Tag: United States Politics

 

  POLITICS & POLICY  

  • ‘Donald Trump’s Contract with the American Voter’

    ‘Donald Trump’s Contract with the American Voter’

    Here is the full text from the 100-day plan Trump’s campaign released in October.

    It is titled: “Donald Trump’s Contract With the American Voter.”

    ——

    What follows is my 100-day action plan to Make America Great Again. It is a contract between myself and the American voter — and begins with restoring honesty, accountability and change to Washington

    Therefore, on the first day of my term of office, my administration will immediately pursue the following six measures to clean up the corruption and special interest collusion in Washington, DC:

    * FIRST, propose a Constitutional Amendment to impose term limits on all members of Congress;

    * SECOND, a hiring freeze on all federal employees to reduce federal workforce through attrition (exempting military, public safety, and public health);

    * THIRD, a requirement that for every new federal regulation, two existing regulations must be eliminated;

    * FOURTH, a 5 year-ban on White House and Congressional officials becoming lobbyists after they leave government service;

    * FIFTH, a lifetime ban on White House officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government;

    * SIXTH, a complete ban on foreign lobbyists raising money for American elections.

    On the same day, I will begin taking the following 7 actions to protect American workers:

    * FIRST, I will announce my intention to renegotiate NAFTA or withdraw from the deal under Article 2205

    * SECOND, I will announce our withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership

    * THIRD, I will direct my Secretary of the Treasury to label China a currency manipulator

    * FOURTH, I will direct the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to identify all foreign trading abuses that unfairly impact American workers and direct them to use every tool under American and international law to end those abuses immediately

    * FIFTH, I will lift the restrictions on the production of $50 trillion dollars’ worth of job-producing American energy reserves, including shale, oil, natural gas and clean coal.

    * SIXTH, lift the Obama-Clinton roadblocks and allow vital energy infrastructure projects, like the Keystone Pipeline, to move forward

    * SEVENTH, cancel billions in payments to U.N. climate change programs and use the money to fix America’s water and environmental infrastructure

    Additionally, on the first day, I will take the following five actions to restore security and the constitutional rule of law:

    * FIRST, cancel every unconstitutional executive action, memorandum and order issued by President Obama

    * SECOND, begin the process of selecting a replacement for Justice Scalia from one of the 20 judges on my list, who will uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States

    * THIRD, cancel all federal funding to Sanctuary Cities

    * FOURTH, begin removing the more than 2 million criminal illegal immigrants from the country and cancel visas to foreign countries that won’t take them back

    * FIFTH, suspend immigration from terror-prone regions where vetting cannot safely occur. All vetting of people coming into our country will be considered extreme vetting.

    Next, I will work with Congress to introduce the following broader legislative measures and fight for their passage within the first 100 days of my Administration:

    1. Middle Class Tax Relief And Simplification Act. An economic plan designed to grow the economy 4% per year and create at least 25 million new jobs through massive tax reduction and simplification, in combination with trade reform, regulatory relief, and lifting the restrictions on American energy. The largest tax reductions are for the middle class. A middle-class family with 2 children will get a 35% tax cut. The current number of brackets will be reduced from 7 to 3, and tax forms will likewise be greatly simplified. The business rate will be lowered from 35 to 15 percent, and the trillions of dollars of American corporate money overseas can now be brought back at a 10 percent rate.

    2. End The Offshoring Act. Establishes tariffs to discourage companies from laying off their workers in order to relocate in other countries and ship their products back to the U.S. tax-free.

    3. American Energy & Infrastructure Act. Leverages public-private partnerships, and private investments through tax incentives, to spur $1 trillion in infrastructure investment over 10 years. It is revenue neutral.

    4. School Choice And Education Opportunity Act. Redirects education dollars to give parents the right to send their kid to the public, private, charter, magnet, religious or home school of their choice. Ends common core, brings education supervision to local communities. It expands vocational and technical education, and make 2 and 4-year college more affordable.

    5. Repeal and Replace Obamacare Act. Fully repeals Obamacare and replaces it with Health Savings Accounts, the ability to purchase health insurance across state lines, and lets states manage Medicaid funds. Reforms will also include cutting the red tape at the FDA: there are over 4,000 drugs awaiting approval, and we especially want to speed the approval of life-saving medications.

    6. Affordable Childcare and Eldercare Act. Allows Americans to deduct childcare and elder care from their taxes, incentivizes employers to provide on-side childcare services, and creates tax-free Dependent Care Savings Accounts for both young and elderly dependents, with matching contributions for low-income families.

    7. End Illegal Immigration Act Fully-funds the construction of a wall on our southern border with the full understanding that the country Mexico will be reimbursing the United States for the full cost of such wall; establishes a 2-year mandatory minimum federal prison sentence for illegally re-entering the U.S. after a previous deportation, and a 5-year mandatory minimum for illegally re-entering for those with felony convictions, multiple misdemeanor convictions or two or more prior deportations; also reforms visa rules to enhance penalties for overstaying and to ensure open jobs are offered to American workers first.

    8. Restoring Community Safety Act. Reduces surging crime, drugs and violence by creating a Task Force On Violent Crime and increasing funding for programs that train and assist local police; increases resources for federal law enforcement agencies and federal prosecutors to dismantle criminal gangs and put violent offenders behind bars.

    9. Restoring National Security Act. Rebuilds our military by eliminating the defense sequester and expanding military investment; provides Veterans with the ability to receive public VA treatment or attend the private doctor of their choice; protects our vital infrastructure from cyber-attack; establishes new screening procedures for immigration to ensure those who are admitted to our country support our people and our values

    10. Clean up Corruption in Washington Act. Enacts new ethics reforms to Drain the Swamp and reduce the corrupting influence of special interests on our politics.

    On November 8th, Americans will be voting for this 100-day plan to restore prosperity to our economy, security to our communities, and honesty to our government.

    This is my pledge to you.

    And if we follow these steps, we will once more have a government of, by and for the people.

  • THOUSANDS MARCH TO PROTEST TRUMP VICTORY

    THOUSANDS MARCH TO PROTEST TRUMP VICTORY

    NEW YORK (TIP): The day after the election victory of President-elect Donald Trump, protesters took to the streets in cities across the country, expressing anger and resistance. Thousands marched in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Seattle, Washington DC, Portland, Ore, St. pau, Minn. and more, chanting and carrying signs. Tens of thousands filled the streets in at least 25 USA cities to protest Donald Trump’s victory. In some major cities, the protests continued Thursday too.

    Thousands of anti-Donald Trump protesters shut down 5th Avenue in front of Trump Tower as New Yorkers react to the election of Trump as president of the United States on November 9, 2016.
    Thousands of anti-Donald Trump protesters shut down 5th Avenue in front of Trump Tower as New Yorkers react to the election of Trump as president of the United States on November 9, 2016.

    The protests ranged from peaceful candlelight vigils to more destructive demonstrations, particularly in California, where freeways were shut down and cars and effigies burned in Oakland and L.A. The protesters’ point: that Trump, with his history of racist and sexist rhetoric, does not represent the American people. That’s true in some ways. Though there is no question that Trump’s election is legitimate, he won-as many other presidents have won-by very narrow margins, and he is currently losing the popular vote after securing the Electoral College. Though that fact might be painful to millions of Americans, they can take this comfort: Split and troubled as it’s been, their nation has not changed.

    In New York City about 5,000 people protested his victory outside Trump Tower near the busy intersection of 57th Street and Fifth Avenue and blasted his campaign rhetoric about immigrants, Muslims and other groups. They included pop star Lady Gaga, a staunch Hillary Clinton supporter.

    Taxis, city buses and passenger vehicles stood at a standstill as the protesters clogged streets in Manhattan. At least 15 protesters at Trump Tower were arrested Wednesday, November 9 night for disorderly conduct, New York police said.

    In Washington DC protesters from the group Avaaz displayed a “Better Than Bigotry” sign outside the White House. Hundreds took to the streets carrying signs saying “Nasty Women Fight Back” and “White Males for Equality for All.” Activists chanted, “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA,” as they marched downtown to the Trump International Hotel.

    Protesters in Chicago walk during a protest Republican president-elect Donald Trump on November 9, 2016
    Protesters in Chicago walk during a protest Republican president-elect Donald Trump on November 9, 2016

    In Chicago, protesters marched down Lake Shore Drive toward the Trump Tower. They gathered near the Trump International Hotel and Tower holding signs with messages such as “Love Trumps Hate,” “Not My President.” Chicago Police said five people were arrested in Chicago over the course of the protest.

    Demonstrators gather to protest a day after President-elect Donald Trump's victory, at a rally outside Los Angeles City Hall in Los Angeles, California, on November 9, 2016
    Demonstrators gather to protest a day after President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, at a rally outside Los Angeles City Hall in Los Angeles, California, on November 9, 2016

    In Los Angeles protesters burned Donald Trump effigy where more than 1,000 protesters rallied outside Los Angeles City Hall. Later in the night, hundreds marched onto the busy 101 Freeway, which brought the highway to a complete standstill. About 2,000 protesters shouted angrily in downtown Seattle, chanting “Not My President” and “No Racist USA.” In Oregon, dozens of people blocked traffic in downtown Portland and burned American flags.

    Among the demonstrators earlier on Wednesday were hundreds of high school and college students who walked out of class in cities including Seattle, Phoenix and San Francisco’s Bay Area. Many college students and faculty leaders took to social media to announce support groups and even postponed exams.

  • Mayor Bill de Blasio offers to work with Trump on conditions

    Mayor Bill de Blasio offers to work with Trump on conditions

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Mayor Bill de Blasio, November 10 said that he was clear about the areas that he was prepared to work with President-elect Trump on for the good of the people of New York City. ” If President-elect Trump follows through on a vision of creating new jobs and rebuilding our infrastructure, if he follows through on the vision of ending trade deals that are bad for American workers, if he follows through on a vision of closing the carried interest loophole and creating the kind of tax reform that will put resources in the hands of the federal government to invest back in our cities and back in our nation, we’ll work with him and do everything we can to help him achieve those goals.’, the Mayor said.

