The highly scripted, well crafted and totally unified gathering of Democrats in Boston, July 26-29, that nominated John Kerry as the candidate for President and John Edwards as candidate for Vice President, saw the largest number of delegates of Indian origin ever present at a political convention, but these delegates played hardly any significant role or exerted any clout. Except for the five old-time delegates who had attended a convention before, an overwhelming majority of the over 45 Indo-American delegates and alternates (the total number of delegates was 4,341 plus 611 alternates) from at least 20 different States in the US were first time attendees. They were excited for being participants in the political process, enthusiastic about the candidate nominated at the convention, but less experienced to understand or influence any policy.

“What was missing for us at the convention was the absence of a unified agenda of the community we were supposed to pursue,” conceded a delegate. “We ended up attending a large number of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and other parties but had no opportunity to discuss any serious issues.”

Although there were four different events arranged by local activists for Indo-American delegates, they proved to have fun, food and fellowship. Some of these events were graced by high level political leaders and Indian diplomats who merely congratulated the delegates for being elected or selected to attend the convention.

The delegates from each State were treated with a breakfast at 9:00-10:30 every day of the convention. Several political leaders from the State as well as those from the John Kerry’s campaign would address each of the State breakfast, give a pep talk and urge the delegates to push George Bush out of the White House and to do whatever was possible to get John Kerry elected as the next President. Each of the delegates and alternates was expected to pick up his/her credentials every morning. Without credentials one can not enter the Fleet Center where the convention was being held. Between 10:30-12:00, there were meetings of the ethnic and professional caucuses. The caucus representing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders was addressed by Teresa Heinz Kerry, the wife of the Democratic nominee as well as elected Asian leaders. Kumar Barve was a speaker at one of these caucuses. Virtually every afternoon, there was a luncheon for each of the State delegation, followed by more meetings and receptions. The convention officially began at 4:00 p.m. There were low level politicians addressing the audience between 4-7 p.m. The serious portion of the convention began at 7:00 p.m. and lasted until past 11:00 p.m. That was considered a prime time during which there was a live TV coverage. At the conclusion of convention speeches every night, there was a gala party at some hotel or the other. The delegates usually retired to their rooms well past 2:30 a.m.

Unfortunately, no attempt was made to hold a meeting of the delegates of Indian origin to discuss any serious issues and the caucus of Asian Americans did not address any of issues of interest to India. Conversation with several Indo-American delegates revealed that there was no unified agenda on the mind of these delegates that needed to be pursued. One Indo-American delegate that was conspicuously behind the stage was Swati Dandekar, the assembly woman from Iowa. She declared her early support for John Kerry during Iowa caucuses. Kerry unexpectedly won the Iowa caucuses and Dandekar was adequately rewarded. Beside Dandekar, three other Indo-American delegates, Rajen Anand, Harjit Singh, and Sonali Mithani, were randomly selected to sit behind the podium every night, in order to display the diversity of delegates at the convention. It was Anand’s fifth Democratic Convention and the first for Singh and Mithani. Anand was a delegate committed to Governor Mike Dukakis in the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. Kumar Barve, the majority leader in the Maryland House of Delegates was appointed the Vice Chair of the Rules Committee, a pretty much ceremonial position.

Virtually every delegate of Indian origin was impressed by the way the convention was conducted in the spirit of unity. They particularly enjoyed the remarks of Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Al Gore, Barack Obama, State Senator from Illinois running for US Senate, Ted Kennedy, and John Kerry. Some of the delegates did like the speech by Joe Lieberman, the Vice Presidential candidate in 2000. He used the term “Islamic Terrorists” twice in his remarks. A delegate commented, “it was inappropriate for a political leader to associate terrorism with any religion. Terrorists have no religion and no religion condones terrorist activities. By associating terrorism to a religious group, Lieberman, is likely to provoke hatred towards the followers of Islam.”

Obama’s Electrifying Remarks

At his first appearance on a national stage, Barack Obama, the first generation American son of a Kenyan immigrant, electrified the convention hall as he said Americans must not allow partisan politics to divide the country: “I say to them tonight, there’s not a liberal America and a conservative America—there’s the United States of America.” He brought the convention crowd to it feet by his well crafted remarks. Obama implored the audience to focus on those who need help most. “We are connected as one people,” he said. “If there is a child on the South side of Chicago who can’t read, that matters to me, even if it’s not my child. If there’s a senior citizen somewhere who can’t pay for her prescription and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it’s not my grandmother. If there’s an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties.” Obama has captured the Democratic Senate nomination in his first bid for statewide office and now finds himself without a Republican opponent for an open Republican seat. It is very rare that a Senatorial candidate is given an opportunity to address the national convention as a keynote speaker.

Kerry’s Acceptance of Nomination

The climax of the convention was reached on Thursday night, when John Kerry delivered his acceptance speech. The hall was so over crowded that fire Marshal had to close the hall. Even the delegates who got up to go to the restroom were not permitted re-entry to the hall. The concluding night of the Democratic National Convention was a festival of flag-waving martial imagery and language, putting Kerry’s war experiences and friends on center stage. It was perhaps the best performance of the nominee, and judging from the reaction of the delegates and media, Kerry exceeded their expectations. To the delight of the audience, Kerry emphasized, “United States of America never goes to war because we want to; we only go to war because we have to. That is the standard of our nation.”

“I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war,” he said. “I will have a vice president who will not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite the environmental laws. I will have a secretary of defense who will listen to the advice of our military leaders. And I will appoint an attorney general who upholds the constitution of the United States.”

John Kerry has been criticized in some Indian circles for taking a strong position against “outsourcing of jobs.” He has trued to explain his position by saying that he would curtail the incentives to companies for sending their jobs abroad. In his speech, Kerry reiterated, “So here is our economic plan to build a stronger America: first, new incentives to revitalize manufacturing; second, investment in technology and innovation that will create the good-paying jobs of the future; third, close the tax loopholes that reward companies for shipping jobs overseas.”

“Instead, we will reward the companies that create and keep good-paying jobs right where they belong, in the good old U.S.A.,” he said to the loudly applauding delegates.

On the issue of out sourcing, there was a divided view of the Delegates of Indian origin. The American born delegates were virtually in agreement with Kerry on this issue. However, those delegates who were born in India were concerned at the loss of economic gains made by India in recent years as a result of out sourcing of American business to India.

Kerry promised not to raise taxes on the middle class. “And let me tell you what we won’t do: We won’t raise taxes on the middle class.”

He said his plan would cut the deficit in half in four years by ending tax giveaways that are nothing more than corporate welfare, and he would make government live by the rule that every family has to live: pay as you go.

Kerry also promised to provide health insurance to common people that is as good as that of the senators and congressmen, cut down the cost of prescription drugs to seniors, never to privatize the social security and make America independent of Middle East oil. “I want an America that relies on its ingenuity and innovation, not on the Saudi royal family.” He said.

The Indo-American delegates were largely impressed by the speech of Kerry. They said they were inspired by him and were ready to go home and do whatever they can to ensure victory of the Democratic ticket in November.

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