On a lighter note---Obama would make the following comment before stepping into the White House-----the name of that house ( read WHITE ) got to go. Jest aside,Obama's popularity,at this time,is rising because of one thing---CURIOSITY FACTOR. KJD
On 3/9/08, Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >*** So It must be just like desi-demokrasy then, huh :-)? > >But not soooo fast! > >If issues were not to be involved, then why is there such a divide > >between the Democrats and Republicans? > > Ah! C'da, I should have been a bit nore detailed :) > > Yes, it is difficult to choose between two people like Clinton & Obama, > and > yes, there are some differences between the Republicans & the Dems. Issues > like appointment of Supreme Court judges, 2nd Amendment and abortion and > gay > marriages don't usually affect the lives of common folks. In this > discussion, I mistakenly thought we were discussing only the Dems. > > The candidates (the Dems in this case) will now concentrate on economic, > health, environment issues, and lastly the war. > But if keenly observed, the voters are more interested in voting their > race > and gender. > > In this aspect, at least the "issues" are like desi demokrasy - there it > is > language, caste, and religion, and of course with far fewer sophisticated > trappings, and here it is largely race and gender and then it filters down > to issues that hit home like jobs, mortgages and cost of living. > > If it wern't so, how else would one explain away the near-cult voting > trends > of 85%-95%? Its almost like voting for actors such as a Amitabh Bachan or > a Sharuh Khan. Simply saying that voters find these candidates so similar, > that they tend to bring in race or gender issues is merely wishing it that > way. > > It is quite simple, Cda, some people think this is the best chance for a > African American to become the President while others think it is so for a > woman. The 'issues' etc are then piled on to justify why one would vote > for > Obama or Clinton and sort of make it look like 'we voters actually do > think, > and vote for the best candidate'. > > > --Ram > > > On Sun, Mar 9, 2008 at 2:30 PM, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > >Quality and 'issues' are hardly the things voters look for when > > casting > > >their votes for someone running for office - but of course, everything > > else > > >matters. > > > > > > *** So It must be just like desi-demokrasy then, huh :-)? > > > > > > But not soooo fast! > > > > > > If issues were not to be involved, then why is there such a divide > > between the Democrats and Republicans? > > > > > > Point is that both Barack and Hillary are almost identical in their > > views on the issues the Democrats hold dear. > > > > Therefore to pick THE Democratic candidate, the Democratic voters in > > the PRIMARies do not have > > clear-cut , well defined issues that separate the two candidates to > > weigh one over the other. As a result the OTHER issues come into > > play, more than they deserve to. > > > > That IS the difference. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > At 1:04 PM -0600 3/9/08, Ram Sarangapani wrote: > > >While, I too agree that religion (like race) ought not to play any part > > in a > > >US Presidential election, it certainly does every time. > > > > > >But Obama's religion, IMHO has had very negligible effect this far. > Some > > >have tried to infuse it into the fray, but with little effect. > > > > > >However, race seems to be big plus for Obama. With 85% to 95% African > > >Americans voting for him in every state, he certainly has had a big > > >advantage over Clinton. > > > > > >Women, on the other hand have voted for Clinton not more than 60% - 65% > > in > > >any state. African American women have been more true to their race > than > > >their gender. > > > > > >Obama seems to now attract younger people (all races), educated, while > > >Clinton the less educated and older women. > > > > > >Quality and 'issues' are hardly the things voters look for when casting > > >their votes for someone running for office - but of course, everything > > else > > >matters. > > > > > >--Ram > > > > > > > > >On 3/9/08, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >> > > >> At 10:52 AM -0700 3/9/08, Dilip/Dil Deka wrote: > > >> >Do you think Obama will have the courage to say, "I am a practising > > >> Christian. > > >> > > >> > > >> *** It is NOT about COURAGE. > > >> > > >> Imagine you or I having to dignify an outrageous > > >> charge or scurrilous innuendo, every time a bigot > > >> or a fool or a charlatan makes it? > > >> > > >> Why should an US president's religion be an > > >> election issue? I know it becomes one, every > > >> time. But that is because candidates succumb to > > >> pressures from religious bigots . > > >> > > >> Obama may have to too. But I hope he would NOT. > > >> And if he gets the nomination and gets elected as > > >> the next president, without having to answer to > > >> such questions or charges, just like without > > >> having to wear an US Flag on his lapel or place > > >> his hand over his heart while saying the Pledge > > >> of Allegiance, > > >> it will mark a historic turn of the American > > >> nation to a truly sophisticated one. > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> >And so what if Hillary Clinton, John McCain or I > > >> >were a Muslim?". If he says it, will he gain > > >> >voters or lose them? > > >> > Dilip > > >> > ================================================================ > > >> > From the NYT > > >> > Op-Ed Columnist > > >> > Obama and the Bigots By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > Published: March 9, 2008 > > >> > The ugliest prejudices in this campaign > > >> >season are not directly about race. Barack > > >> >Obama's skin color may cost him some > > >> >working-class white voters, but it's also > > >> >winning some votes among blacks and among whites > > >> >eager to signal their open-mindedness. > > >> > > > >> > Sexism