Case versus Akaka

[1stwahine]

Re: Case versus Akaka

Fascinating. Good stuff. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, there's some serious disconnect in the way Akaka's campaign and the party is treating Case.

Oddly enough, also earlier in this thread, I said I was probably leaning Case. He had my vote in previous elections. But the more I hear him talk in this run, the less I like him. So maybe my wife and I won't cancel each other out after all.

Come on, PZ...don't do dat!!! Pretty Please? I'd treat you to Big Lunch!hahahahahaha

Nah, whoever you vote for, I'll still be your friend.

Such is Politics.

Auntie Lynn

brw: MAMA changed her Vote to Case cause she doesn't like the way dey treating him.heheheh

[pzarquon]

Re: Case versus Akaka

Well, I'm undecided 'til I step into the booth (or mail in my absentee ballot). Yes, the way Akaka and the Democrats in general are treating Case is a major strike against 'em. But Case seems way out of touch with the people he wants to represent. He's in it for him, not for us.

Given the Lamont/Lieberman comparisons, here's another interesting finding from the Rassmussen poll:

Voters in most states rate the economy as the most important issue for Election 2006. However, in Hawaii, the war in Iraq (27%) is the top concern. The economy is close behind, rated most important by 23%.

[damontucker]

Re: Case versus Akaka

So maybe my wife and I won't cancel each other out after all.

one more reason I love my wife "Honey... who should I vote for?"

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Case versus Akaka

"Honey... who should I vote for?"

That, combined with pz's comments about possible cancelling out with his wife's vote, make up an interesting observation about communication in your relationships. Manoa's wife asks his opinion in making her decision (or was it the other way around?); Ryan and his wife, while they may differ, have obviously discussed it.

The AF and I, while we may discuss merits of candidates and issues, actually NEVER reveal our final votes to each other. Don't know why; just a quirk of the relationship. I've always seen voting as a very private, personal process.

I won't even tell her who I vote for in the Grammys or Hokus...until after the winners are announced. But she knows me well enough, she can generally guess where my vote will go.

[damontucker]

Re: Case versus Akaka

Honestly...

My wife doesn't know much about politics and trusts my opinions for the future of our Ohana. (Which is awkward as she is the local one! I just happen to follow current events more than her)

The truth of the matter... she could just be trying to appease me at home...and the second she get's behind the close doors... HAH! I'll get my husband this time!

[TuNnL]

Re: Case versus Akaka

One thing we haven’t from in a long time at least in this forum topic, is why we should vote for Case. Since Aunty Lynn is obviously so committed to him he can do no wrong in her eyes, maybe she can give us some reasons. Or maybe Ryan, even though you are beginning to sour on him.

I'm a moderate democrat. I’m the one who is Case is SUPPOSED to appeal to by his own articulation. He constantly gushes publicly about how all the moderate democrats will give him the votes he needs to beat Akaka.

Yet I began to see Case’s true colors soon after he was elected to the U.S. House. He showed his true colors and voted like a Republican on the most important issues to people like me. That makes me angry. He is a hypocrite, and should have run as a Republican.

Now as the election draws near, we see a large part of his campaign is calling his kupuna an old man who deserves to lose because it’s time for the next generation to take the limelight. If that’s not disrespectful, it certainly shows he has a tendency to waste valuable time talking about others’ faults rather than his own assets.

Could it be because he has accomplished very little as freshman Congressman? Certainly I can’t think of a single stroke of leadership in his short and unimpressive stint on Capitol Hill.

[pzarquon]

Re: Case versus Akaka

One thing we haven’t from in a long time at least in this forum topic, is why we should vote for Case. Since Aunty Lynn is obviously so committed to him he can do no wrong in her eyes, maybe she can give us some reasons. Or maybe Ryan, even though you are beginning to sour on him.

TuNnL, my sentiments echo yours. On some level, Case would be the perfect candidate for me. I'm a longtime Democrat (well, by default) with repressed conservative leanings. I have strong feelings on the war, but believe in a broader agenda, and am open to differing viewpoints within a party -- because I hold a few positions my fellow liberal friends would joke about hanging me for! Gun rights, Jones Act, unions... at least some willingness to consider points of view that would probably get my ACLU card revoked.

