Crack speculation takes to a blog like a moth to a flame, so here goes. Ever since Barack Obama made his controversial August declaration, to sharp criticism from Hillary Clinton, that he would not hesitate to take military action against terrorists in Pakistan even absent the cooperation of president General Pervez Musharraf, I have wondered whether his campaign intended to achieve something more than just overcome doubts about the senator's perceived dovishness and inexperience on national security issues.
What if Obama was actually making a play for the sympathies of a burgeoning, wealthy, increasingly influential, and historically Democrat ethnic lobby: Indian-Americans?
Read on....
After all, Indian-Americans have been working actively to craft themselves as a financially influential force in American politics (despite their relative lack of numbers).
Besides securing a favourable nuclear agreement between India and the United States, the lobby's top concern is pushing members of both parties to adopt a tough line against Pakistan's allegedly lax attitude toward, if not (in the view of many Indian-Americans) tacit support of terrorism. Furthermore, it is common knowledge that Indian-Americans were very personally and financially friendly toward the first President Clinton; by out-hawking Hillary Clinton on the all-important question of Pakistan's relationship to terrorists, could Obama be taking aim at that carefully cultivated relationship?
True, it's way too early to tell how Indian-Americans are shaping the presidential politics of 2008, let alone predict what their ultimate impact will be. But keep your eye on this story.