    Continuing the subject, he said, “Now, let’s state the obvious, there are other areas that are of real concern where if President-elect Trump were to follow through on his platform, there would be obvious disagreements and obvious conflict with my values and with the values of the clear majority of New Yorkers and the needs of New Yorkers. That certainly includes in immigration – any threat to deport people here in our city, any efforts to undermine reproductive rights for the women of New York and for the women of America, any effort to derail Obamacare and take away health insurance from so many people who have struggled to get it and so many more New Yorkers who would have been eligible if Obamacare continued. These are all examples of where we’re going to fight to protect the interests of New York City – certainly as well in affordable housing and public housing – another area where it’s crucially important that the federal government remain committed to the people of this city.

    It’s important – just to put all this into perspective, because unlike, I would say, most elections that we’ve experienced, there are huge question marks about which elements of his platform he’ll follow through on, which he may not. There might be a different shape to his plans and that which said previously. I think it’s good to have an open mind and an open hand, but it’s also good to remember that some of the vision he portrayed on the campaign trail could well be taken literally by President-elect Trump and by his administration. We cannot, in any way, underestimate that challenge”.

  • Indian-Americans show their mettle: 5 make it to the Congress

    Indian-Americans show their mettle: 5 make it to the Congress

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Indian-Americans created history in US Congressional politics with one of them becoming the first to be elected to the Senate and four others winning seats in the House of Representatives.

    Pramila
    Pramila Jayapal from Washington

    While Kamala Harris was elected from California to the Senate, Pramila Jayapal from Washington, Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois and Ro Khanna from California are going to join Ami Bera, who was re-elected from California in the House of Representatives.

    kamlaCalifornia’s Attorney General Kamala Harris created history by becoming the first Indian- American Senator in the US Congress by defeating Loretta Sanchez. The democrat politician and lawyer was elected California’s Attorney General in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014. Harris, the daughter of an Indian mother who emigrated from Chennai in 1960 and a Jamaican American father, is the first female, the first African-American, and the first Indian-American attorney general in California.

    A financial analyst by profession, Pramila Jayapal has also created history, by becoming the first Indian American woman to be elected to the US Congress from Washington state’s 7th District. Born in Chennai, she moved to the U.S in 1982. She started her political career through campaigns for the rights of immigrants, women, and workers. She was recognized by the White House as a “Champion of Change” for her work for immigrant community.

    Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois
    Raja Krishnamoorthi from Illinois

    Raja Krishnamoorthi, a technology entrepreneur who had advised President Barack Obama on economic issues when he was a Senator, also served as Illinois state Deputy Treasurer and an Assistant Attorney General on special assignment to fight corruption. He defeated Republican Peter DiCianni in Illinois’s 8th District. Democrat Krishnamoorthi is the fourth Indian American to be elected to the US House of Representatives.

    Ro Khanna
    Ro Khanna

    Rohit Ro Khanna, a former federal Deputy Assistant Commerce Secretary, defeated sitting Congressman Mike Honda on his second try. Khanna had also challenged Honda in 2014, losing to him by just four percentage points. He received donations and endorsements from big tech names involved in companies such as Yahoo, Google, and Facebook.

    Ami Bera
    Ami Bera

    Amerish Babulal “Ami” Bera, a physician who has been the U.S. Representative for California’s 7th congressional district since 2013, had come under a cloud after his 83-year-old father, Babulal Bera, was found guilty of illegally funding his son’s election campaign and sentenced to a year in prison. Prosecutors, however, cleared Ami Bera of involvement in his father’s crime and he beat the odds to defeat his Republican rival Scott Jones.

     

  • Meet the President-elect of the United States of America

    Meet the President-elect of the United States of America

    Donald J. Trump is a graduate of the Wharton School of Finance. An accomplished author, Mr. Trump has authored over fifteen bestsellers, and his first book, The Art of the Deal, is considered a business classic and one of the most successful business books of all times.

    During the 2014 political cycle, Mr. Trump was a top contributor and fundraiser for Republican efforts. Mr. Trump also campaigned across the country, with each candidate winning by a record margin.

    Mr. Trump has over 25 million followers on social media. He frequently uses this platform to advocate for Conservative causes, Republican candidates and to educate the public on the failures of the Obama administration. Mr. Trump appears on Fox and Friends on Monday mornings and devotes much of his time to media interviews to promote a Free Market, the importance of a strong family, a culture of Life, a strong military and our country’s sacred obligation to take care of our veterans and their families.

    Mr. Trump has long been a devoted supporter of veteran causes. In 1995, the fiftieth anniversary of World War II, only 100 spectators watched New York City’s Veteran Day Parade. It was an insult to all veterans. Approached by Mayor Rudy Giuliani and the chief of New York City’s FBI office, Mr. Trump agreed to lead as Grand Marshall a second parade later that year. Mr. Trump made a $1 million matching donation to finance the Nation’s Day Parade. On Saturday, November 11th, over 1.4 million watched as Mr. Trump marched down Fifth Avenue with more than 25,000 veterans, some dressed in their vintage uniforms. A month later, Mr. Trump was honored in the Pentagon during a lunch with the Secretary of Defense and the entire Joint Chiefs of Staff.

    In New York City, the Trump signature is synonymous with the most prestigious of addresses, among them the world-renowned Fifth Avenue skyscraper, Trump Tower, the Trump International Hotel & Tower, Trump World Tower at the United Nations Plaza, 40 Wall Street, and Trump Park Avenue. His portfolio includes the historic Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida and his ever-expanding collection of award-winning golf courses (seventeen thus far), which span the U.S from Los Angeles to New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., and Florida, and internationally from Scotland and Ireland to Dubai. He recently added the iconic golf resorts of Turnberry, Scotland, and Doonbeg, Ireland, to his portfolio and Trump National Golf Club Washington, DC, has been highly acclaimed. The Trump Hotel Collection has grown to include properties in Chicago, Las Vegas, Waikiki, Panama and Toronto in addition to Trump SoHo/New York and the acclaimed Trump International Hotel & Tower on Central Park West, which once again won the coveted Mobil Five-Star Award as well as the Five Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. The Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago was awarded the #1 Hotel in the US and Canada by Travel & Leisure Magazine. Recent acquisitions include the iconic Doral Hotel & Country Club (800 acres) in Miami, and the historic Old Post Office Building in Washington, D.C. which is being developed into a world class luxury hotel. Seen as a generational asset by the Trump family, the redevelopment plan will infuse the building with new life. Groundbreaking was in July of 2014.

    Mr. Trump is the Emmy-nominated star and co-producer of the reality television series, “The Apprentice” which quickly became the number one show on television, making ratings history and receiving rave reviews and world wide attention. “The Celebrity Apprentice” has met with great success as well, being one of the highest rated shows on television. The Apprentice’s record fourteenth season premiered in January, 2015. “You’re fired!” is listed as the third greatest television catchphrase of all time. In 2007, Mr. Trump received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and he is among the highest paid public speakers in the world. The Apprentice has raised over $15 million for charity.

    Mr. Trump was born in Queens, New York. He is married to Melania Trump and father to Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka, Eric, Tiffany and Barron. He is a proud grandfather of seven.

  • Trump’s “Hidden Votes” Surface to make him the 45th President of USA; Hillary Gracefully Concedes

    Trump’s “Hidden Votes” Surface to make him the 45th President of USA; Hillary Gracefully Concedes

    NEW YORK (TIP): Upsetting all polls predicting victory of Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, in early hours of Wednesday, November 9, won the Presidential elections with a wide lead over his Democratic opponent. Trump reached the winning 270 mark (276) with Hillary sitting at 218. “Unbelievable” is what a pollster exclaimed when Trump pocketed State after States, including battleground Ohio which has 18 electoral votes, Florida which has 29 electoral votes and the Blue Pennsylvania which has 20 electoral votes. Not only that this election saw Trump adding to the number of Red States, it has also witnessed the Red becoming redder.

    At a point when Trump had already got 254 electoral votes in his kitty and Hillary was trailing at 214 with the results of Pennsylvania, then a close one but pointing to a Trump victory, yet to come in, it became clear that Trump will be the 45th President of the US. At that point, Trump was leading in quite a few States where counting was in progress.  It was at this point of time that Hillary Clinton called Trump to concede the election.  Shortly afterwards, Trump made his victory speech to a jubilant gathering at the Hilton in Manhattan, with the Vice President elect Mike Pence on his right and his youngest son Barron Trump on his left.

    Trump was conciliatory in his 15-minute speech. “To all Republicans, Democrats and Independents across this nation, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people. It’s time”, he said.

    Trump pledged to “every citizen of our land, that I will be president for all Americans. This is so important to me. Working together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding our nation.”

    Referring to economy and relations with nations in the world, he said: “We have a great economic plan. We will double our growth and have the strongest economy anywhere in the world. At the same time, we will get along with any other nations willing to get along with us. We expect to have great relationships.”

    Getting on to making America great again, Trump said: “Nothing we want for our future is beyond our reach. America will no longer settle for anything less than the best. We must reclaim our country’s destiny.”

    Read also: Meet the President -elect of the United States of America

  • Barack Obama’s hits Trump Hard On The 2016 Campaign

    Barack Obama’s hits Trump Hard On The 2016 Campaign

    US President Barack Obama delivered a fine speech while endorsing Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for the US polls this year.

    Obama’s oratorical skills have always been par-excellence but this year has seen some strong words from him. below are some of the best quotes:

    “America is already great. America is already strong. And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump.”
    – Barack Obama

    ————

    “Fair to say, this is not your typical election. It’s not just a choice between parties or policies; the usual debates between left and right. This is a more fundamental choice – about who we are as a people, and whether we stay true to this great American experiment in self-government.”
    – Barack Obama

    ————

    “This year, in this election, I’m asking you to join me – to reject cynicism, reject fear, to summon what’s best in us; to elect Hillary Clinton as the next President of the United States, and show the world we still believe in the promise of this great nation.”
    – Barack Obama

    ————

    “America has never been about what one person says he’ll do for us. It’s always been about what can be achieved by us, together, through the hard, slow, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately enduring work of self-government.”
    – Barack Obama

    ————

    “We are not a fragile or frightful people. Our power doesn’t come from some self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order. We don’t look to be ruled.”
    – Barack Obama

    ————

    On November 4, Obama addressed a rally in North Carolina as he urged American voters to choose hope over fear in the presidential polls.

