Election Observer
How does the 2004 U.S. presidential campaign appear to a non-American? To find out, FP recently chatted with Chidanand Rajghatta, the Times of India's Washington-based foreign editor. The Bangalore native has covered the United States for several Indian publications during the last decade.
FOREIGN POLICY: Are Indians more interested in this U.S. election than previous ones?
FOREIGN POLICY: Are Indians more interested in this U.S. election than previous ones?
Chidanand Rajghatta: There is more interest now because they’re watching to see whether George W. Bush receives what the world — by and large — sees as a well-deserved comeuppance. They are puzzled, though, by some U.S. domestic issues. Indians are amazed that abortion is such a big deal. The gun issue is also baffling: If India had as many guns as the United States, there would be a bloodbath!
FP: So they want Bush to lose?
CR: Let’s be clear about who "they" are. Most Indians don’t know where the United States is and are indifferent. Among Indian elites, the sentiment is typically pro-Democrat and they think John Kerry should and will win. The perception is that Bush is fighting the right war in the wrong place. Nobody disagrees with the need to fight the war on terrorism, but Iraq is seen as an unfortunate victim while the real terrorists got away. If the administration had placed 140,000 troops in Afghanistan and the border areas of Pakistan, it would have had Indian public opinion firmly behind it.
FP: How do Indians view Kerry’s rhetoric on outsourcing?
CR: The way Indians look at it is, "You asked for it." India had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the free-trade era, and now we’re competing. But they don’t hold it against Kerry — they understand it’s just politics.
FP: Do you understand why outsourcing is such a hot-button issue?
CR: Sure. [Talk-show host] Lou Dobbs on CNN decries "exporting America." I have no quarrel with that. Do you play Scrabble? When we were kids in India, we enjoyed playing Scrabble with the nice soft-wood tiles. The tiles used to be made in Vermont out of Vermont Maple. There were a lot of knockoffs with cheaper plastic tiles, but all of us wanted the original Scrabble set. A few years back, the makers shifted operations overseas, where they make the tiles with God-knows-what. I felt nostalgic. I used to love those tiles.
FP: Who have been the most popular U.S. presidents in India?
CR: Hillary and Bill Clinton are both fairly popular in India. But you have to go back to John F. Kennedy to find a truly popular U.S. president in India.
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