The%20importance%20of%20the%20US%20Presidential%20election%20for%20Planet%20Earth%20cannot%20be%20overstated.%20No%20country%20can%20remain%20unaffected%20by%20this%20event%2C%20the%20outcome%20of%20which%20impacts%20almost%20every%20area%20of%20global%20interaction.
Naturally%2C%20this%20election%20is%20watched%20very%20carefully%20not%20only%20by%20psephologists%20across%20the%20globe%20but%20also%20by%20economists%2C%20strategic%20analysts%2C%20journalists%2C%20environmentalists%2C%20politicians%20and%20even%20astrologers%21
I%20am%20asked%20by%20almost%20everyone%20whom%20I%20know%20as%20to%20what%20the%20outcome%20of%20the%20US%20Presidential%20election%20will%20be.%20Will%20Donald%20Trump%20win%2C%20or%20will%20it%20be%20Joe%20Biden%20who%20will%20pip%20him%20to%20the%20post%3F
Election%20day%20is%20already%20here%2C%20and%20the%20outcome%20of%20the%20election%20cannot%20be%20forecast%20even%20at%20this%20late%20stage.%20There%20are%20so%20many%20imponderables%20involved%20that%20even%20the%20best-known%20political%20analysts%20in%20the%20US%20are%20not%20able%20to%20say%20with%20certainty%20as%20to%20who%20will%20win%20the%20US%20Presidential%20election.
%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20read%3A%20%3C/strong%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/the-route-joe-biden-could-take-to-reach-the-magic-figure-of-270-electoral-votes%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EThe%20route%20Joe%20Biden%20could%20take%20to%20reach%20the%20magic%20figure%20of%20270%20electoral%20votes%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E
However%2C%20to%20me%2C%20the%20really%20important%20question%20is%20this%3A%20What%20will%20be%20the%20impact%20of%20the%20election%20outcome%20on%20Indo-US%20relations%3F%20The%20relationship%20is%20on%20an%20unprecedented%20upswing%2C%20and%20will%20it%20hit%20a%20bumpy%20patch%20if%20Biden%20wins%3F%20Can%20the%20election%20outcome%20have%20a%20negative%20impact%20on%20India%27s%20relations%20with%20the%20US%3F%26nbsp%3B
We%20need%20to%20view%20matters%20from%20a%20historical%20perspective.%20As%20the%20saying%20goes%2C%20history%20is%20a%20great%20teacher.
Let%20me%20point%20out%20that%20eight%20US%20Presidential%20visits%20to%20India%20have%20taken%20place%20till%20now%20as%20follows%3A
Dec%209-14%2C%201959–Dwight%20Eisenhower
July%2031-Aug%201%2C1969–Richard%20Nixon
Jan%201-3%2C%201978–Jimmy%20Carter
March%2019-25%2C%202000–Bill%20Clinton
March%201-3%2C%202006–George%20W.%20Bush
Nov%206-9%2C%202010-Barack%20Obama
Jan%2025-27%2C%202015–Barack%20Obama
Feb%2024-25%2C%202020–Donald%20Trump%26nbsp%3B
%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20read%3A%20%3C/strong%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/running-as-a-proud-democrat-will-govern-as-an-american-president-says-joe-biden%22%3E%3Cstrong%3E%u2018Running%20as%20a%20proud%20Democrat%2C%20will%20govern%20as%20an%20American%20president%2C%u2019%20says%20Joe%20Biden%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E
Thus%2C%20the%20following%20facts%20can%20clearly%20be%20seen%3A
1%29%20In%20the%20first%20thirty-one%20years%20after%20India%27s%20emergence%20as%20an%20independent%20country%2C%20only%20three%20US%20Presidential%20visits%20took%20place.
2%29%20No%20US%20President%20visited%20India%20for%20the%20next%2022%20years.
