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When an American election comes around the professional pundits seek to examine how each demographic will vote. Usually this concerns seniors, blacks, Hispanics, and Jews. But this year a new group, which could be pivotal, is being considered: Indian-Americans.
The group is young (as in having roots in America) but it is already making its presence felt through a 50,000 member U.S.-India Political Action Committee. Further, due to the group's high level of education (the more educated people are, the more likely they are to vote) and that Indian-Americans are the wealthiest demographic on a per-capita basis (and money is very important in U.S. elections) was made Indian-Americans the new target of vote-hungry politicians. And Indian Americans are even starting to be the political process rather than just influence it with the election of Bobby Jindal in 2007.
So, how will the Indian American community vote this election? The 2.6 million strong community is mirroring the habits of most American voters this election season and putting most of their weight behind Barack Obama. Though the community is not as to the left as Obama is no economic matters (or for that matter, social issues as well) and tends to prefer more freedom in the private sector than government regulation. This is due to the fact that Indians have a high degree of business ownership from the local Oriental bakery to a up-and-coming technology firm in the Mecca of IT: Silicon Vally.
But will their vote be pivotal? Not really. Indian voters are too small and scattered around to be able to swing any election, especially given that if Obama wins he will mostly likely do so with significant margins or at least margins large enough that he would have won anyway without any Indian help. Unlike Jewish voters, who make up 20% of Florida voters, Indian voters in any state do not make up enough of the vote to swing an election and, further, they almost all live in states that are not up-for-garbs anyhow. Such as the Indian community in California, California is not a swing state and will go handily for Obama.
Nonetheless, the increasing political strength and voting habits of this American community is one to watch this election season. I am sure many Instablogs readers will do so.