seems more of a factor. Americans have > > >> >typically said in polls that they are less > > >> >willing to vote for a woman than a black, and > > >> >Shirley Chisholm (a black woman who ran for > > >> >president in 1972) always said that she > > >> >encountered more prejudice because of her sex > > >> >than her race. > > >> > Yet the most monstrous bigotry in this > > >> >election isn't about either race or sex. It's > > >> >about religion. > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > The whispering campaigns allege that Mr. Obama > > >> >is a secret Muslim planning to impose Islamic > > >> >law on the country. Incredibly, he is even > > >> >accused - in earnest! - of being the Antichrist. > > > > > Proponents of this theory offer detailed > > > > >theological explanations for why he is the > > >> >Antichrist, and the proof is that he claims to > > >> >be Christian - after all, the Antichrist would > > >> >say that, wouldn't he? The rumors circulate > > >> >enough that Glenn Beck of CNN asked the Rev. > > >> >John Hagee, a conservative evangelical, what the > > >> >odds are that Mr. Obama is the Antichrist. > > >> > These charges are fanatical, America's own > > >> >equivalent of the vicious accusations about Jews > > >> >that circulate in some Muslim countries. They > > >> >are less a swipe at one candidate than a calumny > > >> >against an entire religion. They underscore that > > >> >for many bigoted Americans in the 21st century, > > >> >calling someone a Muslim is still a slur. > > >> > There is a parallel with presidential > > >> >campaigns in the 19th and early 20th centuries, > > >> >when one of the most common ways to attack a > > >> >candidate was to suggest that he was partly > > >> >black, or at least favored racial intermarriage. > > >> >For example, the Federalists charged that Thomas > > >> >Jefferson was "the son of a half-breed Indian > > >> >squaw, sired by a Virginia mulatto father." And > > >> >the word "miscegenation" was coined in 1863 and > > >> >1864 in charges that Abraham Lincoln secretly > > >> >plotted for blacks to marry whites, especially > > >> >Irish-Americans. > > >> > As late as the 1920 presidential campaign, a > > >> >quarter-million letters were sent to voters > > >> >accusing Warren Harding of being descended from > > >> >a "West Indian Negro. ... May God save America > > >> >from international shame and domestic ruin." > > >> > In looking back at that history, you wish that > > >> >a candidate had responded not only with, "No, I > > >> >don't have any black ancestor," but also with, > > >> >"So what if I did?" > > >> > Likewise, with countless people today > > >> >spreading scurrilous rumors that Mr. Obama is a > > >> >Muslim, the most appropriate response is a > > >> >denial followed by: And so what if he were? > > >> > Granted, that's not politically realistic as a > > >> >comeback. A 2007 Gallup poll found that 94 > > >> >percent of Americans said they would vote for a > > >> >black candidate for president and 88 percent for > > >> >a woman. In contrast, a Los Angeles Times poll > > >> >in 2006 found that only 34 percent of > > >> >respondents said they could vote for a Muslim > > >> >for president. > > >> > Even if a prejudice is directed to a matter of > > >> >choice, like religion or long hair, it's still > > >> >prejudice. It's possible to believe that > > >> >Catholics have every right to be president while > > >> >opposing a particular Catholic candidate who > > >> >would ban contraception; likewise, it's possible > > >> >to believe that Muslims have every right to hold > > >> >office without necessarily embracing the > > >> >candidacy of particular Muslims who advocate > > >> >enveloping all women in burkas. > > >> > To his credit, Mr. Obama has spoken > > >> >respectfully of Islam (he told me last year, on > > >> >the record, that the Muslim call to prayer is > > >> >"one of the prettiest sounds on earth at > > >> >sunset"). If he were to go further - "and so > > >> >what if I were Muslim?" - many Americans would > > >> >see that as confirmation that he is a Sunni > > >> >terrorist agent of Al Qaeda who is part of a > > >> >9/11 backup plan: If you can't reach the White > > >> >House with a hijacked plane, then storm the Oval > > >> >Office through the ballot box. > > >> > This is a case where Hillary Rodham Clinton > > >> >and John McCain should take the initiative and > > >> >denounce the fear-mongering about Mr. Obama as > > >> >hate speech. The wink-wink references to "Barack > > >> >Hussein Obama" and lies about his going to a > > >> >madrassa are the religious equivalent of racial > > >> >slurs, and Mr. McCain and Mrs. Clinton should > > >> >denounce them in the strongest terms. This is > > >> >their chance to show leadership. > > >> > When Mrs. Clinton was asked in a television > > >> >interview a week ago whether Mr. Obama is a > > >> >Muslim, she denied it firmly - but then added, > > >> >most unfortunately, "as far as I know." To his > > >> >credit, Mr. McCain scolded a radio host who > > >> >repeatedly referred to "Barack Hussein Obama" > > >> >and later called him a Manchurian candidate. > > >> > Martin Luther wasn't a model of tolerance but > > >> >even he took the position that, "I'd rather be > > > > >ruled by a wise Turk than a foolish Christian." > > > > >In this presidential campaign, we should at > > >> >least aspire to be as open-minded as > > >> >16th-century Germans. > > >> > > > >> >_______________________________________________ > > >> >assam mailing list > > >> >[email protected] > > >> >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > >> > > >> > > >> _______________________________________________ > > >> assam mailing list > > >> [email protected] > > >> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > >> > > >_______________________________________________ > > >assam mailing list > > >[email protected] > > >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > assam mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
