RESOURCE: Covering the 2008 Presidential Race

The 2008 U.S. Presidential Race & South Asians / South Asia

For the 2008 presidential race, the South Asian population (approx. three million voters, non-voters, etc) will play a disproportionate role (multiple roles, actually). Watch for stories about efforts to woo the community and its money. Of course, there's no such thing as a single South Asian community, so watching this all play out is going to be fascinating.

On this page, we will track all the SAJAforum items having to do with the race, along with links to the campaigns' outreach efforts and more. Send items to saja[at]columbia.edu.
We are also looking for experts (partisan and non-partisan) on U.S. politics.

SAJAforum category: PREZ RACE
Major posts include:
Listen to 2.5-hour special webcast about what the election results mean for South Asia and South Asian Americans (easily access the sections you are interested in)
India Abroad debate on South Asian issues (watch video)
South Asian election debate in DC (watch video)
Gen. Colin Powell and the story of Kareem Khan
Desi Spotting at the DNC
Desi Spotting at the RNC
Desi Spotting with Joe Biden
Desi spotting with Sarah Palin
Largest survey of Asian American voters
Listen to SAJA Briefing with senior Clinton & Obama supporters, Feb. 28, 2008

South Asian Campaign Sites & Contacts (whatever we could find): BARACK OBAMA South Asians For Obama Hrishi Karthikeyan, PR contact: hrishi1[at]gmail.com Preeta Bansal, former Solicitor General of New York State; classmate of Obama; a past lawyer in the Clinton White House and a member of several Obama national policyc ommittees and outreach teams: pbansal[at]skadden.com Toby Chaudhuri, Democratic strategist, toby[at]edge.net Ahalya Nava, volunteer, AhalyaNM[at]hotmail Indian Americans for Obama Dr. Kumar Narayanan: ksn[at]comcast.net Shankar A. Iyer: sairam[at]cox.net JOHN McCAIN Kishan Putta, working at McCain HQ on South Asian outreach; co-founder, Indians for McCain kishanputta[at]gmail.com HILLARY CLINTON South Asians for Hillary   Rajen Anand, former Bill Clinton administration official: ranand2[at]csulb.edu Reshma Saujani, working on South Asian outreach John Edwards Asian Americans for John Edwards   Lutfi Hassan, traveled with Edwards to India in 2005: lutfi[at]apexgroupofcompanies.com Experts on the political process: IAFPE - Indian American Forum for Political Education Ravi Sakhuja, national president RSakhuja[at]aol.com; 781 861 6797 AALDEF- Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund See AALDEF report on voter discrimination Glenn D. Magpantay, staff attorney, gmagpantay[at]aaldef.org Margaret Fung, executive director, mfung[at]aaldef.org USINPAC - US India Political Action Committee media[at]usinpac.com; 202-628-3451 Michael D. Taylor director of government affairs also, lecturer in the political science dept. of Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV mtaylor[at]usinpac.com cell: 202-302-3925 SAALT - South Asian Americans Leading Together Has produced several reports about politics (PDF examples here and here) Deepa Iyer, executive director deepa[at]saalt.org Priya Murthy, policy director saalt[at]saalt.org 301.270.1855 Robin Andersen, professor of media at Fordham University and expert on press and politics andersen[at]fordham.edu John Laxmi, moderator, SAJA Discussion List - and close observer of the political process: johnlaxmisaja[at]gmail.com This is just a start - let us know of others! E-mail saja[at]columbia.edu SAJA members closely covering the campaigns: South Asia Press K.P. Nayar, U.S. correspondent for Kolkata's Telegraph newspaper Chidanand Rajghatta, Washington correspondent, Delhi's Indian Express Sarah Jacob, US correspondent, NDTV US Mainstream and Ethnic Press Aziz Haniffa, Washington editor, India Abroad (closely follows the political process from an Indian-American perspective) Aswini Anburajan, campaign reporter for NBC News/National Journal Rekha Basu, columnist for the Des Moines Register (wrote a column about Obama + others) Adi Raval, senior Washington producer for the BBC, overseeing campaign coverage Sonia Moghe, reporter, KGAN-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (closely following the caucuses and campaign) now at Columbia Journalism School Seema Mehta, reporter, LA Times, covering various campaigns Kiran Chetry, CNN anchor, covering the campaign regularly Ali Velshi, CNN business anchor, following biz aspects of the race. Ravi Baichwal, anchor at Chicago's WLS-TV, has been on the road with the Obama and McCain campaigns See SAJA's list of freelancers in more than a dozen cities around the U.S. This is just a start - let us know of others! E-mail saja[at]columbia.edu We are also looking for names of any South Asians who are delegates this year or have been in previous elections.

