It’s raining like a cow pissing on a flat rock, as they say in Montana, and our streets are flooded after less than 24 hours of downpour. There’s also a saying in Tamil that if it’s raining something unusual must have occurred. Well, someone of Indian descent was elected the youngest governor of an American state. We have arrived. No longer will Cooter and Boudreaux ask me what tribe I’m from on learning my parents are Indian. It’s all racial harmony and Bhangra in Baton Rouge from here on out.
Not.
Get real. All things power-related in Louisiana come down to race and money. One has to align with an established political crowd, whether black or white, and get their complete backing to win an election in these parts. Even in relatively desegregated New Orleans, our City Council At Large runoff race is one between a black woman and a white woman, and the votes will fall exactly along racial lines. Although Jindal reached out to the black population of Louisiana more so than the last time, his allegiance is very much with the state GOP and we know the racial, economic, ethical, religious and geographic composition of that group. I’m in no way asserting that white is bad; all I’m saying is that Jindal had to appear white to win here. Knowing northern Lousiana, he’s more than likely still considered a n**ger by those who voted for him, but he will help their cause along. In that case, of what import or bonus is it that he’s Indian-American? He was just another American politician, talking out of both sides of his mouth and pandering to everyone for a vote, with his winger and Judeo-Christian beliefs helping him along, if anything.
Would half of India be cheering if they knew that our state elected Bush-bot? Jindal was elected to be a public servant to the state of Louisiana and the records state otherwise. You probably all know by now that he has repeatedly voted against or skipped voting on key measures that would strengthen our infrastructure. What’s going to make him vote in our favor now? As I said during a long and futile discussion over at Sepia Mutiny, “I have to wonder about the future of tens of thousands who live here in abject poverty and under the threat of a Homeland Security bureaucracy that refuses to see hurricanes and crumbling infrastructure (levees, pumps, hurricane protection) as bigger threats than a terrorist attack conducted by people they have profiled and, ironically, think look like Jindal.” Yet, I’m not a seer and, should the man come through for this part of the state and help us move forward in the next few years, I will cast a vote for his re-election.
If Indian-Americans want to be seen as Americans and not as “other,” why do we then reinforce our other-ness in such a manner? If it’s only because “real Americans” see us as “other,” then Bobby Jindal’s gubernatorial win is not a great example of colorblindness in American politics and should not be celebrated as such.
Khanpura, feel free to send Bobby your bill. Meanwhile, allow me to ponder if telling the State Highway Patrol that I’m a Jindal will get me out of any future speeding tickets.
When I saw Jindal’s extended family onstage with him, I imagined thousands of people in north Louisiana seeing the same thing and thinking, “My God, what have we done?”
This is gonna be fun. Maybe.
Mr. Jindal just needs to get the damn job done, without giving in to the religious nut jobs he’s been pandering to lately. I hope that was just an electioneering pose.
So I haven’t been following the race, nor the “conversation” on Sepia, but I’m curious about this: does he ever talk about being Indian?
Nope. Nor should he have to. My point is when everyone’s cheering that we’ve overcome a hurdle of ethnicity, we’ve not. And I’m fed up with all of the desis and those in the diaspora that say “That he’s Indian-American shouldn’t be a defining factor in his candidacy or whether or not he’s elected, but once he is, we’re elated because an Indian-American won.” Pick one.
“Bush-bot”. That’s a good one. The right wing Catholicism would scare me the most. If he can do something about corruption and efficiently get things done, I think you’re right and all will be forgiven. At least the election noise is over. At least that particular election noise.
I’d try that ticket thing if I were you, kiddo.
Hey Maitri..
I am disappointed. I am going to have to show Indian people how to be happy for your own kind no matter how bad their policies effect you or how corrupt the person is. Don’t you see how we took care of William Jefferson? It will be interesting to see how long he can keep this together. White people have a habit of turning on non white people really quick when things get hectic.
In the aftermath of this election I’ve seem some online comment by blacks that they are encouraged by this development.
Last night on the train in the Atlanta airport there were a couple of your black women, apparently well off, well educated, articulate and connected to New Orleans talking about Zulu and how great it was Jindal got elected.
I figured you folks were hosed again when I saw that he believes in intelligent design. The only intelligent design I’d like to see is one for keeping those morons out of office.
What choice did they have? Three middle-aged, white businessmen vs. sorta-black-looking young state representative whose campaign strategically talked with key members of that part of the constituency this time around. Besides I don’t think the other candidates reached out to the black voter base (maybe Campbell?) or really worked very hard beyond their parishes.
Another thing to consider: Jindal’s win isn’t a mandate while Landrieu’s re-election is.