PREZ RACE: Iowa - Obama's South Asian Support

[ POLITICS: Resources for 2008 Presidential Race ]

With the Iowa caucus victories of the Obama and Huckabee campaigns, we are moving into a crucial month that will go a long way toward deciding the nominees for the Democratic and Republican parties. SAJAforum will be closely following the desi angles in the races in the weeks and months ahead. You can see all our coverage in one place, along with other resources for covering the campaigns.

A few minutes ago, SAJAforum received a press release from SAFO - South Asians for Obama - highlighting the role of desis in Iowa caucus. The release begins:

South Asian American volunteers played an active and important role in canvassing and get-out-the-vote efforts that led to Senator Barack Obama's (D-IL) decisive and historic victory in last night's Democratic presidential caucus in Iowa.   The record turnout of over 230,000 people in the Democratic caucus included many first-time caucus-goers from the South Asian American community.

"SAFO has been hosting monthly phone banking nights since August, calling South Asian Americans in Iowa to encourage them to participate in the caucuses," said Priya Bhatia, a SAFO co-founder.   "Our goal was to have real conversations with Iowans to explain why we support Senator Obama – and why we hoped they would, too."  In the closing weeks of the campaign in Iowa, South Asian American volunteers – including Asim Mishra and Palak Shah – braved the cold weather in Iowa to ensure that Obama's rising poll numbers translated into actual participation in the caucuses.  Preeta Bansal, former Solicitor General of New York State and currently a partner at a major New York City law firm, also offered her personal testimonials on behalf of Obama to families and community groups in Iowa.  And South Asian American actor Kal Penn made multiple appearances in Iowa throughout December to speak in support of Senator Obama.

The full press release, press contacts and more are below. Please post your comments below.

PLEASE NOTE: SAJAforum is regularly sent press releases and other info by South Asian supporters of the Clinton and Obama campaigns. We have never heard from any of the other campaigns - Democratic or Republican. If you know folks who support these campaigns, please have them e-mail saja[at]columbia.edu

Contact: Hrishi Karthikeyan                                           
Cell Phone: 646.498.7731
Email: hrishi1[at]gmail.com

SOUTH ASIANS BUILD EARLY SUPPORT FOR OBAMA
South Asian Volunteers Promote Participation in Iowa Caucuses
and Other State Primaries

WASHINGTON, DC, January 4, 2008 – South Asian American volunteers played an active and important role in canvassing and get-out-the-vote efforts that led to Senator Barack Obama's (D-IL) decisive and historic victory in last night's Democratic presidential caucus in Iowa.   The record turnout of over 230,000 people in the Democratic caucus included many first-time caucus-goers from the South Asian American community.

"SAFO has been hosting monthly phone banking nights since August, calling South Asian Americans in Iowa to encourage them to participate in the caucuses," said Priya Bhatia, a SAFO co-founder.   "Our goal was to have real conversations with Iowans to explain why we support Senator Obama – and why we hoped they would, too."  In the closing weeks of the campaign in Iowa, South Asian American volunteers – including Asim Mishra and Palak Shah – braved the cold weather in Iowa to ensure that Obama's rising poll numbers translated into actual participation in the caucuses.  Preeta Bansal, former Solicitor General of New York State and currently a partner at a major New York City law firm, also offered her personal testimonials on behalf of Obama to families and community groups in Iowa.  And South Asian American actor Kal Penn made multiple appearances in Iowa throughout December to speak in support of Senator Obama.

These efforts were complemented by the tireless efforts of South Asian Americans on Senator Obama's campaign staff, including Rohan Patel and Madhuri Kommareddi, who helped coordinate and mobilize an unprecedented get-out-the-vote effort across the entire state.   More broadly, South Asian political participation was bolstered by the efforts of Rita Arora, Eastern Chapter Vice President of the Iowa Asian Alliance, a non-partisan community-based organization, who facilitated caucus training sessions to educate the community about the often-confusing caucus process.

"On January 3, 2008, Iowa gave America hope for the New Year by placing its trust and confidence in Senator Obama to lead this country," said Ann Lata Kalayil, co-chair of Obama's AAPI National Leadership Council.   "Many South Asian Americans around the country are proud to be part of this movement, as we did phone banking, political education, and get-out-the-vote activities."