I don't much care for "party loyalty," and can see "desperately clinging to the status quo" when I see it. Transition planning has been lacking, and we'll definitely get walloped when Akaka and Inouye leave office. And as entertaining as Abercrombie is, floating him as the next standard bearer in the Senate makes my blood go cold.

You can see, then, why I've backed Case before, and was pretty firmly in his camp not too long ago. But then, like you, TuNnL, I paid attention to the specific issues that mattered most to me, and found Case on the other side more often than not. Akaka may be the most liberal Democrat, but he's a Democrat. Now, trust me, I'm no fan with the furthest left fringes of my own party, and am among those who think that they could again torpedo the national party's chances this year. But while Case may call himself a moderate, he's definitely further right than I'm comfortable with.

More than that, though, I took a from-the-top look at Case's record in all levels of politics. I ended up coming away with the sense that Case really had no record... except for unbridled ambition in politics. He's not looking to serve a particular constituency or even advance a particular cause. He wants any office, especially a higher office, and will go for it if it's within reach. And if that means leaving a post before building any particular accomplishment or experience there before going for the next one, he'll do it. Heck, last time I checked, his website still had the meta tags from his gubernatorial run. Seems like just yesterday...

Now, if Case really believed in the things he says, I'd give him more credit. But it sounds more and more like he'll just say and do what he has to do to get elected. And while I do agree the status quo can't be sustained, I want to support someone who challenges it for the right reasons, not for his own selfish ambitions.

Wow. After all that, I definitely think I talked myself out of a Case vote.

[damontucker]

Re: Case versus Akaka

Dang PZ... you constantly amaze me sometimes...
You should be somebodies PR person the next time they running for something.

I'm not going to say you changed my vote... but the words you said regarding him jumping from position to position really make me think about my feelings about Case.

I still am very uninterested in politics in general... however, it seems like PZ can be like "EF HUTTON" at times. "When PZ ARQUON talks... People listen."

People like TuNnL and PZ I have this weird admiration for... they know what they talking about when it comes to politics... however, they are just into it too much

[pzarquon]

Re: Case versus Akaka

Jerry Burris' blog at The Honolulu Advertiser has accumulated about 50 reader comments on a Case v. Akaka post. Some good stuff in there. Tom Pico's comment early on about meeting Akaka at the Hilo airport was interesting.

Case's newest TV ad, where he and his wife are supposedly participating in a beach cleanup, comes across as so insincere and fake it made my wife and I groan in disgust. "Look, I care about the environment! Democrat cred, baby! Can I have your vote now?" It's clear from the "high" production that the whole damn thing was staged. I can see some poor grip having to bury the plastic bottle that Case walks up and pulls out, for sixteen takes...

Of course, Akaka's ads aren't particularly genuine, either... and rarely show us Akaka, which is disappointing (and perhaps telling).

[glossyp]

Re: Case versus Akaka

Jerry Burris' blog at The Honolulu Advertiser has accumulated about 50 reader comments on a Case v. Akaka post. Some good stuff in there. Tom Pico's comment early on about meeting Akaka at the Hilo airport was interesting.

Case's newest TV ad, where he and his wife are supposedly participating in a beach cleanup, comes across as so insincere and fake it made my wife and I groan in disgust. "Look, I care about the environment! Democrat cred, baby! Can I have your vote now?" It's clear from the "high" production that the whole damn thing was staged. I can see some poor grip having to bury the plastic bottle that Case walks up and pulls out, for sixteen takes...

Of course, Akaka's ads aren't particularly genuine, either... and rarely show us Akaka, which is disappointing (and perhaps telling).

Wading in here with some trepidation being still quite new to Hawaii but very interested in politics. I have watched this race with interest and as an undecided voter, I would really like to see a debate. A debate could shed on light on whether Case is truly an opportunist (my skeptical view of politicians in general reinforces this thought) and whether Akaka has diminished capacity to fulfill the job as it should be. My fear is that both are true and the people of Hawaii have no good choices.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Case versus Akaka

I find the whole race provacative.

There are those who think Case's move is shrewd and gutsy and admire the man for it. Such risk-taking speaks of leadership.

Others think its brash and ballsy and he deserves to lose to teach him manners and humility. As well as teach him that the good of the party comes first, for the party IS the people (politics and all that other stuff aside).

