Aram Suren Hamparian - Armenian American and the 2024 US Presidential Elections | Ep 378 - Oct 27, 2024 [EP378]

Groong Links:

• GIVE to GROONG
• linktr.ee/Groong

Guest:

• Aram Suren Hamparian, Exec. Dir. ANCA, DC

Topics:

• ANCA Endorsements Methodology
• On the Major Presidential Candidates
• Arab-Americans Still Uncommitted
• Where is the Armenian Vote?

Episode 378 | Recorded: October 25, 2024

Show Notes

The Hamparian Flag

Grading Methodology

Questions:

• How does the ANCA assess, or grade, elected politicians on Armenian-American issues?
• Are there any candidates who stand out and were essentially no-brainer recommendations for the ANCA?

Presidential Candidates

When it comes to the two major presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, their records are pretty dismal.

Questions:

• What’s your assessment of Harris and Trump?
• What’s the ANCA’s guidance on how to vote for president?

There are other candidates on the presidential ballot, like the Green Party’s Jill Stein, a perennial presence, sort of like a modern day Ralph Nader.

Questions:

• Do these minor candidates matter for us?

In the past weeks we heard from both Harris and Trump pandering to the Armenian-American vote.

• On September 21, Harris sent a letter on the occasion of Armenian independence day and affirmed the Armenian Genocide, stated her support for a lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and she wrote: “the right for Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh to return return safely to their homes”.
• Two days ago Trump slammed Harris (I think it was on TruthSocial) for doing nothing while in office during the ethnic cleansing of Christian Armenians. He said: “When I am President, I will protect persecuted Christians, I will work to stop the violence and ethnic cleansing, and we will restore PEACE between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

Questions:

• What are your thoughts? Is there any substance here, or is it all just electioneering and pandering?

One aspect of Trump’s statement caught our eyes. He said: “Kamala Harris did NOTHING as 120,000 Armenian Christians were horrifically persecuted and forcibly displaced in Artsakh”. Now that is a very specific assertion, and the term “Artsakh” is almost exclusively used by Armenians, it hardly ever enters the lexicon of American presidents. Interestingly Trump has some advisors and supporters in his close circle, like former presidential candidates Vivek Ramaswamy, Tulsi Gabbard, and Robert Kennedy Jr, all of whom have shown support and friendship to the Armenian community over the years.

Questions:

• How did this Trump statement come about? Why is it so specific, and uses “Artsakh” instead of Nagorno-Karabakh?

Arab American Vote

Earlier this year the Arab-Americans initiated a national “Uncommitted” movement to tell Biden, and then Harris that their support is not a sure thing, that was in the Democratic primary. I think they’ve been heard loud and clear, but Harris has remained staunchly pro-Israel, and all-in on funding Israel’s war on Gaza despite the killing of over 40,000 Palestinians there. So the Arab-American community is furious and is recommending not to vote for Harris. Some groups are even pushing to use Jill Stein as a protest vote. This has the Dems worried that if Arab Americans stay away from the top of the Democratic ticket, they could lose Michigan, which is a key battleground state this year.

Strategy and Solidarity

Armenians have a few stronghold states; California, Massachusetts, Michigan; there are healthy and active communities in DC, Pennsylvania; growing communities in Nevada, Arizona, Florida.

Questions:

• What’s preventing Armenian-Americans from coalescing around a national consensus to vote for a candidate, or not vote for a candidate?
  • With your estimated 2 million Armenian-Americans, if a third of them show up to vote that is 6-700K votes, and that matters.
• What do we need to do to achieve solidarity, unity around such issues?

Notes:

Wrap-up

That’s our show! We hope you found it useful. Please find us on Social Media and follow us everywhere you get your Armenian news.

Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.

Guests

Hosts