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President Biden’s speech before the UN on Tuesday morning was his diplomatic swan song. He backed Ukraine on one front, then suggested the US was seeking an end to the war in Gaza. But now with a new hot spot in Southern Lebanon, the president’s words without a real plan seemed hollow.

The only thing that rang true in his UN address was his assessment of why he stepped down this summer and decided not to seek re-election.

“There’s something more important than staying in power,” Biden told the powerful people in the room and the autocratic lurking elsewhere.

Based on some new polling, Asian Americans seem to agree with Biden.

Among Asian American voters,Vice President Kamala Harris leads the twice impeached, 34 times convicted Donald Trump by 38 percentage points, expanding Biden’s 15-point lead by 23 percentage points since the Spring, according to a new survey of AAPI adults conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago.

Sixty-six percent of Asian Americans say they plan on voting for Vice President Harris, compared to 28 percent who say they back former President Trump. In April and May, only 46 percent backed Biden and 31 percent supported Trump, according to the Asian American Voter Survey.

And when it comes to identity politics, 38 percent of Asian American voters say Harris’ identity as a woman is “extremely” or “very” important to them, compared to 27 percent who say the same about her identity as an Asian Indian or South Asian. Typical self-effacing Asian style? Perhaps.

The AAPI backing for Harris is so strong, but the national polling numbers remain tight with slim margins. Harris leads Trump by 48-47, according to a new SSRS poll. Despite the clear differences between Harris and Trump, we are still within the margin of error, a 1-2 point America.

The difference? Diversity. But for Trump!

The non-white vote is up 4 percent for Trump, from 16 percent to 20 percent.

It’s the number of Black and Hispanic males backing Trump that is making this race closer than it should be.

NEVADA

I happen to be in the battleground state of Nevada this week. And as I’ve done in previous elections, I do my informal Lyft/Uber focus group to get a sense of where people are. In Las Vegas, the ride-share folks are all regular people who feel forced to do Uber/Lyft to make ends meet. https://www.aaldef.org/blog/emil-guillermo-the-uswnt-win-was-the-highlight-of-my-forced-visit-to-iowa/

“I’m paying $2900 in rent,” said Abigail (not her real name), a white female driver of mine. When I ask her who she’s voting for, she says, “I’m a registered Republican, but I don’t like either of them [Harris or Trump].”

That’s the standard guarded line from the apolitical. “I try not to pay attention,” she said. But she feels the pinch and it isn’t about abortion. It’s the economy. And that might drive a white woman to Trump.

On the ride back, I got a Latino driver, who sounded like the white woman. “I don’t pay attention to politics,” Oscar (not his real name) told me. “But I’m voting for Trump. He’s a businessman. Kamala had her turn; she was vice president. What did she do?”

Oscar was just verifying a MAGA-theme that's circulating amongst the electorate. Oscar is unemployed, 27, a Mexican American, whose parents aren’t here legally. But his American views are very Republican. And he’s not alone. He said his roommate was even more virulently for Trump.

To make sense of polls, talk to your Uber/Lyft driver. That’s real life data.

OF COURSE THEY ALL COULD BE LYING

This is why polls are imperfect sources. Americans apparently hold secret opinions–the ones they say in public and the ones they hold in private.For example, 61 percent of Americans admit to “self-silencing,” and keeping their true opinions to themselves, according to a Populace/YouGov survey reported in Axios.

What? “Self-Silencing?” Doesn’t that sound like most Asian Americans?

The trend is clear. People say one thing publicly, but stay quiet on important, sensitive matters.

To the statement, “The government should close the U.S.-Mexico border,” 52 percent publicly agree.

But 33 percent do so privately. That implies 85 percent want to close off America. We aren't 50/50 on border closure.

When our leaders and politicians overly depend on polls, you can see how policymakers can be misled.

Or how about the statement: “We live in a mostly fair society.”

Thirty-seven percent agreed with that publicly. Seven percent kept their belief private.

That puts the number over 40 percent, if you include the silent hedgers who may hope for fairness, but know it doesn’t exist in America.

It makes one wonder about all poll questions when you consider the public/private gap.

So what do we really think and when do we tell the truth? Maybe on a secret ballot on Nov. 5.

Or during a ride on Lyft.

SHOHEI OHTANI IS THE NEW BRUCE LEE

I don’t want to leave you today without a mention about the great Shohei Ohtani, the greatest baseball player EVER.

There is no doubt now. The first player to hit 51 home runs and steal 51 bases? Never been done. Babe Ruth may have had 501home runs and 51 hot dogs. But Ohtani’s feat is remarkable in that it shows an unprecedented combination of speed and power.

And Asian-ness. But not his Asian American-ness, because he is an “Asian IN America.”

It’s a fine point. But as AAPIs, we are starved for heroes and role models. Ohtani is IT. Our guy.

And that makes it complicated when people still see Asian as “foreigner.”

I brought up the situation just three years ago when ESPN’s multi-million dollar mouthpiece went ballistic on Ohtani for not speaking English. Of course, I was one of the few Asian Americans to bring it up, mainly on this website. See https://www.aaldef.org/blog/emil-guillermo-ohtani-attacks-make-stephen-a.smith-the-modern-day-al-campanis/

Smith apologized, which is less reliable than his initial reaction.

I love seeing Stephen A. eat crow.But remember there’s that public/private thing. What do people really think.

Most AAPIs are crazy about Shohei.

When Ohtani made history last weekend, my friend, the Asian American Studies Professor Emeritus Daniel Phil Gonzales, said it outright: Shohei is the new Bruce Lee.

The difference is Shohei is dominant not in the martial arts, but in the baseball arts, the game of American Abner Doubleday invented in the USA. Shohei is an Asian in America, being as American as it gets. He’s inventing a new player profile, and all just with his bat–a 34.5 inch, 32 ounce bat job. This year he's not pitching or playing the field. He's just playing the game like no one ever has.

As the somewhat conflicted colonizer Teddy Roosevelt might have said, he’s speaking softly, in Japanese. And carrying a big stick.

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NOTE: I will talk about this column and other matters on “Emil Amok’s Takeout,” my AAPI micro-talk show. Live @2p Pacific. Livestream on Facebook; my YouTube channel; and Twitter. Catch the recordings on www.amok.com. Since I'm traveling this week, the times may vary.