    “I need you to vote. Don’t choose fear, choose hope. Don’t choose fear, choose hope. Don’t choose fear, choose hope. Go out there and vote. And if you do, we’ll remind the entire world why America is the greatest nation on Earth.”
    – Barack Obama

    ————

    “If you believe we’re stronger together, then we can’t elect a President who vilifies minorities, mocks Americans with disabilities, calls immigrants criminals and rapists. Our Constitution does not allow that. There are places around the world that’s acceptable, but that’s not the United States of America.”
    – Barack Obama

    ————

    “If you believe that America is stronger when everybody does their part, if you believe that America is stronger when everyone pays their fair share, then we can’t elect the first candidate in decades who refuses to release any tax returns; admits he has not paid federal income tax in years; somebody who stiffs small business people who do work for him or workers who’ve done work for him and he owes them.”
    – Barack Obama

    ————

    On November 3, Obama addressed an election rally in Raleigh, North Carolina and said that Clinton is the only candidate in the race to the White House, who has devoted her entire life to the people of America.

    “There’s only one candidate in this race who has devoted her entire life to lifting up that better America – and that is next President of the United States, Hillary Rodham Clinton. She’s the right person. She’s the right person at the right time.”
    – Barack Obama

    ————

    “This choice actually is pretty clear, because the person that the Republicans nominated – even though a bunch of them knew they shouldn’t nominate him – the person they nominated who many of the Republicans he is running against said was a con-artist and a know-nothing and wasn’t qualified to hold this office.”
    – Barack Obama

    ————

  • Kamala Harris Set To Become First Indian-American Senator

    Kamala Harris Set To Become First Indian-American Senator

    Kamala Harris, California’s Attorney General, is on the cusp of becoming the first Indian- American Senator in the US Congress with latest polls placing her “far ahead” of her rival days before the November 8 general elections.

    Ms Harris, 51, has already got the backing of US President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden to be the state’s next Senator, brightening her chances to become the first from the community ever to be a member of the Upper House.

    She heads into the US Senate election with a considerable lead over fellow Democrat Loretta Sanchez, whose plan to coalesce Republicans and Latinos behind her has not materialised, according to a new poll.

    Ms Harris is far ahead of Sanchez for US Senate, The Sacramento Bee reported yesterday.

    Ms Harris is leading Ms Sanchez, a 10-term congresswoman from Orange, 47 to 23 per cent, among likely voters.

    Some 17 per cent remain undecided, and another 13 per cent volunteered that they plan to sit out the contest between two members of the same party. Among those who have already voted, 55 per cent chose Ms Harris, 26 per cent backed Ms Sanchez and 14 per cent said neither, the report said.

    While Ms Sanchez has touted herself as the business-friendly choice for disaffected voters, about one-third of Republicans and 12 per cent of unaligned voters told pollsters they will not cast a ballot for either Ms Sanchez or Ms Harris, it said.

    That means more Republicans are choosing not to vote at all than to support Ms Sanchez (26 per cent). The survey, released four days before voters head to the polls, also found Republicans do not see much ideological difference between them, the report said.

    Ms Harris has never trailed since launching her bid in January last year, with her share of the vote increasing seven percentage points since a May poll. She continues to hold advantages in all major regions of the state, and with voters in all age ranges and educational backgrounds, it said.

    Harris, who was born in Oakland, California, is the daughter of an Indian mother who emigrated from Chennai in 1960 and a Jamaican American father.

    California Democrats have overwhelmingly endorsed Ms Harris for US Senate, solidifying her front-runner status in the race to become California’s next Senator.

    Harris and Loretta Sanchez were vying for their party’s seal of approval to replace Senator Barbara Boxer, who is retiring.

    If she wins, Ms Harris will make history by becoming the first ever US Senator of Indian-origin.

    There have been several Indian-American Congressmen in the House of Representatives, including current member Ami Bera and retired member Dalip Singh Saund, both from California too.

  • Republican Hindu Coalition and Donald Trump perfect a Campaign of Misinformation and Hate

    Republican Hindu Coalition and Donald Trump perfect a Campaign of Misinformation and Hate

    As I watched the latest Republican Hindu Coalition TV advertisements on some Indian channels, usually viewed by Indian Americans for India news, I was shocked how the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was being dragged in to the US Presidential election.

    The RHC TV ad on Aaj Tak and India Today showed repeatedly the photograph of Narendra Modi with a list of accusations against Hillary Clinton. It gave one the impression that Prime Minister Modi was listing the accusations and appealing to US voters to vote for Republican Donald Trump, with the catch line “Ab ki baar Trump Sarkar”, echoing the slogan in India during the 2012 general elections: “Ab ki baar Modi Sarkar”.

    It is hard to believe that Mr. Modi was not aware of the RHC TV campaign, with his vigilant diplomatic staff and intelligence agencies network which report every single event, incident and development to Delhi. His silence only indicates his approval. As they say in Sanskrit: Maunam sammati lakshanam – silence means assent/ approval.

    This suspicion grows when one looks at the credentials of RHC Chairman Shalabh Kumar, better known as Shally Kumar who has touted his proximity with Narendra Modi for a long time. He is believed to have been a member of RSS, a Hindu organization. Readers will recall he was keen to organize a reception for Modi in New York but at that time, Modi chose to entrust the job to another favorite of his from Chicago, and a rival of Shally Kumar- Bharat Barai. Though Shally Kumar had to lick the ground then he continued to look for an opportunity to create his impression on Modi that he was a good organizer. He visited India at regular intervals meeting RSS leaders and, reportedly, PM Modi. During the last one year, his visits multiplied. He is reported to have intensified during this period his activities, obviously, with a view to gaining RSS and Modi support for RHC proposal to back Donald Trump, a Republican.

    Again, one gets the impression that RSS and Hindu organizations in India are supportive of RHC ‘s open “HINDU” support to Trump when no RSS or Hindu leader objects to the use of the name “HINDU”. The fact, however, is Shally Kumar does not represent all Hindus. Nor do RSS and Hindu organizations in India. Is RHC not involving Hindus in an undesirable controversy? Is RHC not guilty of bringing a bad name to entire Hindu American community by indulging in misinformation and a hate campaign?

    Both PM Narendra Modi and RSS leaders in India owe an apology to Indian Americans and, to Hillary Clinton, for allowing RHC to spread misinformation and hate, using Modi’s pictures in the election campaign advertisements and, in the name of Hindus.  The RHC campaign is loaded with diplomatic ramifications and likely to impact adversely US India relations after Hillary takes over as President on January 20, 2017.

    Have a look at how Shally Kumar is maligning Hindus who have always stood for truth and propriety. Read the Hindu holy books and you would find Hindus have always been on the side of righteousness. Just recently Hindus the world over celebrated the victory of good over evil in the form of Dussehra and Diwali festivals.

    One, Hillary is anti-India. Two, Hillary is anti-Modi. Three, Hillary is a friend of Pakistan. She gave military aid to Pakistan against India. Clinton Foundation, (indirectly, Hillary), funded terrorists.

    The misinformation and the hate campaign of RHC includes a tirade against Hillary’s aide, Huma Abedin who is described as a possible “Saudi spy” and “a lesbian lover of Hillary Clinton”. RHC worked hard to spread the canard even as their master Trump continued with his lies. This election will be best known for the lies of RHC and Donald Trump, the Republican candidate who inspired many journalists to count the number of lies he came out with on a day. I remember reading an article which listed 28 lies of Trump on a single day.

    Poor Trump. He was taken in by Shally Kumar’s claims of a great Hindu support. He might have been impressed with the number of people who gathered at the RHC rally. He probably never knew that people were there not so much for him as for the entertainment that was promised them. He probably failed to realize that here was a crowd and not the voters. And he was surely taken in by Shally Kumar’s assurances that all Hindus will vote for him just as he was taken in, in his infamous lewd comments against women on tapes about which Melania had explained in defense of her husband that he was “egged on”. Trump may have been told that “Ab ki baar Trump Sarkar” is a Vedic Mantra, the recitation of which could make him President of America just as the slogan “ab ki baar Modi Sarkar” had brought Modi to power. Is the Republican Presidential candidate so gullible? If yes, how can Americans trust him with nuclear weapons?

    I pity Trump. All thorough the campaign, he has been promising the Sun, the Moon, the stars without ever laying bare before Americans how he was going to achieve them. On top, there was ample manifestation of hate, something, which is alien to American way of life. Americans are so welcoming, so loving. And here is a man so full of hate for all kinds of people- Latinos, Muslims, so on, so forth.

    A welcoming America never spoke of throwing millions out of the country. And here he is who says it would be one of his first tasks to throw millions out. America has been building bridges with the world. Here is a Trump who will build wall along Mexico border and claims the more the Democrats oppose his plan “the higher the wall goes”. No trade pacts. China is looting America. Outsourcing is hurting American labor. Immigrants have taken away jobs of “white” Americans. Muslims are a threat to USA. Jews, and this one is indirect, have fleeced and bled America when the latest Trump campaign TV advertisement displayed the pictures of three top Jewish personalities-Janet Yellen, who chairs the Federal Reserve, the progressive financier George Soros and the Goldman Sachs chief executive, Lloyd Blankfein.

    Trump claims he will go after the Wall Street bosses and yet opposes raise in taxes on the rich. And then he claims the minimum wage is high enough to warrant a wage increase.  How is Trump pro people?  How can Americans have a president who is so indifferent to their lot?

    I think there is no end to the subject. One can go on and on. But let me now return to RHC.

    Birds of the same feather flock together. No doubt then that Trump and RHC are partners in a misinformation and hate campaign.

    I sanguinely hope Indian Americans, and the Hindus Shalli Kumar is targeting, would see through the designs of RHC and consider truth and truth alone on the day of the election.

