It's Democrat Barack Obama vs Republican John McCain at the US elections. The News Junkie Podcast with HR Venkatesh takes a look at the US elections and its implications for India.
HR Venkatesh: Hello and welcome to the News Junkie Podcast. Today we're going to talk about the historic election that will change America and the world. Why are we calling this a crucial election? And what is at stake for India? To answer these and other questions, I'm joined by CNN-IBN Foreign Affairs Editor Surya Gangadharan. Surya, thanks very much for coming in.
Surya Gangadharan: Glad to come in.
HR Venkatesh: My first question, the Democrats are rather good at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, aren't they?
Surya Gangadharan: Well, in the present case it looks like from what the opinion polls are telling us that [Barack] Obama is way ahead. And assuming (John) McCain does do a miracle, it will comprise all the six per cent of the vote (opinion polls say the gap between Obama and McCain is six per cent of the vote) that is at stake. So at this moment it looks rather impossible.
HR Venkatesh: It's interesting the way America goes about its elections, it's a little confusing as well. It seems like even in the US that magic number is around that 270 mark. Can you explain how it works?
Surya Gangadharan: Well, the system is rather convoluted. Every state has a number of electoral college votes. And people vote depending on...each state has a number of ballots to it. Some states have two, others have more. And depending on which way the voting actually goes, each state ends up with ballots favouring one or the other candidate. In the case of Obama, most of the early voting trends indicate that the voting is in his favour. There are some battleground states where both sides are slugging out really neck to neck. We'll have to see which way that swings and really we'll have to see how the voting goes, but clearly it looks like Obama is way ahead.
HR Venkatesh: Right, I was also reading...this is interesting, that states, big states such as California, Texas, even New York aren't so crucial in the larger scheme of things because there are smaller states with larger populations which may have a bigger say.
Surya Gangadharan: In fact there are some states that are always Republican leaning. In that sense, the candidate - McCain - didn't waste too much time campaigning over there. And the same for Obama, wherever he's found that there are states that they are going to win anyway, it doesn't make much point campaigning there. So he's left that and he has concentrated on the battleground states.
HR Venkatesh: From India's point of view. Obama or McCain? Who's better?
Surya Gangadharan: On balance it would appear that on what they've said so far, McCain may be a better bet. It'll be a continuation of what [President George] Bush has done with India so far, including the nuclear deal, including the NPT, no noise on Kashmir on human rights, which sounds good for us. But Obama in that sense maybe a little more complicated. The Democrats usually are. And you can expect some noise on Kashmir. He's already been making it. He could be tough on the NPT. He wants India to sign up and on CTBT and the FMCT too, the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty. So all in all, Obama may be a little tought. But at the end of the day the US needs India so don't anticipate too much pressure or blackmailing of that kind. We'll have to 'manage' the US that's the real challenge for us.
HR Venkatesh: One final question, a bit of a googly. It certainly look like America is going to transcend race, when do you think India will transcend caste and caste politics?
Surya Gangadharan: Oh, that's anybody's guess! But you never know. For all you know, next elections you could have Mayawati as Prime Minister, so we may not be that far off in that race too!
HR Venkatesh: Thanks very much.
Surya Gangadharan: Welcome.
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