I like Akaka. Did not agree with him voting record on certain issues. Vehemently opposed on a few of them. But I have always thought him to be a man of principle and values. The man is getting old, though.

I like Case. Gave him money. Got a pic with him. Voted for him even though I knew a few of Mink's supporters who thought that he should have had the respect to let John Mink carry out the end of that short term so that he could finish her work (remember the special election?), and then run for the seat during the regular election. He is demonstrating a pattern and I don't know if he will get my next vote, because I believe the best qualities of leadership stem from being a team player.

I wrote this a while ago, just dug it up, and find myself suffering increasing consternation regarding Ed Case. The more I see him in the media, the more I fixate on his polished veneer. It is as if his image is his own worst enemy. And I cannot help but think that this guy was so antsy to get into the House that he used his one-time-only "obnoxious candidacy" pass (against John Mink in 2004) and hasn't even worn the bloom off the rose of his freshman term in Congress and now he is going against Akaka. And all he can hammer his opponent for is his age and not his ethic, because clearly between the two it is the incumbent who votes like a democrat.

And I am one who would otherwise fit in Case's core constituency.

[pzarquon]

Re: Case versus Akaka

Case definitely has the "Debate Issue" on his side. It's an all-round losing proposition for Akaka.

Case, like Jeremy Harris, is an excellent rhetoricist. I've heard him speak. The man could probably advocate killing babies and using them for chicken feed and make it sound like a reasonable proposition. And it's a very, very important talent to have when it comes to open debates on the floor of Congress.

I don't know if I've ever heard Akaka speak extemporaneously. All of his remarks in the Senate are carefully crafted. Some are incredibly eloquent, most are almost frustratingly diplomatic (even when expressing "vehement opposition" or something), but he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to get into a heated argument.

Even what I saw of the not-debate before the Publishers Association seemed to demonstrate that Case was nimble and ready to pounce (even seemed to be restraining himself), and Akaka was a bit awkward when addressing audience questions. I have no doubt that the event further cemented Akaka's campaign's reluctance to sign onto a debate. While Case can quite easily come off as an over-aggressive meanie, there's a real chance Akaka could come across as too muddle-headed (attributed, then, to age rather than temprament).

Akaka is a gentleman, and that's grand, but politics has gotten considerably more brutal. So I can see a lot of Case's point of view in his criticism of Akaka's style. And I know Case would be right at home in the wolf's den, scrapping and snarling with the best of them. But whether he'd do that in defense of Hawaii, rather than in defense of even higher aspirations (shudder)... well, I have my doubts.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Case versus Akaka

you actually gave the best argument for Clayton Hee to succeed Case's vacancy. Of those in that running, CH is by far the most capable in the wolf's den, does not suffer fools gladly, and can spar with the best of them.

As with Case, the concern rests on whether they are doing it because they have Hawai'i's best interests at heart, or for some other, more personal, less altruistic purpose (my spidey's senses tingle that they wouldn't beef for Hawai'i unless there was something directly in it for them--great on trading to win).

Serious question: are these the most necessary attributes?

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Case versus Akaka

Serious question: are these the most necessary attributes?

I asked this very question around the water cooler this a.m. The reply from my quite acserbic O.M. "I am a chick. I like integrity in my candidate." And after giggling, I realized that I need integrity, too.

Beware ye the swing vote power of we the integrity-burdened plebians! ((ominious glow from the coffee mug she slurpeth from)).

[TuNnL]

Re: Case versus Akaka

Case, like Jeremy Harris, is an excellent rhetoricist. I've heard him speak. The man could probably advocate killing babies and using them for chicken feed and make it sound like a reasonable proposition.

Case is definitely a fine wordsmith who is ready to do battle. He has a talent for squeezing the important points of debate into a 10-second t.v. soundbite.

I don’t know if I would compare him to Harris. Harris was so good, he fooled an entire state into believing he was their savior, magician and knight in shining armor. The fact that his bullsh*t flew while he himself was flying most of the time makes it truly amazing.

Case, I think, is actually hampered by all of this, despite the fact that he’d probably beat Akaka in a debate. Not only because Akaka surely won’t debate him, but because Case continues to articulate his most unpopular position: his stance on the Iraq war. All but the most conservative Democrats are at odds with him on that issue.