Washington Prism

Minneapolis, MN – Pollsters are as surprised as the general public by the many unexpected turns in this year’s Presidential campaign, the latest being Sen. McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate.

On Tuesday morning three of the most respected polling experts in the United States – Charlie Cook of the Cook Political Report, Andrew Kohut of the Pew Research Center and Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies – discussed the hopes and desires of the American electorate and confessed to being uncertain about how to interpret the numbers from their surveys. “I’m being more humble than I usually am, because this election has been so unpredictable so far that I don’t see why it would change now,” Charlie Cook said. Andrew Kohut echoed him: “I also feel humbled about all of the things that are unknown about this election; the situation is changing so quickly.”

واشنگتن پریزم

مینا پولیس، مینه سوتا – به دنبال برگزاری همایش ملی جمهوریخواهان در مینه سوتا، دانشگاه مینه سوتا با میزبانی نشستی با حضور سه تن از نخبگان و صاحبنظران جمهوریخواه، به بررسی موضوعات مربوط به انتخابات آتی ایالات متحده مبادرت نمود. در این گردهمایی موضوعاتی چون هویت حزب جمهوریخواه و آینده محافظه کاری در آمریکا مورد بررسی قرار گرفت. دراین نشست سخنرانان نسبت به انتخاب فرماندار آلاسکا خانم سارا پالین به عنوان یار انتخاباتی مک کین، برخلاف استقبال بسیار گرم هسته مرکزی حزب از انتخاب این خانم،  اظهار تردید نمودند.

Washington Prism

Minneapolis, MN – Three prominent Republican intellectuals spoke on Monday at an event hosted by the University of Minnesota, in the backdrop of the Republican National Convention. Addressing issues such as the identity of the GOP, and the future of conservatism in America, the speakers expressed reservations over McCain’s choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, contrary to the enthusiastic welcome of Palin from the Republican base.

“If you go to Las Vegas and bet all your money on black, and you win, it still wasn’t an intelligent choice,” said David Frum, neo-conservative author, former speech-writer for George W. Bush. “I really hope that, the more we get to know Palin the more we’ll realize that McCain really did his homework, but I don’t think this will be the case,” Mr. Frum said.

واشنگتن پریزم

سن پاول، مینه سوتا – عصر یکشنبه جمعی از محافظه کاران کاتولیک حزب جمهوری خواه در اجتماعی در کلیسای سن پاول شرکت کردند . هدف ازاین گردهمای بررسی راهکارها وهماهنگی برای بیان اهداف این گروه وحصول اطمینان از شنیده شدن خواسته های این گروه کاتولیک  چه در داخل حزب و چه خارج از آن بود

دورثی فلمینگ رئیس  حزب جمهوریخواه در ایالت مینه سوتا و یکی از نمایندگان ملی در همایش جمهوریخواهان با بیان  اینکه هدف نهایی ، انتخاب نماینده ای برای دفاع از ارزشهای کاتولیک است به دنبال گردهمایی پیش از دعا گفت: "یکسری ازموضوعات اساسی وجود دارد که نیازی به بحث پیرامون آن وجود ندارد. موضوعاتی مثل ازدواج، سقط جنین، یوتونیزیای داوطلبانه (انتخاب زمان مرگ خودخواسته برای بیماران صعب العلاج) و تحقیقات رویان و سلولهای بنیادی

وی با بیان رضایت اکثریت مسیحیان محافظه کار از انتخاب سارا پالین فرماندار آلاسکا به عنوان معاون جان مک کین افزود: انتخاب سارا پالین بهترین گزینه بود و مک کین با این کار یک تصمیم سرنوشت ساز اتخاذ کرد

Washington Prism

Saint Paul, MN – A group of Republican conservative Catholics gathered at the Cathedral of Saint Paul on Sunday afternoon to take a guided tour of the church, go to the 5 o’clock Mass and network amongst themselves, as part of an effort to coordinate and make sure that the Catholic voice has a platform in the upcoming presidential elections. “Our end-goal is to find the candidate that is going to stand for Catholic values,” Dorothy Fleming told me during the reception that followed Mass.

