South Asian Group aids in Obama’s Iowa win

The South Asian Friends of Obama (SAFO) claimed victory with Obama and his campaign this past Thursday in Iowa. The group, led by enthusiastic young Indian Americans, played an important role in canvassing and getting out the vote efforts. Since this summer SAFO volunteers in Chicago made calls to people in Iowa to support Obama.

Motivated by the recent Iowa win, SAFO has already mobilized to duplicate the Iowa efforts in New Hampshire, where a group of SAFO volunteers are already on the ground. In addition a series of meetings have been planned for the February 5 elections in states with a higher Indian American population like California, New York and New Jersey.

Read the full article here and check out SAFO's site here.

Clinton Getting Desperate?

After the release of the most recent poll which shows Obama tied or leading Clinton in New Hampshire along with Iowa as discussed in an earlier post discussed today it seems that the Clinton Camp is no looking for any way possible to stop Obama's sudden rise to the top. As reported by the Washington Post today, Bill Shaheen a top NH Clinton Rep was quoted saying

"It'll be, 'When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?'" Shaheen said. "There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It's hard to overcome."

Although the Clinton Camp was quick to respond in this story by the AP

"Senator Clinton is out every day talking about the issues that matter to the American people. These comments were not authorized or condoned by the campaign in any way," spokeswoman Kathleen Strand said.

Ofcourse the Obama camp thinks completely differently on the whole discussion:

"Hillary Clinton said attacking other Democrats is the fun part of this campaign, and now she's moved from Barack Obama's kindergarten years to his teenage years in an increasingly desperate effort to slow her slide in the polls. Senator Clinton's campaign is recycling old news that Barack Obama has been candid about in a book he wrote years ago, and he's talked about the lessons he's learned from these mistakes with young people all across the country. He plans on winning this campaign by focusing on the issues that actually matter to the American people."

I think what you are seeing here in this whole case is the Clinton Camps worst nightmare. Clinton was comfortable in the early lead and it seemed that Obama's big message was not resonating with voters in the early states. Although Clintons lead remains strong in National Polls the recent slip ups in Iowa and New Hampshire are of big concern and the only challenge she can really provide is on experience. The voters seem to be choosing the voice of change and hope over the voice of experience and the Clinton campaign really have no way to fight back Obama.

Obama has written several books in which he has pretty much put out on the table all the poor decisions he has made in his life and how he has learned probably one of the smartest moves he made in his move to run for President, even the republicans seem to only have one attack on Obama for his lack of experience and that just doesn't seem to be enough for voters. These negative campaign tactics Shaheen is using is not a sign of how Hillary runs her campaign but really more an expression of the real feeling of concern that exists within the internal ranks of her campaign.

Slip ups seem to be happening across the board for the Clinton camp and as things seem to be getting heated up the exchange will be interesting in the upcoming democratic debate at 2pm EST on CNN in Iowa. Will they be cowards like our republican friends or make a true spectacle?

We shall all see...

Varun

Clinton and Obama Tie in NH: What the Poll Really Tells Us

CNN has just reported that the a recent CNN/WMUR poll from the Granite State shows Clinton and Obama tied up around 30%. With other polls that continue to come out stating Clinton is on top by 3 or Obama leads by 6, the truth is the actual numbers here mean nothing. With margin of error these polls show how irrelevant the numbers actually are but they do tell us another story, this election is in no way over. In most cases this is just heating up...over the course of the last 24 hours I have received over a dozen emails from different representatives at all levels in both camps saying the same thing....THEY NEED SUPPORTERS TO GET OUT THERE!

The polls tell us that the election is very close and truly in this one every vote does matter in Iowa and New Hampshire where the tie is essentially three ways with John Edwards still in the mix. And if Edwards does win in Iowa or finishes a close second NH polls will all go to the dust and it will be a fighting chance along with South Carolina. People are really starting to tune in now with less than a month to go before the January 3rd Iowa caucus and every campaign is looking for the same thing. Volunteer or Donate...this is one race where every penny, every phone call, every door and every vote really matter because the momentum and the election are all still very much in the air.

There are about 8000 Indian Americans in both Iowa and New Hampshire, many of which in key precincts where a couple hundred votes could easily swing the election. Now is the opportunity to get out there.

