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Updated on December 19, 2003 |
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TOPIC OF THE WEEK
BOBBY JINDAL TALLER IN LOSS
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November 28, 2003
‘I stand here before you disappointed but not discouraged’
For Bobby Jindal, tough goals were easy to meet, the more difficult the challenge, the more sharpened his wits. So it must have been hard to walk into the Astro Crowne Plaza Hotel on Nov. 15 night and see the sea of disappointed faces of supporters who were convinced he would win, and concede his defeat in the race for Louisiana Governor.
Loss that’s a near victory ---- ‘Although we didn’t win, we made the case’
If citizens around the United States had been listening closely enough on Nov. 15 night, they would have heard the collective sigh of disappointment that went up from the Indian-American community around the country. One of their’s had lost the Louisiana gubernatorial race, a race that had seemed impossible to win at the beginning, but in which victory seemed inevitable to many by the end.
African-American Support
Some of Louisiana’s leading African American politicians and activists believe Bobby Jindal made the effort to reach out to them, but he did not aggressively enough counter the negative campaign against him, they contend. Meanwhile, Ray Nagin, Mayor of New Orleans, an African-American and a Democrat, crossed the party line to support Jindal. James M. Singleton, a former City Councilman-at-Large who has retired from elected politics but is an integral part of the Black Organization for Leadership Development, a leading group for African American interests in the State, spoke to Ela Dutt regarding Jindal’s campaign.
Reactions
‘It is a great beginning for our entire community’
I don’t consider it a loss to our community. It was such a close race, and the fact that he ran has changed the whole landscape ---- bringing our comm-unity right in the forefront. Previously it was all about Indians making money well, and now the main-stream is giving us attention and taking us seriously.
Jindal worked hard to get Black support: Louisiana analysts
Chris Frink and Marsha Shuler, both writers and political analysts with The Advocate, a Louisiana paper, spoke to Ela Dutt following the Nov. 15 election. Frink and Shuler covered the campaigns of both candidates and examined the African American response to Jindal.
Democratic leaders put aside ideological differences in support of Bobby
‘It was a great opportunity to make our community history’
I think it was a great effort on his part. He was a viable candidate and the Indian community which certainly seems to have backed him around the country.
In Louisiana Election, a First and a Near First -----
In the end, the whiz kid fizzled. Piyush Jindal, the 32-year-old Indian-American policy expert, steamed into the Louisiana’s governor’s election with a lead in the polls, the hopes of a rising immigrant community pinned on his shoulders and people already talking about a new day in the South....
Republicans while disappointed remain upbeat about Jindal’s future
Dr. Chittaranjan S. Ranawat
I can say in general terms that we are here to make an impact and a person like Bobby Jindal should have won the election. It doesn’t mean we should give up hope because unless we fight and show our presence in the political scene we would not be counted.
Analysis: Black runoffs boosted Blanco -------
Black legislative runoff elections played a big role in boosting Democrat Kathleen Blanco to victory over Republican Bobby Jindal in the gubernatorial election, political analysts said.
Jindal’s realtives in India cancel victory party after election loss
No firecrackers, no boxes of sweets, no popping champagne. Disappointed relatives of Indian-American Bobby Jindal called off the party on Nov. 16 after their favorite son lost his bid to become governor of Louisiana....
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Copyright © 2001, Indian American Center for
Political Awareness. All rights reserved.
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