     

  • Race Matters in US

    Race Matters in US

    “Even with Trump’s supporters being 90 per cent white, he was trailing Hillary Clinton because of the demographic diversity in the US. Sadly, the damage he has done to the psyche of both the whites who believed in his delusory “movement” to restore America to its roots, and the minorities he relentlessly denigrated, will outlast him. Meanwhile, the terror of racism lives on, stronger and emboldened than before”, says the author.

    The history of the United States is founded on the backs of African slaves purchased and brought to its shores to work in the most abject conditions under white ownership to make colonies more habitable. Human beings were bought and sold like cattle and treated worse than the animals. George Washington, the first President of an independent America, promised to make liberty, equality and justice the bedrock of the nation, but had African slaves working for him. It has been a terrible legacy that America has tried to shake off.

    Slavery was subsequently abolished and affirmative action put in place with the rights of blacks and other minorities acknowledged and legitimatized through changes in political and social policy. With the awful past buried, America was ready to move on. With the whites in overwhelming majority, the post-war industrial boom and jobs aplenty, whites sat content at the top of the pyramid. For the middles class upwardly mobile majority, the blacks had been given their rights, and could shape their lives as they pleased as long as they did not encroach on the privileged status of the whites. Matters of race went largely underground. However, racism may have been submerged under a thriving economy but social divisions based on race solidified and were marked by frequent sordid incidents of white against black crime, usually in the Confederate Southern States, where white power still reigned supreme. Since there was no economic insecurity, there was no immediate threat from any minority and the country hummed along, creating millions of jobs in manufacturing, and helping Americans realize their dream that if you work hard, you will always have a job, and the future will be secure. The awareness of race was very much in place, but was not perceived as a political, economic or social threat.

    Several factors upended that dream scenario. Waves of immigration from Asia, Mexico and Africa began to change the demographic map. America entered its post-industrial era, where millions of jobs evaporated with the demise of heavy industry and the shift of manufacturing overseas. Previously thriving white dominated swathes became ghost towns, occupied by disaffected jobless poorly educated factory workers. While the new immigrants strived to succeed in their new home, the disillusioned native population became increasingly resentful at the government, at the entitlement policies towards the blacks, the Latinos and other minorities who all began to turn to alcohol and drugs to soothe their discontent.

    The Recession of 2008 further exacerbated a situation already teetering on the edge. Middle class whites now began to lose their jobs and fell behind, losing their homes, their security and watching their American Dream shatter with no hope of resuscitation. The recession affected everyone, particularly the minorities already living on the edge but the white majority, facing an unimaginable dire future, needed to assign blame. Consequently, all ignorant white fingers pointed to the immigrants who had stolen their jobs. Furthermore, anger and resentment began to simmer against blacks who they had always believed were intellectually and culturally inferior. Latinos were blamed for swooping the low-paying service jobs, accepting lower wages while the Asians who looked different and appeared to be a cultural and social anomaly, became a formidable threat.

    This stupendous rise in the non-white population was unstoppable and now poised to change the political landscape of the country. In came the first black President of the United States, Barack Obama with an overwhelming support from the non-white and educated white population. With his election in 2008, the white elite declared the death of racism, while the uneducated blue-collar whites deepened their resolve to blame the “other” for all their ills. The working class was historically a Democratic stronghold, but the election of a black President was intolerable and presaged the death of white supremacy. This seething racism was legitimized by the conservative media which thrived on projecting Obama as anti-American, a Muslim, a wolf in black clothing, someone to be despised, overturned at the earliest.

    The demographic constitution of America had now gone through a sea change. For the first time in the history of the country, children under five are a non-white majority, and it is rightly projected that by 2050 whites will be a minority. In fact, no race or ethnicity will be in majority; the country is moving towards a diverse plurality which is radically reshaping the entire political, socio economic and cultural landscape irreversibly and for the better. But it has also been a catastrophic blow to the demographic hegemony of the whites. To see themselves as an underclass of under educated, in the throes of drugs and alcohol, equalizes them with the blacks who have lived like that for generations. The picture is frightfully real and one that they would do anything to reverse. Contemporary America abounds with the violence of racism. The time, therefore, was ripe for a Presidential candidate like Donald Trump, a blustering bigot to successfully tap into this simmering racial hatred breeding in a bed of economic and social impoverishment, and turn it onto a campaign to restore American greatness to where and how it was when the whites were dominant and color of the skin determined status in life. He gave voice to racism that had been palpably felt but not overtly expressed. He brought differences of race, class and ethnicity to the forefront of the political narrative and underpinned his entire pitch on the divisions. It was the whites against the “other”; the anger was unleashed, and his populist, nativist, demagoguery struck a powerful chord with the disgruntled whites who began to dream of a country they once knew. Racism was once again legitimized and the country riven by serious divisions.

    Even with Trump’s supporters being 90 per cent white, he was trailing Hillary Clinton because of the demographic diversity in the US. Sadly, the damage he has done to the psyche of both the whites who believed in his delusory “movement” to restore America to its roots, and the minorities he relentlessly denigrated, will outlast him. Meanwhile, the terror of racism lives on, stronger and emboldened than before.

    (The author is a Professor in the Department of English & Cultural Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh)

     

  • US ELECTIONS: Spotlight on Indian-Americans

    US ELECTIONS: Spotlight on Indian-Americans

    “The Indian-Americans have been moving the pieces, both in the States and at the Federal level, which each successive government in Delhi has learnt to leverage to its benefit. The Presidential race receives the greatest traction among election watchers but it will be prudent to pursue the progress of the Indian-Americans in the Congressional races with greater interest”, says the author

    For the first time in over 60 years, there is a distinct possibility that results of elections in the United States for the Congress may result in more than one Indian-American becoming a lawmaker on the Capitol Hill. From among the 3.4 million-strong Indian-Americans, a handful of them are in the race.

    It is a no-brainer to state that the attention of the world is riveted on the intense electoral battle in the US for one of the most-coveted jobs on planet earth -President of the United States of America (POTUS)

    By the night of November 8, the US and the world should have a fair idea as to whom the Americans entrust with to run the affairs of the state nay the world. Will it be a quintessential politician Hillary Clinton or an untested realty mogul Donald Trump, who hopes to ride into office whipping up “anti-established politician” foam?

    By now millions of words – written or spoken-  predicting the impact of this bruising campaign on the polity and anticipating what the outcome of these elections will signify to world has been done. Political gurus in each country are busy interpreting what a first woman or a political rookie, as the POTUS, will presage for their country.

    Like rest of the world, India too is zealously following elections in the country where Indian-Americans remain deeply engaged with the process. While it is natural for the focus to hover on the big fight, poll-watchers at home should not lose sight of a significant development during these elections.

    For the first time in over 60 years, there is a distinct possibility that results of elections in the United States for the Congress may result in more than one Indian-American becoming a lawmaker on Capitol Hill.

    From among the 3.4-million-strong Indian-Americans, a handful of them are in the race. A few for the office as a Representative and one for the prestigious Senate. This shows that the community is confidently working its way up the political ladder in the land they or their predecessors opted for.

    The six-decade-long march by Indian-Americans to seek political empowerment in the Congress begins with Dalip Singh Saund. Born in Chajjalwadi village, near Amritsar, in 1899, he went to the US to study. He chose to stay back and, and fought for naturalization rights of Asian migrants that eventually came through in the late 1950s.

    Mathematician, judge and author Saund was the first Asian-American elected to the House in 1956 on a Democratic Party ticket and went on to serve three terms. To commemorate Saund’s contribution, his oil portrait now adorns the Cannon House Office Building Rotunda with his words: “There is no room in the United States of America for second-class citizenship”. Since then, two more Indian-Americans served in the US Congress as Representatives, Bobby Jindal (from Louisiana as a Republican) and currently Ami Bera, a physician who challenged and won against Republican Dan Lungren in 2012 from California’s 7th District. Gera’s father Babulal, who hails from Gujarat, was convicted this summer by a court for campaign funds fraud.

    While Ami Bera is up for re-election, prominent among others are, Rohit “Ro” Khanna, a challenger in the 17th District of California (located in the heart of Silicon Valley), Raja Krishnamoorthi from the 8th District of Illinois (consisting West and Northwest suburbs of Chicago) and Pramila Jayapal from the 7th District of Washington (Seattle area). Kamala Harris, is running for the Senate from California, a state where she holds the distinction of being the first woman Attorney-General. She is qualified for either community Indian-American or African-American like the President, to claim her as own. Her cancer researcher mother Shyamla migrated from Tamil Nadu to marry a Jamaican economist, both divorced later.

    Incidentally, all these candidates are Democrats, validating a study by the Pew Research Centre some years ago that of all the Asian-Americans groups in the United States, some 65 per cent of Indian-Americans tend to lean towards the Democratic Party as against the national average of 50 per cent for the immigrants from the continent. Kamala, with 40 cent votes in the primary, is challenging Democratic Representative Loretta Sanchez (19 per cent votes). Both are contesting for the seat vacated by Barbara Boxer. The Economist, in its latest edition, sees her as the star in next Senate amid a not-so-young party leadership. Kamala enjoys the support of President Obama and endorsements of Senators Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, to the discomfort of her Latino opponent.

    Among the favorites tipped to make it is social activist Pramila Jayapal, running for the office for a seat vacated by veteran Democrat Jim McDermott. She joined McDermott, who served as the Chair of India-Caucus in running the “Hate Free Zone’ campaign against attacks on Sikhs, Arabs and Muslims in the State post-9/11 phase. In the primaries, Jayapal with links to Tamil Nadu got some 42 per cent of votes as against 21 per cent by Brady Walkinshaw, also a Democrat. The State rules permits names of top two finishers on the ballot, irrespective of party affiliation.

    Raja Krishnamoorthi’s campaign received a boost this summer when President Obama released a video endorsing candidature of “a good friend” who helped “develop ideas for building an economy that works for everyone” when Obama ran for the US Senate and Raja served as Obama’s policy adviser. He said, “Raja’s plans will help small businesses grow, raise wages, and help families pay for college”.

    Not quite on the same page as Raja, Ro Khanna received an endorsement from former President Jimmy Carter. Ro came into the limelight when President Obama appointed him Deputy Assistant Secretary in his first term. Ro is challenging veteran Democrat Mike Honda, an Asian-American with established credentials in the Congress.

