing some costs, as in the need to develop a position on the vexed issue of Sunday hunting–traditionalist Christians opposed, gun-loving hunters pro-!
First of all, it’s not the name one chooses to go by that defines you. Lots of people pick up nicknames throughout their lives to make it easier on others and they can still be proud of where they came from. Secondly, Nikki can be short for Nikitha, which is a Sanskrit name for girls.
er, stand by my principles? is that bad now?
losing one election isn’t the end of the world. didn’t barack lose his first run for office too?
As did Jindal.
interestingly, he lost his first bid for the US congress to bobby rush, who did to O what you people (yeah, i meant to say “you people”) are doing too nikki (which is, as a sidepoint, a name possesing a high correlation with actual hotness).
he was clarence thomas, not black enough, too close to jews even. b. rush managed to out rush the other rush. i’ve argued this point-how progressive race theories end up //ing tradional bigotry ad nauseum here so i won’t bore you further, but i just wanted to point out the delicious irony.
Samir, I really shouldn’t give you ammo but my inner machiavelli can’t help himself. if you want to torpedo his chances of raisng $$ from wealthy indian americans by challenging his authenticity, all you have to do his mention how he got into med school…and didn’t go. i’m sure half the unclejis will spit out their johnny walker black upon hearing that.
they’ll probably write a check to Vijay Prashad before looking at jindal again.
this is mark “stimulus” sanford, governor of the state with the second highest unemployment rate in the country, we are talking about, right? i don’t think his stimulus stunt really helped him from what i’ve read, although, sadly, i can’t find any polls tracking his popularity before and after his shenanigans.
manju, are you staking your claim for, um, providing dollar contributions to nikki, even before amardeep and abhi saw her?