Where does the Indian diaspora stand on Kamala v Usha, and is Desi heritage now a fixture in US politics?
Feisty messages coming in from the Harris and Trump campaigns in the US in those latest ads.
Less than a month since US President Joseph Biden bowed out of the Presidential race- and we had spoken about the possibilities in WorldView on June 19, just 2 days before he withdrew his nomination- the US elections race has dramatically changed.
The tables have turned former President Donald Trump with Polls showing the new Democratic choice Kamala Harris doing better than Trump in many national polls, and an edge in some key states, but it’s stick neck and neck. As the campaign now enters a crucial phase, and what are some of the key factors that you should watch out for as you follow the very complex US Presidential process?
Here are some of the dates to watch out for:
August 19-22: Next week, Democratic National Convention in Chicago- will formally nominate Harris-Walz- Biden will speak on the 19th and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are all due to speak as well
September 10: Trump and Harris will hold their first debate- remember Harris was nominated Vice President in 2020, and hence has not really had to debate since the Primaries that year- so it will be crucial to watch how they fair in this one.
October 1: Walz- Vance debate
There will be one more Harris-Trump debate in October before
November 5: Election Day
Where are the polls today?
Real Clear Polling- that shows you that in 3 weeks, Harris came up from behind Trump – where Biden was, and since August 5 has been ahead of Trump by a percentage point or so- remember the margin of errors are always about 3-5% so these could easily be reversed in reality. But the trend of the polls seems clear- More blue than red, more in favour of Harris than Trump
So how significant is the Desi vote in the US- do Indian-Americans make up a significant voting bloc.
-Indian Americans make up only 1.5% of the US Population
-Yet they are a prominent community in public life
According to one list at present
There are 6 Indian Americans in Congress
– About 175 in the US government Biden administration
– And about 100 others in various prominent positions in the government, as governors, mayors and judges across the country
They are also amongst the most educated and per capita highest income diaspora communities- which means they are influential political donors
According to the Indiaspora group that released a report this week, about 65% Indian-Americans vote Democrat while the rest vote Republican. In 2020 it was 72% Democrat
While both Kamala Harris and Trump vice presidential running mate JD Vance’s wife Usha Vance each have atleast one parent born in India, neither put too much stress on their Indian-American origins at present- for different reasons, but identity did come centrestage last week
Trump’s comments caused a stir, and some pushback from bi-racial and African american activists
Vance said he was targeted by Trump’s far right supporters for not being white, but loved her anyway
While Harris has yet to say much one way or another publicly on her Indian identity this time around she called herself the first VP of African American and South Asian descent in 2020. Remember she has thus far not sat down to one interview with a journalist or a press conference since announcing her campaign- so maybe that’s what to watch out for
WV Take: The fact that both the Democrat and Republican candidates have Indian diaspora connections says a lot about the prominence of the Indian-American community, and particularly the emergence of Indian-American women, which is a credit to the diaspora everywhere, and will make the Indian-American vote in November more closely watched. As we have said here before, having a diaspora leader in positions of power in any country is a matter of pride for Indians- but don’t expect it to impact bilateral foreign relations that are based on interests more than personal identities.
WV Book Recommendations
Kamala Harris: Phenomenal Woman by Chidanand Rajghatta
Kamala Harris: The American Story that Began on India’s Shores- by Kamala Harris and Hansa Makhijani
The Presidency of Donald J. Trump: A First Historical Assessment by Julian E. Zelizer
Hillbilly Elegy: A memoir of a family and culture in crisis by JD Vance
The Road to the White House 2024: The Politics of Presidential Elections by Stephen Wayne
What It Takes: The Way to the White House by Richard Ben Cramer
Script and Presentation: Suhasini Haidar
Production: Gayatri Menon and Shibu Narayan