    Indian-Americans figure among the highly educated ethnic groups, with some 70 per cent in the 2010 Census shown as having a median annual household of$88,000. Besides IT, Indian medical specialists and researchers in various fields and academia form the backbone of the country-specific groups’ presence in the land of immigrants. The Indian-Americans have been moving the pieces, both in the States and at the Federal level, which each successive government in Delhi has learnt to leverage to its benefit. The Presidential race receives the greatest traction among election watchers but it will be prudent to pursue the progress of the Indian-Americans in the Congressional races with greater interest. The next administration will need to deal with the Capitol Hill.

    (The author can be reached at kveprasad2007@gmail.com)

  • It is your right and duty to vote

    It is your right and duty to vote

    Who wouldn’t like to be a part of the historic 2016 Presidential election?. Remember, each vote counts. And, moreover, we all have our right to vote and, more importantly, it is our duty to vote; more so, when the race is so tight. I don’t think there would be any who would sit back and see the ideology he subscribes to being trampled underfoot. So, friends, no matter who you wish to elect, stand by your candidate and share the joy of your candidate’s victory.

    With over 30 million ballots cast in the US presidential election early voting, Democrats were building a lead in North Carolina and Nevada states, while Republicans maintained an edge in Florida and Ohio, according to a CNN analysis.

    With five days to go till November 8, registered Republicans also led Democrats in early voting in Arizona, while Democrats were ahead in Colorado and Iowa, the analysis revealed on Thursday, November 3.

    So far, about 7.4 million registered Democrats and about 6.4 million Republicans have done just that.

    It is your turn, if you have not voted earlier, to vote. Get out and vote on November 8th and be a part of the Nation’s history.

  • Community Leaders Endorse Suozzi for Congress

    Community Leaders Endorse Suozzi for Congress

    LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): Indian American Community leaders from Nassau, Suffolk and Queens came together in the past two weeks and expressed their collective support for Tom Suozzi, running for the US House of Representatives, in the third congressional district covering parts of the three counties.

    Dr. Deepak Nandi, Dr. Bhupi Patel, Dr. Dattatreya Nori, Anumolu Rao, Animesh Goenka, Sunil Modi, Sekhar Nelanuthala, Gobind Bathija, Satnam Parhar and 30 other prominent members of the community assembled at the Albertson home of Ratna and Varinder Bhalla, hosts of the fundraiser on October 28, and expressed their strong support in electing Suozzi for Congress on November 8. Numerous other physicians and community activists gathered for another fundraiser organized by Dr. Ajay Lodha and  Dr. Vaijinath Chakote in Roslyn on October 23.

    Varinder K Bhalla, Chairman & Founder of the Indian American Voters Forum announced that members of its advisory committee unanimously endorsed the former County Executive for election to the US Congress. “Tom Suozzi has been a great supporter of the Indian community for nearly two decades and as Congressman, he will be a great for India, United States and Indo US relations”, said Bhalla. Founded in 2003, the Indian American Voters Forum promotes voter registration drive and conducts debates among political candidates seeking elective office.

    “As County Executive, Tom Suozzi had appointed more Indian Americans in high level positions in his administration than any other County Executive in the entire State of New York,” Bhalla added. Representing the Sikh community, Dr. Harsimran Singh Sabharwal expressed appreciation for Suozzi for “helping us to build a Gurudwara in Glen Cove when he was its Mayor.” Dr. Bhupi Patel made an impassioned appeal that all members of the community exercise their right to vote and vote for Tom Suozzi.

    Earlier this year, at a reception hosted by the Bhallas for the incoming Consul General Riva Ganguli Das, Suozzi stressed his longstanding association with the Indian American community on Long Island, and said, “if I am elected, I will join the US Congressional Caucus on India &Indian Americans and work to strengthen the bond between the world’s largest democracy and the world’s oldest democracy.”

     

    (Based on a press release issued by Varinder Bhalla)

  • Tough days ahead for Hillary Clinton: RAVI BATRA

    Tough days ahead for Hillary Clinton: RAVI BATRA

    NEW YORK (TIP): The FBI’s decision to re-open email scandal investigation has opened a new web of legal challenges for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton which could end up in her impeachment if she becomes the next US president, a top Indian-American attorney has claimed.Batra said Huma Abedin, who is at the center of the current storm that has engulfed Clinton, 10 days ahead of the elections, is at the risk of having lied to the FBI. (Source: Reuters)

    The FBI’s decision to re-open email scandal investigation has opened a new web of legal challenges for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton which could end up in her impeachment if she becomes the next US president, a top Indian-American attorney has claimed.

    “The effect of this Friday re-opening is earth shattering: the criminal investigation is re-opened, and it is not limited to Weiner’s laptop. Its open-ended,” Ravi Batra told PTI.

    “This may well peter out having narrowed Hillary’s win and lead her post-Oath as POTUS (president of the United States) to face opposition from House Republicans that will seem to kiss impeachment post-Day One,” warned Batra, a Democrat who has been closely following 69-year-old Clinton’s alleged email scandal.Batra said Huma Abedin, who is at the center of the current storm that has engulfed Clinton, 10 days ahead of the elections, is at the risk of having lied to the FBI.”Hillary’s “shadow” Huma, is at risk of having lied to federal FBI – which if she did, is a felony. Worse, is if she hires her own lawyer, not one paid for by Hillary. For if Huma seeks immunity, the House of Cards will unravel in ways unimaginable in American history,” he said yesterday.

    Batra, who now chairs National Advisory Council South Asian Affairs, said just when the 2016 presidential election was coming to a merciful close, it all blew up on Friday with FBI Director Jim Comey’s Letter to Congress. In the letter Comey informed the Congress that he was re-opening the email investigation of Clinton.

    “Comey is a man who will vindicate the law and the Constitution, and by so doing, redeem every ounce of his honor that was bled on the partisan political battlefield,” he said.

    Comey is under an unprecedented attack from the Clinton Campaign and the Democratic Party for taking such a decision.

    Batra said Comey took the decision after it was referred to him by Indian-American Preet Bharara, who was looking into the investigation of an alleged sexting case of former Congressman Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of Abedin. During the investigation, the FBI agents seized a laptop of Weiner which he shared with Abedin.

    According to media reports, the laptop has more than 650,000 emails, many of which could be of Abedin’s work related and this form part of the email scandal investigation.”The bottom line of Comey’s unprecedented go-it-alone decision to re-open Hillary’s criminal investigation based upon Preet’s referral to him of Weiner’s laptop is nothing short of his rebuke of those who dared to fool him, and then, maybe, even gloat,” Batra said.

    “I and the world expected Hillary or Biden to become the Democratic Nominee and to win the presidency. Unfortunately, all of us who appreciate experienced people to lead nations, who are proportionate and calibrated in their actions and deliberated governance, have been let down,” he said.

    “One can only hope that the Early Voting will buffer the Friday Comey letter and Hillary wins, Trump loses, and then America can well self-correct to a better future,” he said.

    (Source: Facebook/ The Financial Express/PTI)

  • Indian American SC Governor Nikki Haley feels choked everytime Trump opens his mouth and yet supports him

    Indian American SC Governor Nikki Haley feels choked everytime Trump opens his mouth and yet supports him

    ORLANDO, FL (TIP): Indian-American South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has reaffirmed her support to her party candidate Donald Trump in the November 8 general elections saying she will vote for him out of concern over presidential appointments but “holds her breath” every day on what the controversial Republican will say next.

    “Every day I hold my breath wondering what he’s gonna say, I mean, I do,” Ms Haley told WIBC radio’s 93.1 FM, October 31, about the 70-year-old real estate tycoon known for his divisive rhetoric.

    During the primaries, Haley had endorsed Marco Rubio for presidency and had even clashed with Trump on some policy issues. She, however, said she would vote for Trump in the presidential elections next Tuesday.

    “I don’t expect everybody to agree with me. What I can tell you is, I have always said that I would support the Republican nominee, that was not a big secret. Everybody’s deciding to talk about this again. But I’ve always said that I was gonna support the Republican nominee,” Ms Haley said.

    “I have not always agreed with the way Donald Trump has communicated with the public in a time when the Republican Party is more diverse than it’s ever been, is continuing to grow its tent, is continuing to pull people together, and showing that, through all the Republican governors and all their successes, you know, to see someone that communicates anything that would divide us is not something that we want,” she added.

    Responding to a question, Ms Haley said she thinks that this entire election has been “disheartening for both parties”.

    At the same time, she said she was more concerned about the possibility of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton making appointments to the Supreme Court and to the cabinet.

    Haley said by picking Indian Governor Mike Pence as his running mate, Trump has shown that he could be surrounded by good people.

    “I will absolutely vote for Trump,” she said.Last week at a news conference, Haley had said that the election has turned her stomach upside down.

    “I think I’ve been really clear. This election has turned my stomach upside down. It has been embarrassing for both parties. It’s not something that the country deserves, but it’s what we’ve got.””Having said that, what I will tell you is that this is no longer a choice for me on personalities because I’m not a fan of either one,” she said, referring to Trump and Clinton. “What it is about is policy.”

  • Get Out and Vote for Hillary Clinton: Bipin Sangankar

    Get Out and Vote for Hillary Clinton: Bipin Sangankar

    Election propaganda of 2016 Presidential race is being closed and October surprise has almost disappeared. Flawless presidential candidate is myth. So, we have to make choice from the given stock. I urge that this November 8, Americans and Asian – Americans get out and vote for Mrs. Hillary Clinton.

    Poll predictions might show her as the winner but we must remember that every vote matters. I request everyone to vote for Democratic candidate Mrs. Clinton. By becoming first women President of USA she will not only make history but will also continue Obama Government ‘s good policies so that road to peace and prosperity will not be narrowed. To my part I have been active supporter of Mrs. Clinton since 2000 when the retiring NY senator Moynihan endorsed herto replace him. We, a group of active Indo-Americans in NY/NJ, formed a political action committee and raised funds for her and Al Gore. I was then secretary to Indo-American Democratic Committee affiliated to NY democratic party organization under Judith Hope’ watch. Mayor Bill de Blasio was Mrs. Clinton’s campaign manger and I worked with him as well. I have been very active in her campaign this time too in a unique way. I have approached allmy past students of NYU, Fordham and Jon Jay College in NYC and William Paterson and Kean Universities in NJ to vote for her. This is my last public appeal to vote for Mrs. Clinton. Thank you.

