Dear Editor,
This is in reply to letters from Robin Williams (‘Majority of US based Guyanese Support Obama’ SN Sep 18) and Vishnu Bisram (‘According to Gallup Clinton …’ SN Sep 16).
In his letter, Mr Williams claims that a majority of Guyanese Americans support Obama while Mr Bisram claims that almost half the Guyanese in the US do not support Obama. Mathematically speaking, both gentlemen are right because a majority is just over half and the remainder is almost half. But I believe Mr Williams meant a significant majority of Guyanese Americans support Obama. So who is right? It depends on the universe from which they draw their samples. Both Williams and Bisram concede that they did not conduct scientific polls and that is okay.
The universe could contain all Guyanese irrespective of race, or it could be of one race, either Indian or African. If Mr Williams spoke with mostly Africans and came up with findings showing a large majority support Obama and Mr Bisram interviewed Indians and Africans and came up with findings showing a divided electorate, then I am afraid Mr Bisram would be right.
I usually patronize half a dozen Guyanese bars in Richmond Hill. My conversations with more than a hundred Indo-Guyanese show just two supporting Obama. Among acquaintances and relatives, Obama has virtually no support. If Indians make up over 60% of Guyanese in America, then doing the maths, a majority of Guyanese are not backing Obama and Mr Williams’ conclusion would be wrong. Nationally, surveys find that about 95% Africans are backing Obama and Afro-Guyanese fall in this category.
Asians are leaning towards McCain, but some Indian Americans in Illinois, Georgia, California, Virginia, NY, etc, are backing Obama. Although Indo-Guyanese fall under the Indian American category, different factors condition how they vote from the rest of the Indian population. People are free to support whoever they want and they should not vote on race grounds as they do in Guyana. We must change.
Yours faithfully,
Shivanand Bahadur
Valid points…but it comes down to the issue of voting patterns of Guyanese in general..and you are right about people being free to support whomever…. Voting against their own interest is a pattern amongst racists , illiterates, and the ignorant components of sociey…Unfortunately, the US has its’ share…. Prepare for the collapse of the great “American society” if McCain wins. Also, pay attention to the challenges/collapse of the middle and low middle income workers in the US…3 million kids go to bed hungry every night…this will double with another Republican administration…by the way, the 8% Black American voters against Obama are “anti choice” and “anti gays” as if these groups are suppressing their rights ….the other 92% are the ususal Democratic voting block in any case….
We want 8 mo years of Bush & Cheney……pretty soon America will be asking Guyana for loans ehehehehehehehe..but even though some people are racial and wont vote for Barak he will still win.awww shucks then they wont want that loan from Guyana
Shivanand Bahadur said he talked w/ over a hundred Indo-Guyanese and found only two who would vote for Obama.
Shivanand, do you expect anybody to believe this? And, you give no reasons. What did the 98 say in justification of their choice? Did they believe McCain would support Universal Health Insurane which they badly need? or Immigration Reform to help put the undocumented on a path to citizenship? Or sensibly and responsibly end the Iraq war? Did they agree with McCain’s across the board proposed tax cut to create a bigger hole in the treasury – Annual budget deficits are already running at $500 billion a year?
And, where did you poll these Indians – in Richmond Hill, Queens? How come I talk to this same crowd – and I find more than 50% supporting Obama?
What are the facts? Listen, a lot of Indian-Guyanese have trouble voting for a black guy – but these are individuals who have less than a grade school education or their racial prejudices against blacks have impaired their ability to reason and make an intelligent choice. So because of this impairment they end up voting against their best self-interests. And, I must say very emphatically I find more than 50% of this same group – Indian-Guyanese – voting for Obama. You see more than half of this populaton are quite intelligent and reasonably educated.
Would you name the bars in Richmond Hill you frequent and where you did the polling?
Mohamed. Excellent reply.Did Mr. Bisram speak to the Guyanese in CT. America is not NY only. Most Guyanese in my state support Obama, regardless of race. To those who support Mc Cain, best of luck. Mc Cain is playing a cruel joke on americans in order to win. Think about this. If he dies, President Palin???????? . Then the whole world will laugh at us. Some of us guyanese, who do not think we are BLACK OVERHERE, BEST OF LUCK WHEN THE WHITE SHEETS SHOW UP. ME HOPE DEM SPARE YOU.
I also frequent the bars and spoke to a lot of people,mostly Guyanese and most of them said they are voting for Barack Obama,i don’t know where and which set of bars in Richmond hill mr.Bahadur visited.There is a Caribbean newspaper here in Richmond Hill,of which mr.Vishnu Bisram is a columnists that is very anti Obama.Guyanese here cannot be fooled they know their politics.