Dear Editor,
Last Tuesday’s voting in the U.S Presidential contests for the Democratic nomination has divided communities, races, people of all walks of life and families all across the country even among Guyanese-Americans. As pointed out in reports, the campaign has turned into a gigantic family feud, with prominent and everyday Democrats splitting with spouses, siblings, parents and children.
Guyanese were divided with most Indo-Guyanese going for Hillary Clinton and most Afro-Guyanese going for Barack Obama. There were some Afro-Guyanese who told me they voted for Clinton as indeed there were some Afro-Caribbean voters who also went with Clinton.
Nationally, Africans were divided with between 80 and 90% going depending on the state. Six months ago, Clinton had most Africans on her bandwagon. Whites were also divided with over 40% going for Obama and most of the others going for Clinton.
The famed Kennedy family was divided with Ted Kennedy and his son and several well known nephews and nieces, including Caroline and Maria Shriver going for Obama. Some of the lesser known of the Kennedy clan went for Clinton. Members of Congress were divided with some going for Obama and some for Clinton. Followers of talk show Queen Oprah Winfrey were divided with many going for Obama who is Winfrey’s candidate.
As the media reported, former Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin (Clinton supporter) and his son James (Obama); Representative Charles B. Rangel (Clinton), his wife, Alma (Obama); the Rev. Jesse Jackson backs Obama but his wife backs Clinton. Loretta and Linda Sanchez, the only sisters in the House of Representatives, have endorsed Clinton and Obama, respectively. And Penny Pritzker, a Chicago philanthropist, serves as Obama’s national finance chairman even as her brother, Jay Robert, holds fund-raisers across town for Mrs. Clinton.
As MSNBC reported, for every Kennedy or Sanchez, there are countless Democratic voters who find themselves arguing with family members over which cheques to send, which lawn signs to display and which ones to put the baby in: “Hillary Cares About Me” or “My Mama’s for Obama”?
The TV station interviewed a family. “Things have been getting real ugly around here,” said Shazia Khan, a lawyer in Washington, who supports Mr. Obama while her husband, Samir Kanani, will vote for Clinton. On a recent trip to Argentina, they watched a Democratic debate in their hotel room, arguing so loudly that the housekeeping staff came to check on them. Even Guyanese families are divided with some members of the family voting for Clinton and some Obama.
“I think it’s a function of the unique nature of this election, in which you have really high-caliber candidates who are essentially identical on the issues,” Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has thrown in his lot with Clinton, said in an interview.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
