By J.V. Lakshmana Rao
As Indian-Americans in the US, many elite Indians in India too have been evincing keen interest in the 2020 US Presidential elections and have been guessing about who will be the next US President and the next US Vice President, and who will be the possible candidates of the Republican Party and the Democratic Party.
Now the suspense is over and a clarity has emerged as far as the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates of the Republican and the Democratic Parties, after the national conventions of both the parties were held in two consecutive weeks during past fortnight.
The November 3, 2020 US Presidential race is between Republican nominee, who is an incumbent President Donald Trump, and Democratic nominee is former Vice President Joe Biden. While Trump’s Vice Presidential running mate remains Vice President Mike Pence, Joe Biden’s Vice Presidential running mate will be so-claimed Indian-American Senator Kamala Harris.
The nominations of Donald Trump and Mike Pence were confirmed at the end of four-day Republican National Convention (RNC) on August 27, while the confirmation of nominations of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were confirmed at the concluding day of the four-day Democratic National Convention (DNC) on August 20.
The inaugural of RNC was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, and other cities remotely on August 24, and the inaugural of DNC was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and various locations remotely on August 17.The conventions were held a week apart.
But the suspense over the next President of the US will be over soon after November 3 when nationwide Presidential election is scheduled and counting of votes is completed.
While Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden is a well-known “old warhorse” in politics, his Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris though a novice, her identity of Indian origin, is a subject of interest for Indians and Indian Americans.
As far as Donald Trump is concerned, he is upbeat and is seeking re-election, who has become “popular” because of his “unconventional and rash” talk and actions. Though his popularity rating as per a recent survey is very narrow and slightly a few points less than Joe Biden, as both the Republican nominees show a lot of interest in India because of the brotherly cordiality that prevails between Donald Trump and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Another hope that the Indians, and the Indian-Americans expect from the US is that if the US successfully makes anti-Covid-19 vaccine before the Presidential election, Donald Trump would see to it that India will be the first country to be favored with its supply.
Dr. Sampat Shivangi, who is a member of National Advisory Council SAMHSA, and Center for national Mental Health Services stationed in Washington DC, who has been a five-time national delegate of the Republican National Conventions successively, says Kamala Harris is neither a true Indian-American as she never spoke in support of India, nor can she claim an African-American or black American succession, as her father i
