US Presidential Polls: What Does the Indian-American Voter Want?
We spoke to three eminent Indian-Americans to gauge the sentiment of Indian-American voters ahead of the US polls.
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Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma
As USA is set to elect its next president on 3 November, questions loom large – will President Donald Trump be able to retain power? Or will former Vice President Joe Biden find his way back to the White House – this time to sit in the Oval Office?
What do Indian-American voters feel, and who are they likely to vote for?
The Quint reached out to three prominent Indian-Americans, Padma Bhushan Awardee and Thompson G Marsh Professor of Law Ved Nanda, oncologist and community activist Dr Bharat Barai, and former trustee of the American India Foundation and CEO of Almax Ravi Tilak, to understand the pulse of our Indian community in America, ahead of the presidential polls in the US.
While “it is a roller-coaster ride with Trump,” opined Ravi Tilak, Ved Nanda observed that Biden will reform immigration, and Bharat Barai suggested that he wouldn’t be too quick to judge Kamala Harris even though he shared that he didn’t think Kamala Harris would get that many votes.
“Concluding debate was tilted in favour of President Trump,” said Ravi Tilak, on being asked his thoughts about the second presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
Ved Nanda believes “Trump was good on style, but he did not say the truth.”
Dr Bharat Barai, was of the opinion that Trump did better in the second debate than the first.
Will COVID-19 impact Trump’s chances of re-election?
Dr Barai said that the COVID crisis will hurt Trump, but he also added that nobody took COVID seriously at first.
Ved Nanda, however, pointed out that the administration did not do their job they way they should have.
Ravi Tilak said that he agrees with his co-panelists, but he also feels that the American media creates problems.
The panel also discussed Trump administration’s contentious immigration laws, what Biden could bring to the table, Kamala Harris’ Indian connection and how the Indian-American community perceives the presidential nominees and the polls.
Why Does it Matter?
Indian-Americans form an important demographic for both the Republican, as well as the Democratic Party.
Overall, there are estimated four million Indian-Americans of which about 2.5 million are potential voters in the November 2020 presidential election.
Indians are the second-largest group of people who have been naturalised as US citizens, after Mexicans.
In the past, Indian-American voters have supported the Democratic party, but it has been reported that this trend may be evolving with more and more Indians making a Republican pivot.
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