How Guyanese Americans vote will not affect U.S. Presidential outcome

Sep 23, 2008 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
This is in reply to Robin Williams’ “Bisram should provide a demographic breakdown of his sample population” (Kaieteur News Sept.19) which was in response to a letter from Vishnu Bisram captioned “According to Gallup 70% Approve of Clinton’s Speech” (SN Sept.16).

Williams has a valid point. Bisram should tell us the racial composition of the Guyanese he interviewed and their responses on whether they will vote for Barack Obama as their President of America.

But while asking for that info, Williams himself failed to provide info on the racial background of the people he said he spoke with on the phone.

In his letter, Bisram claims that almost half Guyanese he interviewed told him they do not support Obama. In disputing Bisram, Williams claims that a majority of Guyanese he spoke with support Obama. Mathematically speaking, both gentlemen could be right because a majority is just over half and the remainder is almost half.

But I believe Williams is claiming that a significant majority of Guyanese Americans support Obama. So who is right? In polling statistics, the answer depends on the “universe” from which each drew his “sample”.

Let it be clarified that both Williams and Bisram concede that they did not conduct scientific polls. The universe could be all Guyanese irrespective of race or it could be of one race (Indian or African).

Williams said he telephoned Guyanese (friends and families) in the Bronx, Atlanta, Brooklyn, etc – presumably speaking to primarily Africans. Bisram said he spoke with many Guyanese (not friends and family and not Indians exclusively, I presume).

Williams made the conclusion that Bisram spoke with friends and acquaintances and in effect saying that Bisram spoke with Indians only.

If Williams spoke with Africans alone and came up with findings showing a large majority support Obama, it means there are Africans who are not supporting Obama and that is not good news for Obama but good news for non-racial voting.

If Bisram interviewed Indians only and came up with findings that nearly half support Obama, then that is good news for Obama and for non-racial voting.

If Bisram interviewed both Indians and Africans in his sample and came up with findings showing a racially divided electorate, then that is bad news for race relations in America.

Here is my take on voting trends of Guyanese. I usually patronize half a dozen Guyanese bars in Richmond Hill, Queens. My conversations with more than a hundred Indo-Guyanese show just a few supporting Obama.

Among acquaintances and relatives, Obama has virtually no support. At my work place, Afro-Guyanese speak proudly of voting for Obama while Indians are quiet on the subject.

As Bisram noted in several letters, Indians love the Clintons. Nationally, surveys find that about 95% Africans are backing Obama and Afro-Guyanese fall under this category. Asians are leaning towards McCain but some Indian Americans are backing Obama.

Although Indo-Guyanese fall under the Indian Americans category, unique factors condition how they vote from the rest of the Indian population.

I will be surprised if Bisram did not find in his survey Afro-Guyanese unanimously supporting Obama while merely a handful Indo-Guyanese are supporting Obama. That is why I believe he concludes that nearly half Guyanese do not support Obama.

I am afraid Williams’ numbers do no add up. Since Indians make up over 60% of Guyanese in America and just a handful are backing Obama, there is no way a majority of Guyanese are supporting Obama.

People are free to support whoever they want but they should not vote on racial conditions as they do in Guyana.

One should not forget that Africans in Guyana were oppressed by the PNC for decades and yet they cast ballots almost unanimously for the PNC in 1992, giving it 43% support.

Similarly, Indians vote almost exclusively for the PPP which has also neglected Indians. We must change from racial voting.

Finally, I don’t think how Guyanese Americans vote matters to the outcome of the election. Can Mr. Bisram, our celebrated pollster, or some other analyst, comment on this point?
Shivanand Bahadur

Latest News

How Guyanese Americans vote will not affect U.S. Presidential outcome

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | February, 3rd, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

EBDCA/D&R Construction 40-Over Cricket Competition continues

GFF announces final squad for Concacaf U-17...

Cricket West Indies announces exciting 2025...

BCA, GCB to attend CWI meeting on February 9

Bolstered Harpy Eagles eyeing perfect home record...

Hockey PAHF Junior Challenge schedule released

Features/Columnists

Land, taxes and penalties

OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus

Helping a brother traveling against traffic

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

How Guyanese Americans vote will not affect U.S. Presidential outcome

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | February, 3rd, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]