AMA: Penn_Quaker_Girl

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Not sure if I even have the authority to start one of these for myself, but it seemed like a fun idea!

I'm currently a med student in Pennsylvania, but I was born in Gujarat, India and raised in Fort Bend County, TX.  

I'm an oddball of a registered Republican -- someone who might be considered a "swing Republican voter". Here's a rundown of my voting record with regards to federal elections:

2014 (midterms) -- John Cornyn (Senator, R-TX), Pete Olson (R - TX 22nd)
2016 (Presidential) -- Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Pete Olson (R - TX 22nd)
2018 (midterms) -- Ted Cruz (Senator, R-TX), Sri Preston Kulkarni (D - TX 22nd)

But yes, please feel free to ask me anything!

[H. Ross Peron]

Why did you vote for Clinton for President but Cruz for Senate? Did your political views change in the interval?

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Why did you vote for Clinton for President but Cruz for Senate? Did your political views change in the interval?

So I voted for Clinton because of how disgusted I was (and still am) with Trump.  2018 was a near tossup for me with regards to the Senate, but I voted for Ted Cruz because 2nd amendment (I'm a Texan, I know).  If I was voting strictly on likability and personality, I would have voted for Beto.  

On a side note, I voted for Kulkarni (D) over Olson (R) in the 2018 midterms primarily because of Olson's comments regarding his opponent and, even though I'm Indian, his false claims concerning Pakistani involvement in 9/11.  I was over the moon when he announced his retirement.  Plus I would like to see more south-Asian representatives in Washington.  

[Kung Fu Kenny]

Have you had a Philly cheesesteak yet?

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Have you had a Philly cheesesteak yet?

Yes.  But only one.  Certainly not more.  Definitely not....

[OSR stands with Israel]

- What is your Opinion Of George W Bush

- Favorite and least favorite Indian-American in Politics right now


- Favorite Sport to play and watch

[GeorgiaModerate]

How did you get interested in politics?

[Gracile]

How would you peg the TX-22 race in 2020? What chances do you give Kulkarni of winning the primary and him (or any Dem) winning the general election?

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

- What is your Opinion Of George W Bush

- Favorite and least favorite Indian-American in Politics right now


- Favorite Sport to play and watch

I thought George W. Bush had a good heart, but couldn't stand the people with whom he surrounded himself (Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc.). 

Favorite:  Pramila Jayapal (D, WAS-07) -- I admire her conviction and her position as the first Indian-American woman in Congress. 

Least favorite:  Ajit Pai.  Regardless of how you feel about net neutrality, the guy's a tool. 

Favorite sport to watch: American football (I'm a Texans' fan)
Favorite sport to play: Soccer (I played from when I was little up through D-I in college)

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

How did you get interested in politics?

The 2012 election -- I've always had an affinity for statistics and sociology.  There's just something fascinating to me about counties flipping from one election to the next, how certain demographics vote over others, etc. etc. 

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

How would you peg the TX-22 race in 2020? What chances do you give Kulkarni of winning the primary and him (or any Dem) winning the general election?

I'd say it's a tossup to tilt-R seat.  The suburbs in which I grew up outside of Houston (generally middle to upper class, educated, etc.) are still Republican, but there's a definite and palpable dislike for Trump.  Whether this will affect the election downballot remains to be seen, though.   

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Why are you a Republican?

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

Edwards or Rispone?

[OSR stands with Israel]

- What is your Opinion Of George W Bush

- Favorite and least favorite Indian-American in Politics right now


- Favorite Sport to play and watch

I thought George W. Bush had a good heart, but couldn't stand the people with whom he surrounded himself (Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc.). 

Favorite:  Pramila Jayapal (D, WAS-07) -- I admire her conviction and her position as the first Indian-American woman in Congress. 

Least favorite:  Ajit Pai.  Regardless of how you feel about net neutrality, the guy's a tool. 

Favorite sport to watch: American football (I'm a Texans' fan)
Favorite sport to play: Soccer (I played from when I was little up through D-I in college)

Why Jayapal over Haley , given Jayapal views on the issues . She is one of the most socialist members of Congress and her foreign policy is pretty atrocious as well on almost every area as she opposed Us intervention in Venezuela, and is pretty anti Israel and anti India as well while .


Or is Jayapal someone you like  personally but wouldn’t vote for in an election

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

- What is your Opinion Of George W Bush

- Favorite and least favorite Indian-American in Politics right now


- Favorite Sport to play and watch

I thought George W. Bush had a good heart, but couldn't stand the people with whom he surrounded himself (Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc.).  