If you live in NH and Iowa I recommend you:

• Learn and find a candidate whose policies and issues you agree with
  
• Take a Saturday and go out volunteer & help campaign

VOTE
This is one election where I promise you every vote does matter!

If you don't live in an early primary states I recommend you:

• Learn and find a candidate whose policies and issues you agree with
• Call your local DNC and Check the Candidates site to see how you can help!
• Make a contribution to the candidates, EVERY PENNY MATTERS so your $15 dollar donation could help pay for a 1000 flyers to support your candidate in New Hampshire
  

If you already are helping comment below and tell us how...

Varun

The Race for the Vice President

Currently the attention in the Presidential race seems to be all focused on the Iowa and New Hampshire caucuses, but they are also giving an indication of what could be the VP derby that will soon follow the nomination process.

If Senator Clinton, Obama or Edwards become the Democratic nominees the following names are rising to the top of the betting pool:

Sen. Evan Bayh: from the Midwest and has a background as a Governor and a successful Senator in a Republican state and he has been campaigning for Sen. Clinton since he withdrew from the election

Governor Bill Richardson: A Hispanic Presidential Candidate and from the Mountain states that are now in clear play for both parties

Governor Tom Vilsack: He has been very active with Sen. Clinton in Iowa and also has a great personal story and will not overshadow the Presidential candidate

Senator Joe Biden: He definitely bolsters any Presidential candidates Foreign policy credentials

Senator Jim Webb: Strong Military background, former Republican, from a Republican state also very symbolic over his victory over Mark Allen

Governor Mark Warner: Attractive candidate who won in a Republican state and is very popular in Virginia and could bring that state to the Democrats

There are many other candidates and as the picks of Sen. Lieberman, Dan Quayle tell us there are some surprising candidates that are not talked about a lot but could surprise us like Gov. Martin O'Malley from Maryland, Harold Ford Jr., Gov. Schweitzer from Montana.

Who else could be a VP for any one of these candidates?

Common Ground - Raj Verma

The Race Behind the Race

There can only be one winner. Well, usually. On its face, the debates showcase competing egos and differing ideologies all with the aim of securing the most powerful position in American government. A subtle look at the presidential debates reveals a different race for other coveted posts, and is something to debate about. As you watch the Presidential debates and discuss the various differences on foreign policy, domestic issues, and character traits, be aware that some of those on stage are vying for desirable and high-impact positions in the winner’s administration. If the polls, at this point, suggest that Hillary Clinton will win the Democratic nomination and gain the Presidential nomination, does candidate Bill Richardson return as Secretary of Energy? Will Edwards be appointed to a post in the administration? Perhaps Clinton will nominate Obama for a position on the Supreme Court. Similarly, if Giuliani grabs the nomination on the Republican side, do we see Mike Huckabee appointed as Secretary of the Interior? Perhaps John McCain is interested in a post in the State Department. Is he preparing himself for such a position?

One has to remember that although the candidates present themselves in the most ‘presidential’ manner as possible, there can only be one president, and all the candidates bring various strengths to the table that better equips them for a position they currently hold (senator, governor) or a position they may seek (Secretary of State, Vice President). All the candidates brandish strong credentials. But take a closer look at the debates and identify who is vying for an alternative position. One clear example of this appears to be the well-orchestrated positioning of Joseph Biden and Bill Richardson, two darkhorse candidates who have virtually little to no shot at winning the presidency. In a recent debate, Biden and Richardson both admonished Obama and Edwards indirectly for attacking Clinton’s integrity and character. Was this a noble gesture? Or a subtle hint to Clinton—‘I’ll protect you now, you find a position for me later’? The next time you watch the Presidential candidates during the debate, be aware of the jockeying, the kind of positioning that will help each candidate win, in ways that you may not expect.





Raj Verma, JD/MPA
Blog Contributor

Raj Verma is the President of the Future Leaders Council for USINPAC. He currently resides in Washington DC.

Bollywood Ad for Barack Obama

Just found this hilarious campaign video someone made for Obama mixing in some Bollywood. This almost beats the Obama girl video, whats next Obama in a movie with Madhuri Dixit?

