Saturday saw the election of the first Vietnamese-American to Congress. Anh Cao, a Republican, scored a shock victory over nine-term Democratic incumbent William J. Jefferson, who everyone assumed had pretty much a seat for life. This won't be deeply disappointing news for the Democratic leadership: Mr Jefferson was embroiled in a corruption scandal and had become something of an embarrassment. Besides, Mr Cao's victory is something to celebrate on its own terms. He has an amazing life story, told in brief here. A refugee from Saigon, he's a student of theology, philosophy, law and physics. As you can tell from the following quote, he's not your average Republican:
The central insight he appreciates from his philosophical masters, the
Russian and French apostles of existentialism, is the rule for living
that “life is absurd but one cannot succumb to the absurdity of it.”
I hope he gets to discuss this maxim with Sarah Palin at some point.
How very interesting. What is IN the water in them thar swamplands?! The Cajuns elected the first Indian-American governor, then the first Vietnamese-American Congressman -- and they are both Republicans to boot! They were both candidates who embraced the party not known for its racial diversity and then succeeded in a state known for its ambivalence (to put it euphemistically) about racial diversity.
Wow.
Posted by: Lyle | December 09, 2008 at 05:20 AM