A DAY IN THE LIFE (of Chicago): What makes “normal” Indian governor?

I have one thing to say about the Illinois gubernatorial Democratic primary coming up next year – Ameya Pawar has a sense of humor.

PAWAR: Our state's first Indian gov?

He’s going to need it; particularly since the common perception is that this primary is a battle between J.B. Pritzker (he of the Hyatt Hotels fortune) and Chris Kennedy – with the latter making up for a lesser personal wealth with the political glories of his father and two uncles.

YOU HAVE TO admit, even a Daley running for office in Chicago would have trouble rivaling the political star power of papa Bobby, Jack and Uncle Teddy.

HALEY: Now our nation's U.N. rep

For those of you who haven’t paid any attention to Pawar (and most people merely snicker when his name is brought up in political conversation), he’s the alderman for the 47^th Ward (Northwest Side) whose immigrant parents settled into this country from India.

He’d be the first Indian-American governor of Illinois, if he could win. He’d also be the third Indian-American to become a governor of any state – we’ve had Bobby Jindal from Louisiana and Nikki Haley from South Carolina; the latter now being the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Both of whom ran as Republicans in states that had negligible Asian racial populations (both estimated at about 1.8 percent, according to the Census Bureau’s 2015 updates). Which means both had to make themselves into something that the white majorities could identify with, rather than being themselves.

WHICH IS THE point Pawar tried to make with his appearance this week at the iO Theater when he quipped, “I’ll be the first normal Indian governor.”

JINDAL: 1st guv named for a Brady?

No tales like we get from Jindal, the guy who “Americanized” his name by taking the moniker from the snot-nosed youngest boy on “The Brady Bunch.”

Of course, we also get Pawar’s wife, Charna, who is Jewish, which leads to Pawar referring to himself as a “Hin-Jew.” Certainly a lot more color and life in this potential governor compared to some of the Executive Mansion occupants (Yes, I’m talking about you, Jim Edgar) we’ve had in the past.

What else is laughable, in an unfortunate manner, about the political scene these days?

AN ENCORE PERFORMANCE: Remember how miffed President Donald J. Trump got when a federal judge of Mexican ethnic ancestry wound up ruling against him in that lawsuit against his Trump University?

CURIEL: Will Trump target him again?

The same judge who is a native of East Chicago, Ind. (which has a slight majority of Latinos amongst its population) is now going to preside over a case in which a man says he was illegally deported to Mexico.

U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel (a federal judge in Southern California) will have to decide the fate of a man who says that federal Immigration officials provided no documentation to justify his removal from the United States. The Mexico native says he should have had protection from deportation due to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals act.

You know, that measure enacted by President Barack Obama that Trump wanted to wipe away just as much as he wanted to do away with the Affordable Care Act? You just know if the courts prevent him from taking that action, we’ll get the ultimate load of obscenities – probably so many that even the late comedian Richard Pryor would blush.

WHO LET THE RABBLE IN THE OVAL OFFICE: We’ve all seen the photographs by now – Trump allowed former Alaska Gov. (and failed Vice Presidential candidate) Sarah Palin into the White House for dinner.

She brought along so-called musicians Ted Nugent and Kid Rock – both of whom think it enhances their “street cred” by being outspoken and crass toward Progressive causes and officials. Meaning they approve of the Trumpster way of thinking.

The 'deplorables' at work?

Much has even been made of the photograph of the group that was taken of them standing in front of a formal portrait of former first lady Hillary Clinton. It’s a wonder they didn’t blow their noses and wipe snot on it!

Although personally, I was more entranced by the trashy-looking women who accompanied Nugent and Rock to the White House. Because they’re exactly the kind of loose-looking “ladies” whom the conservative ideologues have spent years associating with former President Bill Clinton.

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