Candidate Kumar

To my chagrin, Rishi did not want to meet face to face. Instead, we resorted to an email exchange. I sent him three questions:

1). Why do you align with the Democratic party as opposed to the Republicans? What principles do you hold that had you join one over the other? Related to this question, why might a Republican be inclined to vote for you in the general if you finish in the top two in the primary and face Eshoo again? (Rishi faced Eshoo in the 2020 election).

2). Given you will probably face again the Democrat incumbent, what is it about your stance on issues that most distinguishes you from her? (Top 3 items).

3). Recently the speaker of the House and the majority leader in the Senate were unable to pass legislation because of a few Democratic members who crossed the aisle and sided with the Republicans. The Democrats intend to take another shot at these matters in 2022. What is your stance on the matters in question?

When one of our readers read that Rishi and I did not meet but instead corresponded via email, he wrote to point out how unfortunate it was. Indeed, answering a question in person, point blank, is one thing. Having time to think a question over is another. Back and forth is also impaired, which can be important if a question is not satisfactorily answered.

In fact, Mr. Kumar’s answers to my questions were not always direct. To the first, his position was that he is not driven by partisan politics. I found his words believable but not the answer to my question. He obviously made a choice to identify with one party over the other. He gave no answer as to why.

Relative to the latter part of my first question, there also was no response. Perhaps Rishi figured his answer to question two covered it. To question two, Rishi cited the biggest differences between him and Eshoo.

The first difference he pointed out was his experience in high tech and his knowledge of the economy it drives. Himself a tech executive, Rishi opined how embarrassed he’s been for the district when Eshoo has spoken at congressional hearings on the topic. She performs drama well for the cameras but does nothing of significance. The applicable phrase would be, “all bark and no bite.”

The second difference Rishi pointed out between him and Eshoo is exactly why the Democratic Party is happy to keep her in place and doesn’t want to see an upstart like Rishi knock her out before she resigns. Mr. Kumar vows not to accept PAC money. Ms. Eshoo, on the other hand, is the top recipient of Big Pharma money in the House. It is no wonder why Eshoo, as chair of the House subcommittee on Health, has done nothing to reduce prescription drug prices. To the contrary, she’s been the queen of the opposite.

In a roundabout way, Mr. Kumar hit on a third difference between himself and the incumbent: term limits. Obviously, someone who has held office for 30 years does not believe in term limits. Rishi says he “fiercely believes in term limits.” What he did not say is, if elected, to how many terms he would limit himself. (Personally, I do not believe in term limits but it is a topic for another time).

To my last question, Rishi gave an obtuse answer. He wrote, “Shoot for the stars, but aim at one star in particular.” I read that as nice rhetoric but wondered what it meant? He wrote about negotiating with Sen. Manchin. I am sure that was tried. Additionally, Sen. Manchin was not alone. Regarding the legislation in question, Rishi took no stance.

Where do Mr. Kumar’s answers leave us? If I am a Democrat, he gets my vote. If a Republican, I’m going with Peter Ohtaki. If an independent, study and choose.

A former member of the San Carlos City Council and mayor, Matt Grocott has been involved in political policy on the Peninsula for 17 years. He can be reached by email at mattgrocott@comcast.net.