Is Indian diaspora a game changer in US Elections? Dr. Manan Dwivedi explains who are the game changers in these bitterly fought polls and which way Indian diaspora might go.
The trail and the odyssey of US Elections is an interesting and engrossing one with all the attendant chutzpah and spectacular effect. So what if it becomes cantankerous at times in the domestic firmament of the American homeland. Gone are the rail road days, when the American presumptive candidates standing for the seat in the White House would go for whistle stop tours and engage wide ranging audience as electorates for the Presidential electoral scuffle. It’s part of the grand democratic tradition of United States, that, when the Republican and Democratic candidates were elected in their smoky and foggy room offices of the twin political party bosses, the candidates would initiate their respective campaigns on the national landscape. But, there is also a presence of lot of grime between the sway of the star spangled banners and the backgrounders of floating confetti in the air.
In the contemporary times, the US Elections are slated to take place in the month of November, 2020. Joe Biden, the Democratic presumptive candidate made an issue out of the Covid outbreak in US where –in, he cannily, forecasted that President Donald Trump would postpone the Elections in the light of the ravaging impact of the pandemic which was denied by President Donald Trump and the Republic establishment. The initiation of the Indian origin Kamala Harris is being posited a voice of the Indian Diaspora in United States but little is known of her in the sphere of foreign Policy making and decision-making experience. Kamla Harris has many times repeatedly stated , “I am a Negro and I am a Negro first and nothing more with my American underpinnings”. She has never actively confabulated with the public sphere in United States concerning her Indian origins. She might be the first non white Vice Presidential candidate but does not have many credentials to show-off herself, as being the sole-feminine voice of the Indian Diaspora in the American homeland.
The Indian Diaspora in the past has been considered as a Democratic vote bank but with the twin jamborees of the spectacle sport in Houston, Texas and the Ahmadabad scenario, the twin events have been called as the turning of the tide amongst the Indian origin population in the favor of the Republicans. New Jersey, California and Texas are the States where the Indian Diaspora is seated and may be a contested lot in the light of the Howd Modi support and succor which has been provided by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Thus, in the context of the US Elections, the traditional vote crust has been scrapped and breached very cannily and effectively by New Delhi’s support in the favor of President Donald Trump.
How has this quaint camaraderie been initiated in the American firmament? It was President Donald Trump despite his immigration policies in the context of the H -1 and H -4 visas, who has declared as “a first” that India needs to drastically augment its outreach in the larger international ecosystem within the rubric of multilateralism, bilateralism, summitry, great power coalitions such as the “Quad” and the various international institutions and regional outfits. Thus, it’s a two way street now for New Delhi and Washington despite all the blabber and bluster which forms a part of Global politics and geo economics and the containment of China too has cemented bonds between both the nations as US has found a new bête noir after, Soviet Union, Islamic fundamentalism in the form of the hegemonic designs of the People’s Republic of China.
In the contemporary context, President Donald Trump undertook a relief and normalization tour of Kenosha, Wisconsin in the race riot ravaged city and promised to rebuild the ecosystem of the region and the city. The personalized vituperative attacks which showcase President Trump being busy with Golf while the race riots burn down the fabric, are too much of an exaggeration as the manner in which White House struggled with the containment of Covid outbreak, should not be cannily relegated to the backgrounder as negligence on the part of the targeted White House. The untimely release of the Book by Michael Cohen which reiterates that the President called names for Nelson Mandela and other black leaders, is nothing but a part of the larger Democratic electoral pogrom, which, is meant to vitiate the electoral spectacle which United States of America is known for. The UK daily Independent has reported citing the statement of the White House Press Secretary that, “Michael Cohen is a disgraced felon and disbarred lawyer, who lied to Congress. He has lost all credibility, and it’s unsurprising to see his latest attempt to profit off of lies.”This is some steadfast rebuttal on the part of the American establishment.
Some poll trackers have predicted a landslide win for Joe Biden which forecast that, President Trump will reach a tally of meager 122 electoral College vote while Joe Biden will romp home comfortably with a convenient number and statistics of 269. Still, we need not shift under the carpet the fact that in 2016 Hilary Clinton was too leading in all pollster predictions but due to the larger undercurrent of the WASP factor, trade protectionism and Donald Trump’s America First plank, the Republicans succeeded turning the tables over a strongly poised Hillary Clinton despite her proven credentials, as, a Secretary of State in the President Obama Regime. It’s thus a better bet to keep our fingers crossed before the Punditry can call it a day in the favor of the left liberal combine of the Democratic party in the American hustings.
(The writer is faculty at Indian Institute of Public Administration and has authored recently released book “Trump’s America”.The views expressed are personal. )
