NEW YORK: A study conducted among Indian Americans recently in Northern Virginia revealed that the community is deeply troubled by America's direction after eight years of President Bush, placing great hope in the Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama.

The political attitudes and values of Indian Americans tend to be more progressive and Democratic than other Americans of comparable backgrounds, according to a focus group of likely Indian American voters conducted in Northern Virginia this summer by the Campaign for America's Future. Participating voters saw themselves aligned closely with Democrats and very far from Republicans on a wide range of economic, cultural and international issues.

The opinion research marks the first exploration of its type into the rapidly growing Indian American population, which holds tremendous potential for political activism if properly engaged. In a memorandum to community and political leaders that outlines the study's findings, Campaign for America's Future communications director Toby Chaudhuri said that the results of the study suggest enormous opportunities to engage Indian Americans for support with progressive and Democratic battles.

"These Indian Americans clearly saw Barack Obama as a candidate who shares their values, has the right priorities for turning around our troubled economy and as the best possible leader to re-establish our standing in the world," said Chaudhuri. "Participants in the focus group were deeply troubled by where they saw the country headed after eight years of President Bush, placing great hope in Barack Obama, who they see as a jolt of fresh air."

Participants were knowledgeable about some issues unique to the Indian American community, but those issues were not their priorities. Further, their attitudes toward core issues like our country's direction, the economy, the war in Iraq and energy policy, were virtually indistinguishable from other progressive-leaning Americans.

The focus group of Indian Americans is the first of a potentially broader research project by the Campaign for America's Future.