USINPAC Hosts Fundraiser with Generation Obama

Generation Obama is a grassroots group consisting of Young Professionals and was founded in Boston. Last night was the first major event featuring Senator Obama himself where we hosted a fundraiser for the Senator at a local Boston Lounge, Venu. The event went great raising over $50,000 for the Senators campaign as less than 3 weeks remain till the first Iowa Caucus. The event was sold out with about 400 young professionals from the Boston Area. USINPAC was able to get young Indian Professionals, entrepreneurs and students to come out to this event where Senator Obama talked about the Politics of Change and how important it is for the young people to get engaged and go to NH to help canvass.

Senator Obama also mentioned that the stances on the Energy Policy where due to his "cousin", Dick Cheney and joked about how the campaign tried to keep this information out of public eye for sometime. This event went great! Indian American Young Professionals were at bay to here the message from Senator Obama himself in an exciting setting.

There are several news reports about such events happening all over the country in todays LA Times, check it out!

Thanks,

Varun

Poll: Obama, Huckabee take lead in Iowa

Obama, Huckabee on upswing in Iowa

Republican, Democratic races still a dogfight as 2008 caucuses near

Would an Obama victory mean a generational shift in the political activism of the Indian American Community?

The Democrats within the Indian American community have supported the campaign of Sen. Clinton in overwhelming numbers, the support that Sen. Obama has received has predominantly been from the 2nd generation of the Indian American community. If Sen. Obama would end up winning it would mean a generational shift iwithin the Indian American community since the 2nd generation would have come on its ownn by being very active in the campaign and also providng contributions to his campaign. Today the 2nd generation of Indian Americans who are professionals like lawyers, accountants, venture capitalists and others have the desire and the means to be politically active and understand the political system!.

Oprah Winfrey to Amitabh Bachan: Does celebrity campaigning work? By Sanjay Puri

Oprah Winfrey is supposed to be campaigning for Senator Obama for his Presidential Bid in key early states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina to give him a boost in these close contests. Does this work? Amitabh Bachan a star of Oprah’s magnitude in India recently campaigned very heavily for his friend Amar Singh and Mulayum Singh in the recent UP elections and they lost and Mayawati won the key state electons.

Does star power equal votes in India or the US?

Sanjay Puri is the Chairman of USINPAC

BARACK OBAMA SENDS DIWALI MESSAGE

Happy Diwali Folks! FYI Barack Obama just sent a note to the community and wishing Hindus, Sikhs and Jains a Happy Diwali!

We should have it on the Message From the Candidates Page soon but I have posted it on your left. Being in touch with most campaigns no other campaign has submitted such a letter so Obama will be the first but hopefully not the only.

Thanks,
Varun

Cliintons Lead Falls as Obama and Edwards Pick up Steam

As primary season continues to heat up the polls are too in early Primary states.  Boston Globe is reporting that the Zogby survey in Iowa puts Clinton  28% just slightly ahead o Obama at 25% and Edwards at 21%.  Iowa was always going to be a close election and good be a HUGE opportunity for Obama or Edwards to pick up some serious steam.  

New Hampshire which seemed all for Hillary seems to be back into play as Rasmussen Reports last night that Clintons lead has narrowed to 34% over Obamas 24% and Edwards at 15%.  As The Globe Reports this is the first survey in NH since the Democratic debate last week and it seems to have given Obama a boost.  Considering margin of error Obama and Clinton COULD BE TIED.  

With primary season less than 60 days away things are all but certain and how this plays could be very different from what early poll indicators seem to show. 



Varun

USINPAC BU Students Active at Obama Rally

On October 23rd Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announced his Support and Endorsement for Presidential Hopeful Barack Obama. This event featured a large rally with both Patrick and Obama in attendance and students from the USINPAC Boston University Campus Committee were volunteering and in attendance. Helping to promote the rally and getting there in attendance we were fortunate enough to stand right behind these two great leaders of today. A video is below where you can see us at the rally!

Over 11,000 showed up to this event in the Boston Common and it played to be a huge endorsement for Obama considering Patrick worked under the Clinton Administration and was endorsed and supported by former President Bill Clinton himself.

Bobby Jindal – for President?

