# Hindu to Congress! **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 7, 2012, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199 "2012-11-07T12:09:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/41 "2012-11-07T23:11:47Z")
> [@markdash](#): > > Why “redistricted”? It seems like that term should apply to Representatives who have to go up against other Representatives after the districts change, not an incumbent going against a 31 year old political novice. To be honest, I’m not totally sure what happened there–I’m just going off the fact that a Democrat apparently somehow lost to another Democrat in a general election. I believe that usually means the districts got shifted around and two members of the same party got put into the same district. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/42 "2012-11-07T23:30:02Z")
> [@tomcar](#): > > Just to freak you guys out properly, she is actually a Hare Krsna. I cant attach a link on my ipod. Hope she brings free vegetarian food and chanting to politics! Sticks tongue out, we still have an atheist ranga as our PM!! ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/43 "2012-11-07T23:35:13Z")
> [@sisu](#): > > Hope she brings free vegetarian food and chanting to politics! > > Sticks tongue out, we still have an atheist ranga as our PM!! Dont get me wrong, i think it is great. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/44 "2012-11-07T23:51:58Z")
I hope he tries to get a multi-armed Shiva statue put on somewhere on government property ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/45 "2012-11-07T23:55:32Z")
Her name is Tulsi Gabbard, not Gabbard Tulsi. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/46 "2012-11-08T00:06:45Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Her name is Tulsi Gabbard, not Gabbard Tulsi. :smack: Must be all those years I’ve lived in Asian countries which have the surname first. Yeah, that must be it. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/47 "2012-11-08T00:11:08Z")
For the record, most cultures in the Indian subcontinent follow Western naming conventions (given name-middle name-surname). I think Tamils are the exception. Gabbard’s family isn’t actually from Asia, though; she is of Samoan descent. She’s a Hindu by dint of her mother, who converted as an adult. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/48 "2012-11-08T00:12:51Z")
> [@tomcar](#): > > Dont get me wrong, i think it is great. I agree, maybe there is hope for the good ol’ USA yet 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/49 "2012-11-08T00:26:35Z")
> [@Hyperelastic](#): > > What is it you like about Hindus? Their belief in many gods, the caste system, or what? I can’t speak for him, but I assume he was happy that a member of a minority religion associated with non-whites got elected. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/50 "2012-11-08T01:05:55Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > I can’t speak for him, but I assume he was happy that a member of a minority religion associated with non-whites got elected. Some fundamentals but not the happy Hare Krishna clan… ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/51 "2012-11-08T01:17:15Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > If I lived in a majority Hindu country, I would be worried about the caste system and “Hindutva”. If I lived in a majority Jewish country, I would be worried about ultra-Orthodox Judaism being imposed on me. If I lived in a majority Muslim country, I would be worried about Islam being imposed on me. Since I live in the United States, where adherents of those religions still make up pretty small portions of the electorate, I am not too worried about Hindus or Jews or Muslims “taking over”. You worry too much. The US Government imposes less religion on its people than almost anywhere else in the world. Even the liberal democracies of Europe have their taxpayer-supported churches. I have no reason to think Ms. Gabbard is anything but a fine person, but we don’t need to elect a Hindu just to prove how tolerant we are. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/52 "2012-11-08T01:21:53Z")
You are looking at this backwards because you are looking for an excuse to be offended. Gabbard wasn’t elected “to prove how tolerant we are”, but the fact that she _was_ elected is nice anecdotal evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/53 "2012-11-08T01:51:59Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > Yeah, but only a lame duck. When he goes, UUs are gone. ☹ Well, just to play nice, let’s acknowledge that according to the 2001 census there’s about 500,000 of us in the country. That’s about 0.16% of the population. Heck, there’s probably more outright Satanists listening to Sabbath right now and painting their fingernails black than UUs. Given those numbers of the 525 members of Congress we should have 0.856 members. So it’s not a real surprise that we’d spend some time without. But I’ll see what I can do. Edit to Add: Oh, and before everyone gets all excited about Hirone and ‘First Buddhist’ and such remember that’s she’s been in Congress since 2007. She’s just shifting Houses, so to speak. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/54 "2012-11-08T02:02:29Z")
Isn’t Hank Johnson a Buddhist? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/55 "2012-11-08T02:34:58Z")
Yeah, he is Sōka Gakkai apparently. And was elected at the same time as Hirono. And of course Keith Ellison is Muslim. I’m confused. Are atheist people in this thread _claiming_ Stark? You don’t want him. I just found out he lost, and have no idea who Swalwell is, but that’s fantabulous news. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/56 "2012-11-08T02:40:06Z")
> [@Hyperelastic](#): > > You worry too much. The US Government imposes less religion on its people than almost anywhere else in the world. Even the liberal democracies of Europe have their taxpayer-supported churches. > > I have no reason to think Ms. Gabbard is anything but a fine person, but we don’t need to elect a Hindu just to prove how tolerant we are. Not to prove how tolerant we are, but a diverse group is always a good thing. Always. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/57 "2012-11-08T02:41:16Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > I’m confused. Are atheist people in this thread _claiming_ Stark? He spoke up about being an atheist in 2007, so whether anyone wants him or not, he counts. Since he’s out of office I guess someone should make a Game of Thrones joke. Is it too late? I haven’t watched the show. Anyway Kyrsten Sinema seems a lot more, um, interesting. Maybe I can forgive the spelling of her name. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/58 "2012-11-08T02:48:09Z")
No, I mean that if I were in the United Atheist Alliance with him, I’d want to kick him out or join the Unified Atheist League. He used to be my congressman and is the definition of career politician. The only GoT thing I can think of is that I should’ve voted for Hodor. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/59 "2012-11-08T03:16:11Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > is the definition of career politician. That doesn’t really tell me whether I should be for him or against him. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199/60 "2012-11-08T03:20:53Z")
So, you elected someone without considering (or at least irrespective of) her religious affiliation. How novel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hindu-to-congress/640199.md?page=4)