3%29%20From%202000-2020%2C%20five%20UP%20Presidential%20visits%20to%20India%20have%20taken%20place.%26nbsp%3B
%26nbsp%3BUS%20Presidents%20do%20not%20visit%20a%20country%20so%20frequently%20unless%20they%20are%20seeking%20to%20foster%20closer%20relations.%26nbsp%3BThis%20analysis%20against%20a%20historical%20perspective%20clearly%20demonstrates%20that%20in%20the%20twenty-first%20century%2C%20India%20has%20acquired%20a%20lot%20of%20importance%20for%20the%20US.
The%20Indo-US%20relationship%20is%20now%20inextricably%20linked%20in%20the%20political%20as%20well%20as%20economic%20spheres%2C%26nbsp%3Band%20we%20both%20consider%20each%20other%20as%20strategic%20partners.%20True%2C%20there%20are%20some%20problems%20that%20still%20need%20to%20be%20overcome%2C%20such%20as%20those%20relating%20to%20bilateral%20trade%20and%20restrictions%20on%20H1B%20visas%20which%20adversely%20impact%20Indian%20professionals%20and%20Indian%20software%20companies.%20However%2C%20the%20level%20of%20bilateral%20engagement%20has%20now%20reached%20unprecedented%20levels.%20China%27s%20territorial%20and%20economic%20expansionism%20has%20served%20as%20a%20catalyst%20for%20strengthening%20Indo-US%20bilateral%20ties%2C%20as%20has%20been%20evident%20from%20Trump%27s%20visit%20earlier%20this%20year%20as%20well%20as%20from%20meeting%20like%20those%20of%20the%20Quad%20in%20October%20and%20the%202+2%20dialogue%20just%20a%20week%20ago.
%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20read%3A%20%3C/strong%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/fatf-decision-puts-pakistan-between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EFATF%20decision%20puts%20Pakistan%20between%20a%20rock%20and%20a%20hard%20place%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E
It%20is%20true%20that%20Joe%20Biden%20has%20taken%20up%20positions%20on%20issues%20like%20CAA%20and%20Jammu%20and%20Kashmir%20which%20show%20a%20lack%20of%20sympathy%20for%20the%20Indian%20stand%2C%20but%20he%20did%20so%20in%20the%20context%20of%20electioneering.%20If%20he%20becomes%20the%20US%20President%2C%20he%20is%20bound%20to%20be%20practical%20and%20show%20much%20greater%20understanding%20because%20working%20closely%20with%20India%20has%20become%20an%20important%20aspect%20of%20US%20foreign%20policy%3B%20it%20will%20not%20be%20in%20US%20interests%20to%20undo%20the%20closeness%20in%20the%20present%20global%20scenario.%20The%20fact%20that%20the%20US%20sees%20India%20as%20a%20potential%20purchaser%20of%20weapons%20systems%20would%20make%20it%20even%20more%20necessary%20for%20Biden%20to%20seek%20a%20closer%20relationship%20with%20the%20Indian%20political%20establishment.%20In%20that%20sense%2C%20he%20will%20continue%20on%20the%20same%20path%20as%20Trump.
Thus%2C%20regardless%20of%20whether%20Trump%20wins%20or%20Biden%20does%20so%2C%20Indo-US%20relations%20will%20continue%20to%20strengthen%20as%20they%20have%20been%20doing%20in%20the%20last%20couple%20of%20decades.
%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23JoeBiden%22%20data-user-id%3D%225FRgjJ2CcsNt%22%20href%3D%22/topic/joe-biden%22%3E%23JoeBiden%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23DonaldTrump%22%20data-user-id%3D%226bkg9ruYdDHn%22%20href%3D%22/topic/donald-trump%22%3E%23DonaldTrump%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23USElection%22%20data-user-id%3D%22izxeDCT9KwwC%22%20href%3D%22/topic/uselection%22%3E%23USElection%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23India%22%20data-user-id%3D%22Bq4MmUPrXF8p%22%20href%3D%22/topic/india%22%3E%23India%3C/a%3E%26nbsp%3B
