White House hopeful Nikki Haley shouldn’t be criticised or praised for her gender or ethnicity: Bobby Jindal

The Indian-origin Republican chief formally launched her 2024 presidential bid on February 15, casting herself as a youthful and brisker different to the Twentieth-century politicians like her one-time boss and former president Trump.

Left: Former Governor of the US state of Louisiana Bobby Jindal, Right: Former UN Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley

By Press Trust of India: Indian-American Bobby Jindal, the previous Governor of the US state of Louisiana on Friday got here out in defence of White House hopeful Nikki Haley, saying she shouldn’t be criticised or praised for her gender or ethnicity.

Jindal was the primary Indian-American to have entered the race for the US presidency in 2016.

He dropped out within the early phases of the Republican major, which was finally received by former president Donald Trump.

Haley, 51, is the two-term Governor of South Carolina and the previous US Ambassador to the United Nations.

The Indian-origin Republican chief formally launched her 2024 presidential bid on February 15, casting herself as a youthful and brisker different to the Twentieth-century politicians like her one-time boss and former president Trump.

Also Read: Shocker from Bobby Jindal: We got here to America to be Americans, not Indian-Americans

But in lower than a fortnight after she entered the 2024 race, Haley was subjected to assault based mostly on her ethnicity, race and gender, typically even from her personal Republican Party supporters.

“Liberals have reduced Haley’s candidacy to the candidate’s gender and ethnicity — unsurprising given their obsession with identity politics. Conservatives should avoid falling into this same trap,” Jindal wrote in an op-ed in Newsweek journal.

“Nikki Haley should not be criticised or praised for being an Indian-American woman running for president; the fact she was born female and to Indian immigrants is not the most important thing to know about her,” he argued.

Jindal wrote that any candidate providing themselves to steer our nation ought to count on harsh scrutiny, and all the things looks like honest recreation in trendy campaigns. “Candidates once expected the media and voters to respect personal matters as out of bounds, but that zone of privacy shrinks smaller and smaller with each campaign — especially as candidates share more and more personal information via social media,” he wrote.

Also Read: Top Indian-American politician Nikki Haley planning to launch for 2024 White House bid on Feb15

“Liberals who thought voters should elect Hillary Clinton president because previous officeholders were male — and then criticised the electorate as sexist for failing to do so — are horrified at the possibility Haley could be the first female president,” Jindal defined.

Referring to the collection of assaults in opposition to Haley, Jindal stated these assaults solely profit the marketing campaign within the quick time period, because the nationwide media consideration improves, it provides reporters and voters a cause to maintain discussing her candidacy.

“Trump’s election proved the incredible power of free earned media attention, especially in a presidential election governed by saturation coverage. However, reducing Haley’s candidacy to her gender and ethnicity limits her ability to transcend those categories and build a broader coalition,” Jindal wrote.

Haley is the third Indian-American to run for the US presidency in three consecutive election cycles after Jindal and Vice-President Kamala Harris.

“Running as a female minority candidate blesses her with a higher floor than other candidates struggling to differentiate themselves, but could also condemn her with a lower ceiling if voters don’t get the chance to examine her credentials and ideas,” he added.

Haley was born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa to Sikh dad and mom Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa, who had emigrated from Punjab to Canada after which to the US within the Sixties.

Also Read: Nikki Haley invokes her Indian id, says her household confronted discrimination however America not a racist nation

Meanwhile, in an e-mail to her supporters, Haley described herself as a proud American and a grateful citizen.

“I am a conservative. I am a mom. And soon a mother-in-law! I am a runner. I am an unabashed Clemson Tigers fan. I’ve served as governor of the great state of South Carolina and as America’s ambassador to the United Nations, and I’m a grateful citizen who knows our best days are yet to come if we unite and fight to save our country,” she stated.

At 39, Haley was the youngest governor within the US when she took workplace in January 2011 and made historical past as South Carolina’s first feminine governor.

She was additionally the state’s first Indian-American governor who would go on to serve for 2 phrases.

Published On:

Feb 25, 2023