  • Days in to Poll, Democrat Clinton holds lead, albeit slender, over Trump

    Days in to Poll, Democrat Clinton holds lead, albeit slender, over Trump

    Though the presidential election is believed to be tight, the latest polls give Hillary a slender lead over Trump.

    NEW YORK(TIP): Democrat Hillary Clinton maintained her narrow lead over Republican rival Donald Trump in the US presidential race just days ahead of the November 8 election, according to two polls released on Thursday, October 3.

    A New York Times/CBS poll of 1,333 registered voters found Clinton ahead by 3 percentage points, at the cusp of the October 28-November 1 with margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

    A Washington Post/ABC poll showed Clinton 2 percentage points ahead among 1,767 likely voters surveyed October 29 – November 1. It also had a 3-percentage point margin of error.

     

  • “Get Out and vote for Hillary-a longtime friend of India and Indian Americans

    “Get Out and vote for Hillary-a longtime friend of India and Indian Americans

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Indian American supporters of Hillary Clinton strongly feel that the community should vote for her as only she can take the Indo-US relationship to a new level because she truly understands India and its culture.

    Hillary Clinton and Sant Chatwal- a firm handshake
    Hillary Clinton and Sant Chatwal- a firm handshake

    Indian Americans for Democrats and Friends of Hillary for President, an advocacy group supporting Hillary Clinton for President made a passionate plea to the Indian American community to vote for Hillary. Indian-American hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal, chairman of Indian-Americans for Democrats and Friends of Hillary for President, hosted a well-attended press conference on November 2 at the Chatwal hotel in midtown Manhattan, New York City. He was joined by former chief of medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital and community leader, Dr. Bhupi Patel, and Founder of Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) and former commissioner in President Bill Clinton’s White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Mike Patel.

    The Chatwal family with Hillary
    The Chatwal family with Hillary

    Chatwal, who has been a longtime friend of the Clintons, described how he convinced Bill Clinton for his India trip that ‘opened the doors for improving India-US relations.’Bill Clinton undertook a visit in March, 2000, 22 yearsafter a US President had visited India. It was in 1978 when a Democratic President Jimmy Carter had last visited India. Sant took a jibe at the Republicans for touting their love of India now but where were they earlier. He also highlighted how Bill and Hillary Clinton relentlessly worked for betterment of ties between the two countries. “She (Hillary) visited India quite a few times since 95- in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012. She understands India, Indian culture. Indian-Americans should vote for her as she can boost India-US relations.”

    Hillary joins Daman Chatwal in a Punjabi jig
    Hillary joins Daman Chatwal in a Punjabi jig

    Getting nostalgic about his and wife, Daman’s 25 year old relationship with Clintons, Sant Chatwal described that he felt immediate positive vibes on his first ever meeting with Clintons.

    “I had good vibes when I first met the Clintons in 1991. They are good people; very fair and emotionally connected,” Chatwal recalled, adding, “Hillary’s experience as a politician; her love for India and Indian Americans and her conscious effort to do good for America, made her an ideal candidate to receive our vote.”

    Hillary poses with Sant and Daman Chatwal at a public gathering
    Hillary poses with Sant and Daman Chatwal at a public gathering

    Chatwal dwelt a length the long and distinguished career of Hillary. It began with Hillary as the First Lady of Arkansas where her husband Bill Clinton was Governor for more than a decade. It was then that she came in close contact with politics and politicians and started learning the nitty gritty of the statecraft. As First Lady of The US from 1993-2001, she got ample opportunity to meet with world leaders and leaders from the country and got to have an intimate knowledge of working of politics and diplomacy. In the White House, Hillary assumed a serious policy role and took the lead on Bill’s failed efforts to reform the American healthcare system.

    Chatwal recounted her services as Senator from New York and later as Secretary of State of the US. Over four years that she was Secretary of State she visited 112 countries and wracked up nearly 1 million miles in the air, as she carried Obama’s message of multilateralism and cautious use of American power around the world. In Washington, she became one of the President’s closest advisors working closely with the White House as the Arab Spring flared and the US moved to kill Osama bin Laden.

    If Chatwal spoke highly of Hillary Clinton, he did not hold his comments on Trump, too. He questioned Donald Trump’s ability “to run a country”.

    “Running a government is very different from running a business. One needs knowledge and experience. It’s not easy to run a country.”

    He feared that if Trump became Presidenthe will be disastrous for the country and wipe out trillions of dollars from US economy.

    “As a businessman I want to protect our economy. If Trump becomes President, the market will drop by 25 per cent, four-five trillion dollars will be lost.”

    Chatwal also slammed Trump for his remark that he is a “big fan of Hindus” and of India at an event in New Jersey last month. “India is not only for Hindus; India has Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and many more. Trump has to understand that. India has a large Muslim population. Muslim population is more in India than in Pakistan. Trump does not know that. Talk is cheap but it is difficult to deliver.”

    Dr Bhupi Patel highlighted how Hillary has stood with India and the Indian-American community on vital issues like immigration, education and health care. He said the community should vote for her as Clinton has strong policies in these areas that will benefit the community and future generations.

    “It’s time to reciprocate. We need somebody in White House who knows India. Trump does not know India.”

    Dr Patel said Clinton is an “inclusive” leader who has worked for the community for the last few decades while Trump is in “exclusive’ person who talks about isolating the US. “How can you have a leader who damages global relations? America cannot afford to get isolated. You cannot discriminate against minorities. It is very important for the minority communities to be involved in the political process. We have to make our presence felt.”

    Hillary addressing a convention of International Punjabi Society in New York. Sant Chatwal is seen to her right
    Hillary addressing a convention of International Punjabi Society in New York. Sant Chatwal is seen to her right

    Mike Patel recounted his experience as commissioner in President Bill Clinton’s White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. “President Clinton did what he did because he cared about new immigrants, who worked hard and paid taxes but never received full benefits. It shows the party cares for us. We have to decide what kind of America we want for our kids. Who will be inclusive of your children? That should give you the answer who should you vote for.”

    HR Shah, CEO of TV Asia and a long time supporter of Indian Americans for Democrats gave a hard-hitting note. “In 240 years America does not have a Woman president. Even India had a woman prime minister 30 years ago, who ruled for 10 years, but it’s unfortunate that America is so backward in realizing the strength of women power. We want to see the change. Make noise for the fundamental change,” he said.

    The speakers also reminded that Indian community’s voting numbers may be small but in close elections, small numbers matter more. The key states are those that are traditionally Republican and are called Red States, and the swing states where the two parties are almost evenly poised and could go either way.

    Chatwal pointed to the 2000 elections, which Democrat Al Gore lost by less than 400 votes in Florida and said, that in states like Florida votes of Indian Americans carry more weight as a deciding factor. Urging the Indian-American community to exercise their electoral right, he said each vote would count on November 8.

    Over three-million-strong Indian-American community has traditionally supported the Democratic Party and Trump has been trying to pursue the community to make a dent in its vote bank. According to a poll, over 70% of Indian Americans are Democratic supporters with only 13% backing Republicans and 14% Independents. About 67% of them support Clinton compared to only 7% for Trump.

    The panelists -Sant Chatwal, Bhupi Patel and Mike Patel-made a unanimous and passionate appeal to Indian Americans to “Get out and vote for Hillary”.

  • Destiny of Victory for Raja to the U.S. Congress evinced

    Destiny of Victory for Raja to the U.S. Congress evinced

    CHICAGO, IL (TIP): The Indian Americans evince brimming optimism as they await for the defining moment in the political history to see their own Raja Krishnamoorthi emerge victorious as the United States Congressman representing not just the 8th congressional district but the entire Indian American diaspora as the winds of change gather momentum just days away from the elections  – This was articulated by a legion of Chicago leaders at the Community Reception hosted at Maharaja India Restaurant in Rosemont, IL on October 24, 2016.

    With the current trajectory of the congressional race looking increasingly reassuring, this defining moment seems to bear promise to see their beloved Indian American son Raja Krishnamoorthi to be ushered into the hallowed halls of the United States Congress. Raja Krishnamoorthi remains the most widely acknowledged candidate to have received a wide spread mainstream newspapers ringing endorsements hailing him as the “best candidate hands down” and extoling him for his “enthusiastic grasp on issues” advancing “working families agenda”; with President Obama joining to give a testimonial push on TV — augurs well for him to cross the finish line on in the national elections on November 8th, 2016

    Setting the event in motion, Sanhita Agnihotri invited Raja Krishnamoorthi along with the principal hosts Hanumanth Reddy, Iftekhar Shareef, Keerthi Kumar Ravoori, Ajai Agnihotri, Dr. Vijay Prabhakar and Ajeet Singh to join the lamp lighting ceremony and added saying that the lighting of the lamp symbolizes invocation of an auspicious outcome in the elections.

    Raja Krishnamoorthi thanked the host of community, organizational, business and grass- root level leaders gathered at the event and assured them of his undying devotion to represent them and added saying “when I go to the Congress, you go with me” amidst sustained applause.

    Keerthi Kumar Ravoori Co-Host, in his welcome remarks, said that this is truly a historic opportunity for the Indian Americans to help usher Raja into the most revered portals of the United States Congress for him to represent our hopes, values, aspirations that are central to the Indian Americans and his congressional constituents. Keerthi Ravoori reiterated that Raja Krishnamoorthi when elected he will hit the ground running to embark enthusiastically on driving his legislative agenda that seeks to uplift the lives of the working families.

    Iftekhar Shareef, co-host, introducing Raja, emphatically laid out the vision of Raja and said Raja represents the hopes of not just the diverse electorate of his congressional district but the entire Indian diaspora and added Raja will remain a tremendous force in the U.S. Congress in taking the lead in formulating policies and legislations that elevate every American. Iftekhar Shareef said under the congressional leadership of Raja a new vibrant chapter in the Indo US relations is envisaged.

