I attended an unusual fundraiser for a U.S. Senate seat candidate a few weeks ago. Unusual because the candidate’s an Armenian who leads the Washington incumbent in all the polls despite a perceived lack of political experience, but who’s locked in a tight race as the Republican nominee for Harry Reid’s Nevada Senate.
The host explained why he supports the candidate—Danny Tarkanian—despite the latter’s lack of experience. While in college, Danny was the leader of a prominent Division 1 basketball team (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) coached by his father, Jerry. In Danny’s senior year, the team won 24 consecutive games, no mean feat. The crux of what the host said in his introduction was that Danny’s court leadership, vision, and ball hawking (he led the team in assists and steals) wouldn’t help him to be a good statesman or representative of his constituents, but his competitiveness, determination, perseverance, dedication, discipline, and ability to work effectively in the context of a team goal did eminently qualify him. They’re qualifications that are indicative of a character and integrity that currently may be sorely deficient in the capital these days. I couldn’t agree more. As for intelligence, Tarkanian graduated college magna cum laude, and law school third in his class.
Perhaps more importantly, innocence in the minefield of U.S. politics could be a benefit to a candidate today. It means he comes in clean, beholden only to his Nevada constituents rather than any special interest groups that had supported him in the past. As you may have heard, Scott Brown, another fiscal conservative, rode the same formula to success over a traditionally Democrat seat in liberal Massachusetts, in the race for the late Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat.
The reason? It may be because on many votes concerning public policy, health, and education, the abortion question, military expenditures and policy, homeland security, and other issues, his constituents will be divided. For example, 55/45 or some such number. Some will be pleased by his position, others disappointed. It’s impossible for any candidate to please all his constituents, all the time. But a Senator with character and integrity will have the personal strength to remain constant with regard to principles of fiscal sanity and, particularly, personal freedom, responsibility, and accountability—the foundations on which the Constitution was written and this country was built. Unless we want that to go away, that’s the type of individual we ought to put in office, regardless of which party he represents.
Frank Nahigian
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You give the lamest reason to vote for somebody. Your real answer should be “Vote for Tarkanian because we are the same color and we want to make sure we offend a huge ally of the United States for something that happened to us during WW1.”
Please do not offend a real Republican like Scott Brown by trying to compare him to a liberal like Danny Tarkanian. Tarkanian is on record for being anti-2nd amendment and for donating money to other liberals.
At a fundraiser for Danny Tarkanian in the Boston area, the candidate was asked a question about Karabagh, and he said he did not know much about the issue.
That was the only question involving Armenian issues that he was asked. This is true. I am not making it up.
I hope Tarkanian wins the Senate seat, but I think that we Armenians are fooling ourselves that this will make much of a difference.
Has Tarkanian ever been active in the Armenian community? My sources tell me No. That is all I know.
The truth is, just about every Armenian American politician is afraid of coming out forerightly in favor of Armenian issues. Notice that our best friends in Congress are not Anna Eshoo or Jackie Spier, each of whom is 1/2 Armenian.
What does this tell you? That Armenian politicians are a bunch of liars, thieves, and cowards (like most politicians) who want our money and votes, after which, for the most part they tell us to get lost.
And yet I have rarely seen any Armenian American newspaper, or any Armenian for that matter, point this out. We’re suckers, let’s face it.
Frank Nahigian, what do you have to say about this? Be frank, Frank.