Academic

Tunku Varadarajan: ?Why has no Indian-American liberal risen as high in the Democratic ranks as Jin?

By Glenn Reynolds

Tunku Varadarajan: “Why has no Indian-American liberal risen as high in the Democratic ranks as Jindal and Haley have done in the GOP? Could it be that because Democrats put more of an emphasis on identity politics, an Indian-American Democrat would have to contend with other ethnic constituencies that might think that it?s ?their turn? first? And once you go down the ?identity? route, your success as a politician tends to rest more on the weight of numbers?the size of your ethnic constituency, or your racial voting bloc?than on the weight of your ideas. The most striking thing about Jindal and Haley?s success is not that they are Indian-American politicians who have triumphed in conservative Southern states, but that they are conservative Southern politicians who just happen to be Indian American.”

Full post as published by Instapundit.com on June 10, 2010 (boomark / email).