All items in SAJAforum Presidential Politics Category (in reverse order; *** = must-read): *** Listen to 2.5-hour special webcast about what the election results mean for South Asia and South Asian Americans (easily access the sections you are interested in) BYLINE ROUNDUP: The Day before Election 2008 Catching up with the Jindals - Supriya and Bobby *** Largest survey of Asian American voters Nepali Astrologers Predict Obama To Win Notes from Time Warner Summit Politics 2008 Non-prez races: Update on Ashwin Madia's race U.S. Election Day events in India A McCain-Palin remake of "Benny Lava" Obama's Diwali greeting ***Gen. Colin Powell and the story of Kareem Khan Canvassing while brown *** India Abroad debate on South Asian issues Asma Hasan on the prez race @ Glamocracy Non-prez races: Indian-Americans on the ballot What questions would you ask the two campaigns? Despite his tough talk, Pakistani-American voters prefer Obama Dr. Sanjay Gupta's look at who is "Fit to Lead" A Christian counters pro-Obama Hindus and Buddhists Rekha Basu on John McCain's Meeting with the Des Moines Register's Editorial Board Temple grad student on "gotcha journalism" and his exchange with Sarah Palin over Pakistan *** South Asian election debate in DC + webcast Mosque Issues Fatwa Against Zardari for Flirting With Palin McCain and Obama Debate Afghanistan and Pakistan A Bipartisan Desi Debate Party in DC On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly Diversifying the moderators of presidential debates Bridget and the other McCains on the cover of People mag *** South Asian women react to Sarah Palin Anand Dubey, CIO of Alaska - Sarah Palin appointee Obama's interview with Bill O'Reilly - pressuring Pakistan Parallel to Obama in Kochi, Kerala Asking if Bobby Jindal is "Indian Enough" *** Desi Spotting at the RNC ETHNIC PRESS: Abu Taher goes to the DNC HUMOR: "The Daily Show" takes on its rivals *** HURRICANE GUSTAV: Bobby Jindal's big test *** Desi Spotting at the DNC *** Desi spotting with Sarah Palin Indians switching from Clinton to Obama faster *** Joe Biden on South Asia CNN's Jeanne Moos on how the candidates pronounce "Pakistan" *** Obama tells audience: "I am desi" and talks about ability to make dal *** Bobby Jindal, on "Meet the Press," says he doesn't want to be VP Obama seeks out Indra Nooyi, among other biz leaders McCain and Obama on 61st anniversaries of India/Pakistan independence William Kristol suggests Jindal, again barackobama@gmail.com and its rightful owner Romesh Ratnesar co-moderates Obama forum at Unity McCain on the "Iraq-Pakistan" border McCain to meet with Jindal, again COMEDY: If Obama becomes Buddhist, He'd Be Lama Obama *** Outlook India's Obama interview Bobby Jindal signs creationism bill, sans Vedic Creationists Indians plan to gift Obama with a golden hanuman *** SAJA plenary session on reporting from the trenches Hillary's Indian supporters move to Obama Bobby Jindal on "Face the Nation," gets Gingrich's approval BLOGOSPHERE: Jindal and Exorcism Religious icons in Barack Obama's hands NYT news story on Bobby Jindal and his agenda Vijay Prashad writes a funny open letter to McCain A conservative says no to Jindal for VP, for now *** Roundup of Jindal's weekend at McCain's Peggy Noonan compares Clinton to Indira Gandhi McCain to meet Jindal, Crist, Romney Jindal on "Tonight Show" *** Bobby Jindal's name floated for VP slot *** SAJA Briefing with senior Clinton & Obama supporters Obama writes in India Abroad *** "Tsunami Tuesday" now over Use of the term "Tsunami Tuesday" Little India endorses Obama; editor gets 5 questions *** Essays on Clinton & Obama by Rajen Anand and Preeta Bansal The Top Indian-American Bundlers Mike Huckabee's promise to amend the constitution AALDEF on discrimination again Asian American voters in 2006 Saggy Tahir's endorsement of McCain Ted Rall cartoon imagines Huckabee as Hindu fundamentalist Iowa - Obama's South Asian support ***The candidates react to the Bhutto assassination news Bollywood Obama Kal Penn & Barack Obama Mansoon Ijaz on "A Muslim Belongs in the Cabinet" John Edwards's Outreach Efforts Clinton Campaign Responds to Sikh Fundraising Event Controversy Clinton and a Sikh Fundraising Event in California Ethnic diversity in the presidential campaigns IIT Alumni Gather in California - And So Does the Press Obama's Unusual Pakistan Plan Bal Das, "a quiet rainmaker" Hillary takes in $2 million at Indian-American fundraiser Hillary courts the Indian vote, and purse NYT & WP Examine InfoUSA-Clinton Connection Obama Apologizes for Campaign "Screw-up" Obama Digs In, Plays Outsourcing Card Desi Supporters of Obama and Clinton Selected blog & news coverage (in reverse order) Vijay Prashad, Trinity College professor: on McCain on the primaries on Iraq & the elections Rediff/India Abroad: Clinton writes op-ed for India Abroad, promises to strengthen Indo-US ties Telegraph (Kolkata): Oh, Hillary! Obama off the blocks with a bang Des Moines Register: Rekha Basu column - Obama can heal divisions, win hearts and minds Chicago Trib: GOP trailblazer has a life story to rival Obama's NY Sun: Clinton Taps Newly Active Indian Donors AALDEF: Asian American priorities for 2008 Little India: South Asian Flak for Obama SepiaMutiny: Enter South Asians for Hillary