While the 2008 presidential election is just a few months away from primary season, the race for Louisiana’s governorship is coming to a close with Indian-American Bobby Jindal leading. If Jindal can pull off a 50% victory this Saturday, he’ll be planning his move to the Governor’s Mansion in Baton Rouge a little earlier than expected. If he fails to get 50%, the race will result in a runoff on November 17^th. Either way, Jindal is a clear favorite with the most recent poll giving him 50% of the vote and his closest rivals 9%.

Jindal has been a bright star in this rather low point of a year for the GOP. In some ways his political career is reminiscent of Barack Obama. Some conservative commentators have labeled him the Obama with actual experience. Could Jindal run for president? Well for one he was born in the US and two, he certainly has the resume having been a Rhodes Scholar, President of the University of Louisiana system, Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services, and most recently serving as a Congressman. All this accomplished by the age of 36.

Being elected governor would pay off significantly for a White House bid. There has been a trend of governors (southern state governor anyone?) winning the national election, the last person who was a Senator prior to President was JFK. Being a minority Republican candidate could also help Jindal gather more media attention and expand the party’s voter base.

Politics and race aside, the one issue that could make a presidential run successful for him is healthcare. With the first Baby Boomer applying for Social Security yesterday, 4 to 8 years from now healthcare for aging and retiring Americans will be a bigger issue than ever and Jindal who has spent much of his career focusing on public health issues will have a significant influence on policy. Perfect timing for a healthcare savvy governor looking for the next step in his career.

Anay Shah

3rd Quarter Fundraising Amounts – Dems Win, Again

The 3^rd quarter fundraising results are out with a huge disparity again favoring the Democrats. The WSJ reports that for the year, the top Democrats have raised $239.7 million to the $160.5 million raised by the top Republicans.

On the Democratic side, the race is on between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Obama surprised many by raising $20 million in a typically slow quarter. The next day, Clinton topped that by raising $27 million.

Republicans Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani sharpened their rivalry with both reporting similar fundraising amounts of $10.5 million and $11 million. Newcomer Fred Thompson came in third with $9.3 million. Ron Paul shocked many by raising $5 million in the last 3 months. This was $4 million more than rival Mike Huckabee and a million less than John McCain, who has recently had a comeback in the polls.

Why is there such a disparity between the two parties? Well looking at recent polls, Hillary continues to dominate her party’s nomination race, but the Republican race is still in the air with some candidates the winning in the national polls, others winning in the primary states, and key groups like evangelicals unsure of who to support.

Clinton Raises More than Obama

In past months recent polls have put Hillary Clinton way past Barack Obama in almost all rankings. The argument always has been though that Obama is outraising her with more grassroots support. Well it seems as though the Clinton Campaign took that to heart and decided to do something about it.

Third quarter numbers are out and the winner is (drum roll please)....

Hillary Clinton raising over $27 million from over 100,000 donors. Although all numbers aren't final Obama's camp has announced about a $20 million intake with about 93,000 donors. Critics like to say that Clinton is being funded by the machine but the numbers make me question that argument.

I am interested to see if Obama actually has raised more and they were just being deceptive or if in this round the camp truly lost to the Clintons.

Varun

Indian Americans Living the American Dream

Hindustan Times had an Interesting article about how an Indian American will be honored as one of the top 100 Brokers in the US. It seems as though Indian Americans continue the success story by truly living the American dream. When the Obama memo on Hillary Clinton and the community had come out it had raised some interesting questions, issues and concerns about what Indian Americans stand for. The memo portrayed the community as not really fitting values of America. I think this article and accomplishment continues to depict how we represent what America has always been.
Indian Americans believe in STRONG family values, moral values, and are thirsty for learning, education and self betterment. These are values that America used to operate on and are the basic principles of what has made the United States the great success it has become. This man Raj Sharma received the highest honor in his respective field and day in and day out this can be seen in any areas Indian Americans are venturing it. Although Senator Obama has long since apologized for the mishap the memo still shows what many Americans may believe to be our community. We need to continue to show grass roots mobilization to ensure these depictions or stereo types of the community are driven away.

The only way we can do this is by GETTING INVOLVED in the political process!
Post your thoughts....

Thanks,

Varun