    Ajai Agnihotri in his brief statement said Raja is a phenomenon that is likely to dominate the Capitol Hill with his refreshing voice of strength and conviction; while Dr. Vijay Prabhakar challenged the Indian Americans to seize this rare opportunity to rise in collective strength of unity to help elect Raja and added that Raja will be a shining inspiration for many generations to come.

    Proposing a vote of thanks, Sanhita Agnihotri was joined by Poonam Gupta-Krishnan, Nazneen Hashmi, Shirley Kalvakota, and Mrs. Inder Gauri who presented a flower bouquet to Raja. Some of the well-known attendees at the reception include Dr. Sriram Sonty, Babu [Marsha] Patel, Inder Gauri, Jitendra Digvanker, Harish Kolasani, John Trivedi, Dr. Hyder Mohhamned, Cecil Joseph, Satish Dadepogu, Baba Daljit Singh, Mitul Patel, Azhar Siddique & Emmanuel Neela.

    (Photograph and Press release by Asian Media USA)

  • Indian American Doctor Hopes Hillary Clinton Magic Will Help Him Enter US Congress

    Indian American Doctor Hopes Hillary Clinton Magic Will Help Him Enter US Congress

    DETROIT (TIP): An Indian-American doctor has expressed hope that Democratic party’s presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s surging popularity will help him enter the US House of Representatives by winning a traditionally Republican seat in the suburb of Detroit.

    Mumbai-born 65-year-old urologist Anil Kumar, who specializes in robotic surgery, is trying his luck to enter the US Congress for the second time after he was eliminated in the primaries in his first attempt in 2014. Armed with the popular support from the entire South Asian base and the growing popularity of Clinton, Dr Kumar said the latest internal polls showed that he was within the margin of error with his Republican incumbent David Trott.

    “No integration (of the immigrants) is complete, unless we are integrated politically,” Dr Kumar told PTI in Detroit in the most populous city of the US state of Michigan.In addition to the policy of healthcare, employment and education that he is advocating for his constituents, Dr Kumar said one of the reasons for him deciding to run for the Congress was to pave the way for the next generation of Indian Americans to be part and parcel of the political mainstream. “It is important that we do more in the political arena,” he said. The 11th Congressional District of Michigan has some 400,000 voters. Indian Americans account for some 20,000 and then there are 4,000 Pakistani Americans who have thrown their weight for him. Dr Kumar is running an effective campaign with a big team of 250 volunteers, 60 interns, several paid staff working from five offices spread over his sprawling constituency located in the northwest of Detroit. Dr Kumar made Detroit his home after he landed in the US in 1984 following his departure from Mumbai. He earned his medical degree from Mumbai.

    “It’s a tight race. And with Clinton’s popularity gaining ground, my chances have become better,” Dr Kumar said. Another Indian-American Syed Taj, who lost the election by 22,000 votes in 2012, is also campaigning for Kumar this time. “He has a chance as the poll dynamics and demographics have changed,” Mr. Taj said. However, mainstream media and political pundits consider it a safe seat for the Republicans.”This could potentially be a race to keep an eye on if Trump’s numbers continue to fall,” Detroit Free Press said. Dr Kumar said, if elected, he would work towards improving relationship between India and the US. “A larger and better representation of Indian Americans in the Congress would help strengthening the bond of India-US relationship,” he said.

    “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing a tremendous job. We (in the Congress) can further enhance it,” said Dr Kumar, who so far has been endorsed by several top Democratic leaders, including Senator Carl Levin.

  • Your Vote Can Make the Difference

    Your Vote Can Make the Difference

    With this year’s tight and controversial presidential race, and with anti-immigrant sentiment at a peak, we can take nothing for granted. This is why I am urgently calling to those among New York City’s more than 1.5 million naturalized citizens, if you are registered to vote, to go to the polls on November 8. Every single vote counts.

    The right to vote is not a given. Some of you have experienced undemocratic governments in places where voting is riddled with fraud, doesn’t happen at all or can put you at risk of reprisals. But as a U.S. citizen, your right to vote ensures your participation in the democratic process that gives you a voice in the decisions that shape your life.

    The electorate has never been so ethnically and racially diverse. According to a Pew Research Center 2016 report, this year 31 percent of the eligible voters are Hispanic, Asian, black or other minorities. In New York City, the Campaign Finance Board confirms that naturalized citizens lead in the gains made in voter registration, and their turnout rates equal or outpace native-born citizens. Yet, New York City hit a historic low in overall voter turnout in the 2014 midterm elections, when barely 20 percent went to the polls. This has to change.

    It is important we understand what is at stake here.

    In 2013, immigrant workers accounted for $257 billion in economic activity — that’s nearly one third of the value of all finished goods and services produced here. Immigrants represent almost half of the City’s workforce. Over 80 percent of dishwashers, nannies, garment workers and taxi drivers are immigrants. Seventy percent of medical and life scientists; 60 percent of civil engineers; 58 percent of registered nurses; and more than half of our dentists, mechanical engineers, tax preparers, and pharmacists are foreign-born. And one in four CEOs in corporations with a presence in our City are immigrants. Clearly, the economic contribution to the City is tremendous.

    So, casting your vote could be a YES to protecting the economic investment made for your children and their children, and to ensuring an enduring opportunity to work. A YES to keeping the doors open for others like you, who want a better life, and whose enterprise keeps our City and this country vibrant and growing. And a YES to protect the right to educate your children, without fear, who will carry on our immigrant tradition.

    Your vote could also be a NO to racism, discrimination and hate.

    It’s time to rally family, friends, and community members to vote. Remember your vote can help speak for those who are not eligible to go to the polls in November, but whose investment and commitment to their American life is just as strong as yours.

    For information about your polling site and ballots in languages other than English go to http://vote.nyc.ny.us/html/forms/forms.shtml, or call the Board of Elections office in your borough.

  • Political Debate Turning Americans Against Each Other: Neera Tanden

    Political Debate Turning Americans Against Each Other: Neera Tanden

    Washington: The political debate in the current election season has turned Americans against each other, Indian-American Neera Tanden from the Clinton campaign has claimed, while her counterpart from the Trump’s camp said the national prestige has gone down under the Obama regime.

    “The political debate this election season is turning Americans against each other,” Ms Tanden, co-chair of the Clinton Transition Team said during the first ‘Town Hall Meeting: Election 2016’.

    The townhall was organized by the DC chapter of South Asian Bar Association (SABA).

    “Some people are turned away from events because of how they look like is a very unfortunate development,” she said in response to a question.

    The Trump Campaign, represented by Puneet Ahluwalia who was recently appointed as the its advisor on Asia Pacific American Advisory Body.

    Mr Ahluwalia alleged the prestige and reputation of the United States under the Obama Administration has come down. and terrorism is on the rise.

    “The country is on a disastrous path. Our national prestige is down. We have to bring our country back again,” he said.

    Ms Tanden disagreed strongly to the allegations and claimed the friends and allies of the US are today worried and anxious a lot because of the rhetoric of Trump.

    “If she (Clinton) is so fortunate to be the president she would have an administration that would look like America,” she said.

    Referring to the fact that Clinton was the founder of co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, Ms Tanden said the Democratic presidential nominee is in the best interest of Indian-Americans and Indo-US relationship.

    The two Indian-American leaders from the GOP and Democratic parties sparred on various policy issues including economy, tax, jobs, health care and student loans.

    “This election has repercussions well beyond the executive, it will no doubt have a significant impact on Congress and the Supreme Court,” Rahul Das, chief of SABA said.

    “Donald Trump has vented the frustration of a lot of middle American youth,” Mr Ahluwalia said, adding that jobs of youths have been taken away.

    “He has given a sign to them that things have to change for the better,” he said.

    Responding to a question if the candidate is a role model for the child, the two Indian-Americans raised the personal allegations against the two presidential candidates.

    Ms Tanden first referred to the recent surfacing of a video in which Trump is seen making lewd remarks about women.

    Ahluwalia asked the young lawyers not to think about becoming a White House intern, because of the past allegation on former US President Bill Clinton.

    He said Mr Trump is a role model and as a successful businessman, the Republican presidential nominee has raised some great kids.

    Citing some of the rhetorics against minorities, Sikhs and Muslims, Ms Tanden said Trump can never be a role model.

    Referring to the accomplishments of the Bush Administration, Ahluwalia said Indo-US relations will be best under a Republican Administration.

    Responding to a question on Trump’s presence at an Indian American event in New Jersey, he said it shows that Trump has respect for the Indian-Americans and Hindus.

    “The party is open to immigrants who are willing to abide by the rules and enjoy the success of America,” he added.

    Countering him, Ms Tanden said , “this election cycle has been stark. For the first time I have faced anti-India slur and hate messages. I have been told that I would be deported, though I am born in the US,”

    “Do you know of an Indian-American who was thrown out of a Trump event,” she said referring to the level of intolerance in Trump Campaign and event.

  • 70% of Indian American voters prefer Hillary Clinton, 7% Donald Trump: Survey

    70% of Indian American voters prefer Hillary Clinton, 7% Donald Trump: Survey

    DALLAS, TX (TIP): Asian Indian or Indian American registered voters are overwhelmingly Democratic, with a whopping 70% of the community favoring Hillary Clinton, according to a new National Asian American Survey (NAAS). Donald Trump, in fact, falls into third place with only a meager 7% support for him, outstripped by support for ‘other candidate and leaners’ which shows at 9% support.

    Asian Americans overwhelmingly Democrats, shows new survey

    In line with that, Asian-American registered voters are increasingly identifying as Democrats, with a whopping 11 percentage points increase since 2012, over those in the community who are registered Republicans, according to the survey. Interestingly, Asian-Indian or Indian American community led both the 2012 and the 2016  polls with overwhelming support for Democrats. While in 2012 it was 68% Democratic, with only 10%shown as Republicans, in 2016, 71%registered voters are seen as Democrats vs. 13% as Republicans, for a net gain of one percent. The 2016 survey, released last week, also found that 59 percent of respondents favor Hillary Clinton in this year’s presidential election while only 16 percent prefer Donald Trump – 26 percent are either undecided or favor a third-party candidate, reported fivethirtyeight.com A whopping 79% Indian Americans view Trump unfavorably, with 67% viewing him very unfavorably, the survey found. The NAAS sampled 2,238 Asian-Americans and 305 Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders.

