Word: woo
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Those involved with the Pollard affair had suspicions that Bush, in a bid to woo Jewish voters, would pardon the spy toward the end of the presidential campaign. But, as Secretary of State-turned Chief of Staff James Baker put it so bluntly in a White House meeting, Jews were not among the GOP's top concerns on Election Day. (Quite frankly, American Jews--more than 80% of whom voted for Bill Clinton--did not want four more years of Bush and his Israel-squeezing sidekick, anyway.) Bush remained firm and instead pardoned a man who helped to orchestrate Pollard...
...past, Woo points out, pursuing public office was difficult because of overt discrimination against Asian-Americans. Recent studies also suggest that some Asian-American immigrants are more concerned with the politics of their homelands than the politics of the cities in which they live. Some of these recent immigrants also face language barriers which make it difficult for them even to cast ballost...
...these obstacles don't exist for many Asian-Americans. According to Woo, the real reason more don't run for office is that politics is just not a high-status profession for Asian-Americans, who desire more stability and money than public office can usually provide...
This is also part of the reason behind the notoriously low voting turnout among Asian-Americans. "Low rate of voter turnout has been a continuing disappointment," says Woo, who adds that more Asian-American candidates like himself--along with more voter education outreach--could be a good way to get more Asian-Americans to the ballot box. But right now, low turnouts and lack of candidates among Asian-Americans form a vicious cycle of political inactivity...
...understanding isn't the same as speaking out. Fitting in, not standing up, is what comes naturally, especially for politicians. And for Asian-Americans especially, fitting in just isn't good enough if it means ignoring broader responsibilities to the community. As Woo acknowledges, attending to one's dual responsibilities once in office might require more work and longer hours than other politicians need to spend...