It is not beyond belief that Barack Obama, the extremely charismatic American presidential candidate, actually was not involved in the wording of a memo targeted at his formidable rival for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton. That anonymous document circulated by his campaign sought to deride Clinton for her strong association with Indian-Americans. Focusing on her fundraising among the community and from companies with outsourcing operations in India, the memo referred to her as a Democrat from Punjab. It was an appallingly racist sentiment. It tried to depict her huge popularity amongst Indian-Americans as a betrayal of American national interest. Obama has apologised for the barb, calling the memo “potentially hurtful, and as such, unacceptable”. What Obama has not retreated from, however, is the underlying attempt to inject sentiment against outsourcing into the campaign. It should make American voters pause and consider the implications of having such an incumbent in the White House at this dark juncture in their engagement overseas. It should also chasten the ideological Left in India, which abides by a slogan of anti-globalisation so antithetical to this country’s and its people’s economic interests.The next incumbent in the White House matters more than almost ever before because there are great ruptures in America’s relations with the rest of world that need to be urgently repaired. The US is the only country at the moment with the capacity to lead initiatives on global challenges like nuclear proliferation, terrorism and stalled trade talks. It is also a country whose troops are, for better or for worse, stationed in places like Iraq and, to a lesser extent, Pakistan. It will continue to be a key participant in bringing stabilisation to these places. The US once again needs to be put at ease with the rest of the world, which wants a commitment of sincerity imbued in its assertions of supremacy. By bristling against outsourcing — which shares the benefits of growth in services and manufacturing with other countries — Obama gives no hope that he will manage this reparation.It is a valuable lesson for those in India who are viewing the Democratic fight in operatic terms — the good-looking son of a Kenyan scholarship student who made good in the US on pure merit versus, primarily, a woman with an awesome campaign machinery with her. For pure drama, it is a no-contest. In the real world where campaign promises impact lives of the less privileged, however, Obama’s tenor is insensitive and dangerous.