    Polling Asian-Americans can be difficult, the report said. Asian-Americans have one of the highest rates of limitedEnglish proficiency, and about 3 in 4 are foreign-born. For these reasons, 45 percent of the interviews in the NAAS were conducted in one of nine languages other than English (Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Japanese, Hindi, Hmong, Cambodian).

    Indeed, “Asian-American” is a broad group that includes many different ethnicities with distinct political traditions. Vietnamese-Americans have historically leaned more Republican than other Asian-American subgroups, for example; Indian-Americans and Japanese-Americans have leaned more Democratic. Still, Democrats have made substantial gains across most ethnic subgroups of Asian-Americans, noted fivethirtyeight.com.

    In the aftermath of the 2012 election, the Republican National Committee (RNC) released a report calling on the party to do a better job connecting with minority populations. The RNC hired a nationalfield director, Stephen Fong, and a national communications director, Jason Chung, to conduct outreach to Asian-American voters. Karthick Ramakrishnan, director of the NAAS, said in an interview that the GOP was “trying to project this image of the Republican Party that was more open, that is more tolerant, that is trying to do significant outreach to the community.”

    Ramakrishnan said the GOP appeared to be making strides in some areas, pointing to the 2014 election of several Asian-American Republicans to seats in California’s state legislature. But he said that the polarizing nature of this year’s GOP presidential nominee seems to be nullifying any gains Republicans might have made and that support among Asian-Americans for the GOP may be lower now than in 2012.

    In previous years, Ramakrishnan said, surveys of Asian-Americans showed larger differences in political preferences between subgroups and between regions of the country. “One way you could put it is that Trump is nationalizing the election for Asian-Americans,” he said.

    Trump’s effect on the concerns of Asian-Americans may be evident in an open-ended NAAS question that asks respondents to name the “most important problem facing the United States.” Ten percent of registered voters in the NAAS said “racism or racial discrimination,” the third-most-common answer, behind the economy and national security. Trump has been criticized for anti-immigrant and racist rhetoric, including saying that Mexican immigrants are rapists, and for proposing to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country.

  • Hillary Clinton leads in National Polls

    Hillary Clinton leads in National Polls

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Hillary Clinton has built a formidable lead over Donald Trump in terms of opinion poll’s percentage points, but, poll numbers are swinging in Battleground states as Nevada and Florida change status back to “battleground” from “lean Democratic” and now maintain their traditional toss-up status.

    Leaving the battleground states undecided for now, CNN’s electoral outlook has Clinton at 272 electoral votes from states either solidly or leaning in her direction. Trump has a total of 179 electoral votes from the states either solidly or leaning in his direction. 87 electoral votes currently up for grabs in the battleground states will decide this head to head race regardless of what Opinion Polls suggest – remember opinion polls generally tend to have a sample size of about 1,000 people or more and can track movement and general opinion well.

    But the US election is won and lost in swing states and decided by the electoral college system.

    ratingThis means that polls in states that look like they could vote for either candidate play an integral role in election projections.

    As on October 27, most polls here in the US and in UK speak of Clinton’s lead, and a comfortable one, over Trump.

    The Upshot gives Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee for president, a 92 percent chance of winning, compared to Republican candidate Donald Trump’s 8 percent. While Trump could still win, The Upshot says: “Mrs. Clinton’s chance of losing is about the same as the probability that an N.F.L. kicker misses a 31-yard field goal.” According to The Upshot, the chance of Clinton winning the election has increased steadily since the beginning of the month: On October 1, Clinton had a 76 percent chance of winning compared to Trump’s 24 percent.

    On October 26th night, FiveThirtyEight ‘s Nate Silver wrote that Trump has “probably narrowed his deficit against Clinton,” but by too little to see any major shift. FiveThirtyEight ‘s election forecast on October 27 predicted that, nationally, Clinton will take 84.4 percent of the vote to Trump’s 15.6 percent. Meanwhile, 46 percent of voters in a YouGov poll published October 27 said they intend to vote for Clinton, while 41 percent said they will cast their vote for Trump.

    Real Clear Politics had Clinton leading Trump by 5.4 points on Thursday, a slight dip from the same time a week ago, when she was up by 6.1 points. The average from Thursday’s polls had Clinton with 48.6 percent support and Trump with 42.7 percent.

    Outlier of The Day: Evan McMullin! According to a SurveyMonkey poll from Utah published on October 27, 29 percent of voters say they will choose McMullin, a conservative independent candidate, the same percentage who say they intend to vote for Clinton. Trump is ahead in Utah by a narrow margin, at 32 percent. McMullin, who is Mormon, has polled highly in the state, where he’s seen as a viable alternative to the brashness and unpredictability of Trump.

    map

    Solid Republican:

    Alabama (9), Alaska (3), Arkansas (6), Idaho (4), Indiana (11), Kansas (6), Kentucky (8), Louisiana (8), Mississippi (6), Missouri (10), Montana (3), Nebraska (4), North Dakota (3), Oklahoma (7), South Carolina (9), South Dakota (3), Tennessee (11), Texas (38), West Virginia (5), Wyoming (3) (157 total)

    Leans Republican:Georgia (16), Iowa (6), (22 total)

     

    Battleground states:

    Arizona (11), Florida (29), Nevada (6), Ohio (18), Maine 2nd Congressional District (1) Nebraska 2nd Congressional District (1), North Carolina (15), Utah (6) (87 total)

    Leans Democratic:

    Colorado (9), Michigan (16), New Hampshire (4), Pennsylvania (20), Virginia (13), Wisconsin (10), (72 total)

    Solid Democratic:

    California (55), Connecticut (7), Delaware (3), DC (3), Hawaii (4), Illinois (20), Maine (3), Maryland (10), Massachusetts (11), New Jersey (14), New York (29), Oregon (7), Rhode Island (4), Vermont (3), Washington (12), Minnesota (10), New Mexico (5) (200 total)

  • Why exactly Donald Trump called Hillary Clinton ‘NASTY WOMAN’

    Why exactly Donald Trump called Hillary Clinton ‘NASTY WOMAN’

    WASHINGTON (TIP): What exactly did Hillary Clinton say that riled her Republican opponent Donald Trump so much?

    She more than hinted that far from being worried about “crooked Hillary” -as Trump calls her – people should be focussing on a crooked, tax-dodging Trump.

    Clinton was talking about policy to do with social security for an aging America.

    “My Social Security payroll contribution will go up, as will Donald’s, assuming he can’t figure out how to get out of it,” she said.

    The reference was obvious. If Trump wriggled out of paying taxes before, he could most certainly do it with Social Security taxes in the future.

    Trump didn’t like what she said one bit.

    “Such a nasty woman,” he retorted.

    And that comment was very likely the final nail in the coffin of his campaign. “This kind of direct insult is very unusual on the debate stage” wrote Vox, a political news site.

    What could have led to such a Trump meltdown? Perhaps it was the verbal pounding Clinton delivered throughout the 90-odd minute third debate.

    Before a look at some of Clinton’s slam dunks, here’s a look at Trump’s own goal.

    Trump – “Nobody has more respect for women than I do. Nobody.”

    Clinton’s knockout punches On Jobs

    “Donald has bought Chinese steel and aluminum. In fact, the Trump Hotel right here in Las Vegas was made with Chinese steel. So he goes around with crocodile tears about how terrible it is, but he has given jobs to Chinese steelworkers, not American steelworkers.”

    On Trump constantly deriding her 30 years in public life

    “He raised the 30 years of experience, so let me just talk briefly about that. You know, back in the 1970s, I worked for the Children’s Defense Fund. And I was taking on discrimination against African-American kids in schools. He was getting sued by the Justice Department for racial discrimination in his apartment buildings.

    In the 1980s, I was working to reform the schools in Arkansas. He was borrowing $14 million from his father to start his businesses. In the 1990s, I went to Beijing and I said women’s rights are human rights. He insulted a former Miss Universe, Alicia Machado, called her an eating machine.”

    (At this point Trump interjects with “Give me a break.” Unfazed, Clinton goes on)

    “And on the day when I was in the Situation Room, monitoring the raid that brought Osama bin Laden to justice, he was hosting the “Celebrity Apprentice.” So I’m happy to compare my 30 years of experience, what I’ve done for this country, trying to help in every way I could, especially kids and families get ahead and stay ahead, with your 30 years, and I’ll let the American people make that decision.”

    On Women

    “In the last debate, we heard Donald talking about what he did to women. And after that, a number of women have come forward saying that’s exactly what he did to them. Now, what was his response? Well, he held a number of big rallies where he said that he could not possibly have done those things to those women because they were not attractive enough for them to be assaulted.”

    (Here, Trump says “I did not say that. I did not say that… I did not say that” and the Moderator Chris Wallace, of Fox News has to jump in with “Her two minutes — sir, her two minutes. Her two minutes.”) Clinton goes on.

    “He (Trump) went on to say, “Look at her. I don’t think so.” About another woman, he said, “That wouldn’t be my first choice.” He attacked the woman reporter writing the story, called her “disgusting,” as he has called a number of women during this campaign. Donald thinks belittling women makes him bigger. He goes after their dignity, their self-worth, and I don’t think there is a woman anywhere who doesn’t know what that feels like. So we now know what Donald thinks and what he says and how he acts toward women. That’s who Donald is.”

    On Trump being a sore loser

    “You know, every time Donald thinks things are not going in his direction, he claims whatever it is, is rigged against him. The FBI conducted a year-long investigation into my e-mails. They concluded there was no case; he said the FBI was rigged. He lost the Iowa caucus. He lost the Wisconsin primary. He said the Republican primary was rigged against him. Then Trump University gets sued for fraud and racketeering; he claims the court system and the federal judge is rigged against him. There was even a time when he didn’t get an Emmy for his TV program three years in a row and he started tweeting that the Emmys were rigged against him.”

    On Trump’s comment that Putin has no respect for Clinton

    “Well, that’s because he’d rather have a puppet as president of the United States.” (PTI)