General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA little background on Dr. Amish Shah Dem AZ Rep Dist 24, increasingly seen on MSNBC, the real deal
My housemate is also our precinct chairperson and for the last few months I would sit in the living room during their leadership zoom meetings, pretty ho hum until this burst of personality would electrify the meeting, pretty hard to do in a zoom setting.
Who is that guy?
https://www.amishforarizona.com/
A couple of weeks ago my friend emailed the NBC national reporter and asked why aren't you guys going to Dr. Amish Shah for updates on Covid 19 in Phoenix given that he is an emergency room doctor and a state legislator?
About 10 days later he started appearing frequently on MSNBC including Lawrence tonight.
He is the only politician that I would say is really "Obamaesque" in his intelligence, commitment to serve, charisma and ability to articulate complicated problems in a simple way.
Look at some of the bullet points of his background:
Born and raised in Chicago
BA Northwestern in Economics cum laude
Northwestern University Medical School Honors
International Medical Consultant
Master's in Public Health with full Merit Scholarship at UC Berkeley
Residence in Emergency Medicine at NYC busies Level I trauma center
Won American Academy of Emergency Medicine National Resident Research Competition in
inventing new methods for treating the critically ill.
Full time faculty member Mount Sinai Medical Center NY
Helped NFL improve their emergency management through the NFL Physicians' society
Graduated from U of A Sports Medicine Fellowship
Board Certified in Emergency and Sports Medicine
Founded Arizona Vegetarian Food Festival
Crossfit
Flies small plans
Has a cat named Taylor
He became our Rep in 2015 when he challenged the incumbent Democrat in a primary by knocking on every door in the district. Got almost twice as many votes as one of the incumbents and three times as the other.
Haven't met him but he is so genuine and friendly when I have seen him on the TV I feel like I have known him for years.
This guy would do great at a cabinet level position in the Biden administration and would be a great candidate for high office. I found this passage on his campaign bio very endearing:
Between all the bullying and an unpredictable family situation, I had a pretty rough childhood. There were times I would go to my room and pray that God would just take my life, because there seemed to be no safe place for me. But somewhere around 6th grade, the unexpected happened. Two teachers, Mrs. Weber and Ms. Meres, took an interest in me, not just as a good student, but as a good person. They saw I needed support, and gave me kindness, generosity and encouragement.
Eventually, I paid my own way through medical school, allowing me to build an independent and fulfilling career as an ER doctor. I became a faculty member, educator, researcher, and even worked for the NFL. You see, this story would never be possible in other places like India where my parents grew up. But I was born in America, and the American people cared for me and invested in me.
I know how our kids need our full support and encouragement to reach their potential, especially here in Arizona where we have an underfunded and broken system. So I will fight harder than anyone to make sure every kid gets a real shot like I did. I will demand that teachers get paid well and treated with respect. And anyone who messes with an American kid will have to mess with me.
Just imagine returning to a time when a guy with a funny name, great education and a desire to serve was laser focused on fighting for the principle that every American kid gets a solid chance to participate in the American Dream.