The effort has not stopped in Iowa .  "Although last night's victory is a significant accomplishment, we still have much more work to do in our effort to mobilize the South Asian American community in this campaign," noted SAFO co-founder Hrishi Karthikeyan.   SAFO is organizing and participating in get-out-the-vote efforts in New Hampshire and in other states leading up to the Super Tuesday primaries being held on February 5 th.  Even before the caucuses began last night, volunteers such as Theresa Thanjan were on the ground in Nashua, New Hampshire, where they will spend the weekend working with the campaign field office to help Senator Obama succeed in next Tuesday's first-in-the-nation primary contest in that state.   Similar organizing efforts are underway in other states, and interested volunteers will be kept informed and up-to-date through SAFO's website ( www.safo2008.com) and email newsletter.

SAFO co-founder Dave Kumar, who is planning a trip to South Carolina for the Jan. 26 primary in that state, said: "Unprecedented numbers of first-time caucus goers supported Senator Obama in Iowa , demonstrating the impact that even those who typically feel left out of the political process can make on selecting our next President.  We hope that more people will volunteer to help Senator Obama's campaign and show the continued importance of the South Asian community to the political process."

Subodh Chandra, former Director of Law for the City of Cleveland and former Democratic candidate for Ohio Attorney General, observed, "Many South Asian Americans tend to support incumbents or perceived incumbents without looking more deeply at the question of whose life experience best represents our own hope and aspirations.   I hope successful South Asian American efforts to help Senator Obama win Iowa and other early states will help our community overcome that inertia – because Senator Obama, unlike any other candidate, is basically one of us."   Bansal noted, "Senator Obama stands for and represents the best of what America is and can be.   The results in Iowa validate what middle America understands and what South Asian Americans across the country increasingly are realizing: that as we try to work to clean up America's image and policy toward the world and its policies at home, we can have no better leader than Senator Obama, a self-made man who understands that we must lead by the example of our ideals and our actions.   Being in Iowa this past week was a vivid reminder of all that's great about this unique and great country."   Added Kalayil, "Our network of Obama supporters is fired up and ready to go!"

About SAFO
South Asians for Obama (SAFO) is a grassroots movement to mobilize the South Asian community in America to support Barack Obama for President of the United States in 2008.   For more information, visit www.safo2008.com.

For further information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please contact Hrishi Karthikeyan at (646) 498-7731 or at hrishi1[at]gmail.com.

Earlier on SAJAforum:

• Iowa - Obama's South Asian support
• The Candidates react to the Bhutto assassination news
• Bollywood Obama
• Obama's Unusual Pakistan Plan
• Hillary takes in $2 million at Indian-American fundraiser
• Hillary courts the Indian vote, and purse
• Obama Apologizes for Campaign "Screw-up"
• Obama Digs In, Plays Outsourcing Card
• Desi Supporters of Obama and Clinton
• Resources for 2008 presidential race

 

Comments

[panditjugalkishoreshastri]

barack hussain obama pronounces paahkistan correctly. why am i not surprised? barack hussain obama lashes out at outsourcing! why am i not suprised? it's that time of the political cycle when rhetoric must be spiced with simple words like 'exploitation,' 'social justice' and 'outsourcing' just so it resonates with voters. robert mugabe of zimbabwe promised and delivered to his followers the confiscated land of white settlers but the new owners were not prepared for land management. the result: from a food surplus country it became a large-scale importer. barack hussain obama promises to retrieve and give the high tech, outsourced digerati jobs to midwestern literati, who don't read too well in english.

barack hussain obama talks the Ivy League talk to those who speak shirtsleeve english. Why? divided by a shared common language he won't be responsible for promises he gives them, for he had never understood them; neither had they, him.

the mission statement of bracken hussain obama's campaign shows a lack of vision in foreign policy that seems to alienate a strategic economic ally, India. his policy goals are hobbled by erratic belief, or worse, by populist pressure. either way, it gives the issue perpetual and time-consuming currency in the higher echelons of bureaucracy. instead of educating the populace about the inevitablity of globalization he shows the tunnel vision of a mayor of a one horse town . obama is no good if he doesn't see what's good for U.S. foreign policy. and he doesn't see it.