Ms. Fleming is Deputy Chair of the Minnesota State Republican Party and a national delegate to the Republican Convention. “There are certain issues that are non-negotiable for us, such as marriage, abortion, active euthanasia and embryonic stems research,” she explained to me, emphasizing the joy of most conservative Christians in hearing that John McCain’s had picked Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate. “We’re very proud of John McCain’s strict pro-life record,” Ms. Fleming said, “and Sarah Palin definitely sealed the deal.” Many of those gathered at the Cathedral on Sunday see her staunch advocacy against abortion as Gov. Palin’s strongest credential: “Moreover she really put her money where her mouth is: she knew her boy was going to have problems but she gave life to him nevertheless and loves him no less than the others,” Dorothy Fleming argued, referring to the now well-known story of the Governor’s youngest being born with Down Syndrome.

“We are thrilled with Sarah,” agreed Sheryl Holland, an alternate delegate from Texas, “she proves that we are not the same-old Republicans.” Many of the arguments Republicans make for Gov. Palin resemble closely those that Democrats advance in support of Barack Obama: “I’m impressed at how quickly she rose from very humble beginnings; she really shows that in America everybody can make it,” Ms. Holland said. “I’m in love with our Republican ticket,” echoed life-long Republican Toni Anne Dashiell, delegate and President of the Texas Republican Women, “I can’t imagine any stronger team of President and Vice-President to represent change and reform.” According to Ms. Dashiell, Gov. Palin has already had an enormous effect on women voters, including on those Democrats who supported Hillary Clinton in the primaries.

Washington Prism

Saint Paul, MN – An anti-war rally and a march on Sunday morning kicked off the week long Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Similar to what had happened in Denver a week ago, demonstrators from a variety of activist groups gathered at the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol to show their opposition to the US presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. The event was very low-key, with maybe 300 people attending.

Among the organizers was a group called Veterans for Peace, founded in 2001 with over 7.000 members nation-wide. One of the affiliated groups is the Iraqi Veterans for Peace. “Our group was created in recognition of the fact that, while past wars were designed to keep this country safe, this is not the case anymore,” David Gjestson from Mineral Point, Wisconsin, told me Sunday morning. Mr. Gjestson was a nuclear weapons officer onboard the USS Hancock and served three tours in Vietnam, in 1964, 1965 and 1966.

After retiring from the military, he became a wildlife biologist and is now retired. “We all admire John McCain’s war record, but this doesn’t qualify him to become President,” continued Mr. Gjestson commenting on the Republican candidate for the White House, “He is a clear continuation of eight years of failed policies and of the strategy of aggression pursued by George W. Bush.”

Washington Prism

Denver, CO – Some of the most respected Foreign Policy experts in America, from former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to former Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke, came together on Wednesday to discuss the future of international relations and a new direction for American Foreign Policy.

“I think the next President will inherit the worst first day in office in the history of any American President, except maybe for Lincoln,” Richard Holbrooke said, sending the message that the world is at a crossroads and the upcoming Presidential election will be of historical significance. The panel of thinkers aligned with the Democratic party agreed that eight years of the Bush Administration have spoiled America’s moral standing in the world, causing a deterioration in relations with many of its closest allies, and put at risk global stability. 

“The US today is not in a position to lead,” Jessica Tuchman Mathews, President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the audience. According to her, the US has fallen behind because of the way it has dealt with important domestic and international issues, from climate change to energy to non-proliferation. “I think President Obama is going to have to climb out of a hole back to the ground before we can lead again at the international level,” Dr. Mathews said.

The speakers then took turn in offering advices and solutions to the next President, from strengthening the economy, to improving international cooperation and polishing American public diplomacy, with the aim of undoing the damages of the last decade, and re-establishing America’s role as the world leader.

Madeleine Albright pushed for the establishment of an “internal team” within the new White House, comprising of advisors that “can present a variety of different views,” so as to avoid the mistakes traditionally made by a President who never had to listen to a divergent opinion. “I would look very closely to how the next President puts together his cabinet,” Albright said. Richard Holbrooke, instead, focused on the economy. “After all nations rise and fall on the basis of their economic strength,” he argued. Hence the economy should be the next Administration’s first priority, since it is what will give the US the means to reassert its leadership on the international stage.

