How does the Indian diaspora feel about Kamala vs. Usha, and is desi heritage now an integral part of US politics?
The latest commercials contain aggressive messages from the Harris and Trump campaign teams in the USA.
Less than a month has passed since US President Joseph Biden dropped out of the presidential race – and we discussed the possibilities in WorldView on June 19, just two days before he withdrew his nomination – and the election campaign in the US has changed dramatically.
The tide has turned for former President Donald Trump. Polls show that the new Democratic candidate Kamala Harris is doing better than Trump in many national polls and even has a lead in some key states. Nevertheless, it is a neck-and-neck race. The election campaign is now entering a decisive phase. What key factors should you look out for when following the very complex US presidential election process?
Here are some of the dates to look out for:
August 19-22: The Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago next week. Harris-Walz will be officially nominated. Biden will speak on the 19th, and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton will also speak.
September 10: Trump and Harris will have their first debate. Remember, Harris was nominated for vice president in 2020 and thus hasn’t really had to debate since the primaries this year, so it will be crucial to see how they fare in this debate.
October 1: Walz-Vance debate
There will be another debate between Harris and Trump in October before
November 5: Election Day
Where are the polls today?
Real Clear Polling – this shows Harris has caught up behind Trump in 3 weeks – where Biden was, and is about a percentage point ahead of Trump since August 5th – remember the margin of error is always 3-5%, so these could easily be reversed in reality. But the trend in the polls seems clear – more blue than red, more in favor of Harris than Trump
So what is the importance of desi votes in the US? Do Indian-Americans constitute a significant voting bloc?
-Indian Americans make up only 1.5% of the US population
– Nevertheless, they are a prominent community in public life
According to a list
There are 6 Indian Americans in Congress
– About 175 in the US Biden administration
– And about 100 more in various prominent positions in government, as governors, mayors and judges across the country
They are also among the diaspora communities with the highest levels of education and per capita income, which means they are influential political donors.
About 65% of Indian-Americans vote Democrat while the rest vote Republican, up from 72% of Democrats in 2020, according to the Indiaspora group, which released a report this week.
While both Kamala Harris and Trump’s wife, vice presidential candidate JD Vance, Usha Vance, have at least one parent born in India, neither currently places much emphasis on their Indian-American heritage for different reasons, but identity took center stage last week.
Trump’s comments caused a stir and some backlash from bi-racial and African-American activists
Vance said he was attacked by Trump’s far-right supporters because he was not white, but he loved them anyway
While Harris has not yet publicly commented on her Indian identity this time around, she has described herself as the first vice president of African-American and South Asian descent in 2020. Keep in mind that she has not yet given a single interview with a journalist or held a press conference since announcing her campaign, so maybe that’s what to look out for.
WV Take: The fact that both the Democratic and Republican candidates have ties to the Indian diaspora says a lot about the importance of the Indian-American community, especially the rise of Indian-American women, which is a credit to the diaspora everywhere and will make the Indian-American election in November even more closely watched. As we have said here before, it is a matter of pride for Indians to have a diaspora leader in positions of power in any country – but don’t expect this to affect bilateral foreign relations, which are based more on interests 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: Memoirs of a Family and Culture in Crisis by JD Vance
The Road to the White House 2024: The Politics of the Presidential Election by Stephen Wayne
What it takes: The road to the White House by Richard Ben Cramer
Screenplay and presentation: Suhasini Haidar
Production: Gayatri Menon and Shibu Narayan