Reagan, who went on to win a landslide, had lost Iowa. Iowa don't mean a thing. So, let's hear one for the GIPPER....HILLARY.

PS: steve dougherty who wrote a pennysaver book for wall street journal on obama, feels the same way about him. to him, obama is a greenhorn, a neophyte, a newcomer who must first be put through the paces.

[Vikas]

(panditjugalkishoreshastri) Let's hear for Hillary? If you are going by the stump speeches then Hillary's record on free trade is worse than Obama. She's the one who's been doubling back on all those trade deals made during her husband's presidency, she's the one who's been renouncing NAFTA/CAFTA. So how's she any better than Obama or any other Democrat on the free trade issue?

Of course the Obama story is a great feel good story but I've not really seen Obama make any politically incorrect choices yet. By contrast, Sen McCain has taken tough positions on issues ranging from corn subsidies to immigration. Sen Obama might be pedaling change but I think only McCain has the moral integrity to actually implement it.

[panditjugalkishoreshastri]

"moral integrity" is a good barometer if america were a nation of priests. trust me, it's not. so let's leave mccain out. if corn subsidides is the torch mccain carries china should shift those former farmers from their current manufacturing jobs in pearl river delta back to farming. India is trying to move rural workforce to manufacturing.

about hillary: it's better to have loved and lost than not having loved at all. She was a hands on politician as the first lady unlike the 'cosmetic' companions of former U.S. presidents, namely, JFK, LBJ, GHWB and GWB. after GHWB had finished negotiating it was clinton's job to seek ratification of NAFTA. The then first lady wasn't making coffee for the think tank, she was participating. Canada being the biggest trade partner made it imperative to american interests to phase out tariffs and trade barriers with both canada and mexico. The equation has changed.

the focus has changed to india and china. hence the rethinking of the policy and need for a nimble and hands on president. barack hussain obama is the "feel good guy" or a poster boy of innocence in this campaign. he needs to roll up his sleeves and soil his elbows for a while. he is from chicago, a town treated as a personal fief by mayor Daly, whose father ran that town like a mafia captain, contemporaneously with Al Capone. barack hussain obama is too late to run a crony democracy.

platitudes are very appealing to the undiscerning. beware of yourself, Vikas.

LET'S HEAR IT ONE MORE TIME FOR THE GIPPER....HILLARY.

[Vikas]

Panditji - you managed to write 3 paragraphs without replying to my concern about Hillary. Your point was that Obama seems to be anti-trade while Clinton is not. I mentioned that Hillary has been almost shrill in her opposition to various free trade agreements and the legacy of her husband's presidency. Now what is your point exactly?

[Adem]

Interesting. Wonder what SAFO platform is. What does desi involvement mean in terms of issues?? What main trends? Perhaps not merely business as usual...?
cheers,
Adem

[panditjugalkishoreshastri]

i fight and run away to live and fight another day. if you are looking for a duel, the amrican way, i will duel with you the old aristocratic british way. I will dismissively slap your cheeks twice with my velvet glove and then bless your shoulder with my knife-cane, not McCain.

another one for the GIPPER......HILLARY. SHE IS IMPERIOUS, HUMBLE, AND HAS EARNED THE SOBRIQUET...DEMOCRAT, PUNJAB. SHE IS AN INDIA LOVER. AND INDIA IS THE WAY OF THE FUTURE. IT HAS PEACE, STABILITY AND PROSPERITY AND DESPITE FANATIC MUSLIMS, IS STILL DEMOCRATIC. AMERICA HAS TERRIFIC AMOUNT OF PRACTICE IN PROSPERITY. INDIA, HILLARY 'N AMERICA ARE MADE FOR EACH OTHER.

long live peter paul and mary.

to the male chauvinists she sounds 'shrill' not because she has thinner vocal chords than a male but because she debunks traditional male machismo. she is unpopular in most islamic countries. No wonder. but because of an indian's traditional respect for woman the whole country has blessed her presidential bid. why are you an exception.

moral: i like no law at all; were there no law there'd no law-breakers, so all men would be virtuous, unlike you.

[Shan, the artist]

Please visit my art site for portrait of Obama.

Thank you

shan