Washington Prism

Denver, CO – The economy was the main theme of Day Two at the Democratic National Convention, with speakers ranging from an unemployed and indebted textile worker from North Carolina, a victim of the Iowa flood, union representatives and a number of Congressmen and Senators from some of the states that have been hit the hardest by the crisis. And of course Hillary Clinton, who made the economy one of the central issues of her primary campaign.

The recession is by far the biggest worry for most Democrats in Denver. “I would say the economy is pretty lousy,” Anne Hatfield said. Anne is a delegate and a retired senior from Pennsylvania who has been witnessing the impact of rising prices of food and gas on her life and that of her community. “The state of the economy is horrible,” Tiffany Powers agreed. An African-American lawyer and delegate from North Carolina Tiffany explained: “I come from a rural community that relied heavily on the textile industry. But now our plants have closed, jobs have been shipped overseas, people lost their homes.” She believes that middle-class Democrats would want a tax-cut and better public education from President Obama.   read more

Washington Prism

Denver, CO – Denver is bustling with political activity this week, well beyond the walls of the Pepsi Center where the Democratic Party is holding its National Convention. Many organizations, advocacy groups and activists from around the country arrived here to take advantage of the spotlight to advance their causes and make their voices heard. Iranian-Americans are among them, although, as a sign of how little common political engagement the most affluent immigrant community in the United States still displays, only the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) has a presence, and an informal one at that.

NIAC Legislative Director Emily Blout and West Coast Director Sara Shokravi  met Tuesday night with a few members and a couple more people interested in hearing about the organization in an unofficial gathering organized at a café’ in downtown Denver. “It is the first time that we take on the initiative of coming to the national conventions,” Sara Shokravi  said, “and we’re still trying to figure things out.” Two other staffers from NIAC will be in Minneapolis next week during the Republican National Convention.

NIAC was created in 2002, primarily as a response to what happened in America after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, when people at all connected with the Middle East often suffered discrimination in the midst of the government crackdown on immigration and national security-related issues. NIAC is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that works with politicians, as well as other organizations, on both sides of the aisle. “We are equal opportunity and we work with both conservative and liberal groups,” Emily Blout explained.

In Washington DC – where it is headquartered - NIAC talks to members of Congress about Iranian American issues, educates both the political class and regular citizens about the Iranian American community, while it strives to enhance Iranian Americans’ participation in civil life throughout the country. “We fly in relevant speakers from across the country and the world, we put out briefs and hold workshops for our members teaching them how to become more politically engaged,” Ms. Shokravil said.

In the ongoing Presidential Campaign, NIAC has made contact with both the Obama and the McCain campaigns and is focusing specifically on talking to Republican and Democratic candidates running for Senate and House seats. In Denver NIAC is also informally mingling with other organizations and meeting members and interested parties from Colorado or who might have traveled here for the DNC.

Born with the goal of giving better representation to the Iranian American community in politics like in business and society as a whole, during its first few years NIAC exclusively focused on domestic issues and primarily immigration. In 2006, after conducting a survey among its members – the main fashion in which NIAC establishes its official stances -, Foreign Policy was also included, with the mission of promoting diplomacy, negotiations and dialogue with Iran. “It is incredible how little Americans know about the Middle East,” Ms. Blout, an Irish Jewish American with no ethnic or cultural ties with Iran, said at the meeting. “And it’s incredible that such a successful community of immigrants is so poorly organized,” she noted. NIAC tries to bridge such gap.

Recently, another organization was created, with a similar aim of representing the domestic interests of the Iranian American community. PAAIA (The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans) is still at the initial stage of its activities and, to our knowledge, does not have a presence in Denver.

Good news for the Iranian American community came recently from the McCain camp, which announced the appointment of a full time staffer as a liaison with the Iranian American Community. Raymond Rahbar is the McCain’s Director of Iranian-American outreach and will conduct conference calls and meetings with Iranian Americans until Election Day. A similar move might be in the making within the Obama camp as well.