Hawaii Politics in a swirl!
Politics in Hawaii, or more precisely, electoral politics, are in a period of “rapid uncertainty.” Underlying all this are fundamental changes in the economy, technology and demographics. The “Old order” is dying; the New Order has not yet established control. Meanwhile, the Market rolls on, transforming everything, transforming values, both economic and spiritual.
The immediate cause of this political uncertainty is the decision of Congressman Ed Case to knock Senator Daniel Akaka from his seat in the US Senate. Ed believes his beliefs are more in tune with the attitudes of the voters and with the realities of a changed world.
Most Democrats view the same set of changes and intrepret Ed’s actions as taking advantage of some (unfortunate) changed circumstances, including:
1). the large number of newcomers from the United States, especially haoles, who do not share “local” values and do not understand Hawaii’s history and culture;
2). the decline of a unionized workforce, the fragmentation of the workforce into many small-scale workplaces and the decline of pro-worker sensibilities; and
3). the passing of older voters who grew up during the plantation era and the period of blatant Big 5 political and economic domination.
Click to enlarge
Andy Winer said,
July 17, 2006 at 4:43 am
Glad to see that there is local blogging interest in this race! The Akaka campaign is critical to the future of Hawaii because it is about a progressive leader vs. a Blue Dog Dem who does not embody the Aloha Spirit. Senator Akaka has actively opposed the War in Iraq, the Patriot Act, and the Bush Administration tax policies favoring the rich. Case has been on the opposite side of all these issues, and he has taken anti-labor stands throughout his legislative career. This campaign is ultimately about the future of the Dem Party in Hawaii. Case believes that we should be moderate fiscal conservatives who do not care about the rights of workers, consumers, and native Hawaiians. Senator Akaka represents the progressive tradition of of the Party, and it is obviously worth preserving. Senator Akaka must win this campaign because Hawaii’s political traditions are worth preserving. I look forward to seeing more input from progressives who truly understand the importance of this election.
Andy Winer
Campaign Manager
Akaka in 2006
koleaula said,
July 17, 2006 at 9:39 am
Aloha Mr. Winer,
I am surprised how quickly you found this site. I was just experimenting with it and posted my first, very incomplete post, which somehow you found your way to. Could a Google spider have already found this tiny blog?
I will gently dissent from one of your passing comments about Ed Case. I will not grant him the label “fiscal conservative.” To me, a fiscal conservative is one who places great importance on balancing the budget. Mr Case appears more interested in providing tax breaks to the rich AND is unable to see the importance of disengaging from the disastrous war in Iraq. Jack Murtha has just posted an article where he estimates the cost of the war at about $270 million dollars a day!
If the war were actually contributing to our national security AND to the stability of the international system of treaties and order, it may be necessary to waive considerations of “fiscal conservatism” to ensure our security and to repair the damage in Iraq. But it has become obvious to those with intellectual integrity, an understanding of history and confidence in their own strength, that the war is eroding our safety, diminishing our credibility and undermining our fighting capacity.
Ed is not behaving like a “fiscal” conservative in his support for the war (or the tax cuts). He is behaving like an arrogant imperialist and someone who has been unable to rise above the viewpoint of his haole, Republican elite upbringing.
The “fiscal conservative” label should not be allowed to provide a fig leaf for his mean-spirited, trickle-down economics. He believes American wages should be transferred up to the more worthy folks– the wealthy. As he believes the lives of working people in the military are a cheaper price to pay than for the Bush gang (and too many congressional Democrats) to admit their errors, express contrition and find an orderly way of withdrawing, leaving a check for the damages as they leave.
I think Senator Akaka is better than Ed Case on a wide range of issues. At a time when the Democrats are finally starting to stand up to Bush, it would be a mistake to replace someone with Akaka’s voting record with someone as blind and deaf as Ed Case.
Thank you for your work on the Senator’s campaign. You are engaged in a “right livlihood” and I expect your are enobled by it.
-Aloha
Andy Winer said,
July 17, 2006 at 4:11 pm
Koleaula: I appreciate your observations on Case’s economic positions. Case’s “fiscal conservatism” is nothing but a euphenism for trickle down economics, which ends up favoring tax/spending policies benefiting the wealthy at the expense of everybody else. His positions on health care/prescription drugs, bankruptcy/consumer issues, and on cutting funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Arts are right out of the GOP playbook. I hope you will step up your blogging efforts and get out the word on this important race. We need to educate Hawaii’s voters on the important differences between Senator Akaka and Case.
Andy