Favorite:  Pramila Jayapal (D, WAS-07) -- I admire her conviction and her position as the first Indian-American woman in Congress.  

Least favorite:  Ajit Pai.  Regardless of how you feel about net neutrality, the guy's a tool.  

Favorite sport to watch: American football (I'm a Texans' fan)
Favorite sport to play: Soccer (I played from when I was little up through D-I in college)

Why Jayapal over Haley , given Jayapal views on the issues . She is one of the most socialist members of Congress and her foreign policy is pretty atrocious as well on almost every area as she opposed Us intervention in Venezuela, and is pretty anti Israel and anti India as well while .


Or is Jayapal someone you like  personally but wouldn’t vote for in an election

More the latter than the former.  I don't dislike Nikki Haley, though her recent defending of Trump is a bit baffling.

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

Oh also, it's kinda strange with your whole view on the guns thingy having them so important, since most desis (do I even count? lol) who grow up in TX suburbs and even those who are republicans are not big on guns from at least what I have seen in person, mostly economic or social. TX is not a monolithic thing where by saying I am a Texan means I love bbq, guns, horses, cowboy hats etc, that is more of an outsider stereotype. Like umm the Oak Lawn area of Dallas in general couldnt be further opposite from those things, and I just kind of feel like most suburban desi communities would also not strongly align with that stuff. Like certain groups in certain areas generally feel one way or the other with substantial overall numbers on both sides in the state, not just I'm Texan so therefore I like guns and stuff lol. Idk, yeah there are always exceptions, maybe you are one, or maybe you see the alignments differently, but I just found it interesting.

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Why are you a Republican?

If you're asking about being a pretty moderate Republican, it's likely a product of where I was raised mixed with the people around me -- growing up in a predominantly Republican community, but being surrounded by other Desis (a group that is predominantly liberal).  

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Oh also, it's kinda strange with your whole view on the guns thingy having them so important, since most desis (do I even count? lol) who grow up in TX suburbs and even those who are republicans are not big on guns from at least what I have seen in person, mostly economic or social. TX is not a monolithic thing where by saying I am a Texan means I love bbq, guns, horses, cowboy hats etc, that is more of an outsider stereotype. Like umm the Oak Lawn area of Dallas in general couldnt be further opposite from those things, and I just kind of feel like most suburban desi communities would also not strongly align with that stuff. Like certain groups in certain areas generally feel one way or the other with substantial overall numbers on both sides in the state, not just I'm Texan so therefore I like guns and stuff lol. Idk, yeah there are always exceptions, maybe you are one, or maybe you see the alignments differently, but I just found it interesting.

I was half-joking.   I'm pro-2A, but I'm definitely not what you'd call a "gun-fanatic" and I would support a ban on "assault weapons". 

Oh and to answer your other question: Edwards.  Rispone is too far-right for me. 

[Crumpets]

So you're in med school - what do you plan to do with your degree? Do you have a specific sub-field?

Who are you pulling for in the UK elections as of now?

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

So you're in med school - what do you plan to do with your degree? Do you have a specific sub-field?

Who are you pulling for in the UK elections as of now?

If all goes to plan (and that's a big IF), I want to study oncology. 

Just for the entertainment value, I'd like to see another hung parliament (sorry UK friends).   But I'm really not pulling for anybody.  Not a fan of BoJo or Corbyn.  I do tend to feel a bit of sympathy for the SNP because I feel that Scotland is getting screwed, but I'm DEFINITELY not the person to ask about UK politics. 

[Orser67]

How would you compare Philly and Houston? I.e. which do you like more, what are some interesting differences or similarities, etc.

[OSR stands with Israel]

- Favorite all time movie franchise

- Do you like Bollywood movies and if you do who is your favorite actor

(For me I haven’t liked them since like 2013)

[John Dule]

What's your opinion of right-wing Atlas? Do you find the discussion on this site intellectually satisfying?

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

- Favorite all time movie franchise

- Do you like Bollywood movies and if you do who is your favorite actor

(For me I haven’t liked them since like 2013)

Oof, that's a tough one.  I'm a huge horror fan, particularly slashers.  If I had to go with my favorite series, the *Wrong Turn* franchise has been a guilty pleasure. 

Dude, of course.  Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is my life. 

[PSOL]

What is your opinion on Andrew Yang?