Ed Case enters race for U.S. Senate

[pzarquon]

Ed Case enters race for U.S. Senate

Ed Case today launched another campaign to replace Sen. Daniel Akaka, who announced last month that he was retiring after 20 years in the U.S. Senate. Case previously served in the U.S. House, but then lost a bid for Akaka’s seat in 2006, and lost another bid to return to the House in 2010.

Case’s announcement makes him the first declared Democratic candidate for the 2012 race. He posted a YouTube video and a message on his campaign website.

[scrivener]

Re: Ed Case enters race for U.S. Senate

This isn't exactly surprising, but it did catch me unawares for some reason. One wonders if this wasn't the plan all along when Case stepped out of the House race, allowing an uncontested Colleen Hanabusa a clear path to the Democratic nomination. You think the local party gave him the heads-up that this was going to happen and that he could be its chosen one?

[Kaonohi]

Re: Ed Case enters race for U.S. Senate

This isn't exactly surprising, but it did catch me unawares for some reason. One wonders if this wasn't the plan all along when Case stepped out of the House race, allowing an uncontested Colleen Hanabusa a clear path to the Democratic nomination. You think the local party gave him the heads-up that this was going to happen and that he could be its chosen one?

I don't think Case really cares about what the Democratic party thinks. He certainly didn't last time he opposed Akaka, why should he care now?
IMHO, Case cares about Case, and his own advancement in politics and the money, power, prestige and privileges available there.
And if he doesn't care about his party, do you think he cares about us?

[scrivener]

Re: Ed Case enters race for U.S. Senate

I don't think Case really cares about what the Democratic party thinks. He certainly didn't last time he opposed Akaka, why should he care now?
IMHO, Case cares about Case, and his own advancement in politics and the money, power, prestige and privileges available there.
And if he doesn't care about his party, do you think he cares about us?

So you're saying that his stepping down from the House race was completely in his own self-interest? I find that difficult to believe. He would have won in a knock-down primary campaign and then cake-walked back to Capitol Hill after dismantling Djou. If anyone should have withdrawn from that race it was Hanabusa.

[mel]

Re: Ed Case enters race for U.S. Senate

A few weeks ago while walking down River Street near the Y, I saw Ed Case and said "Hello Senator Case"... to which he replied, "don't get me in trouble Mel..."

I don't think anyone is surprised to see him toss his hat into this race.

[1stwahine]

Re: Ed Case enters race for U.S. Senate

I'm so happy Ed is running for U.S. Senate.

Ed CASE For U.S. Senate

[TuNnL]

Re: Ed Case enters race for U.S. Senate

I don't think Case really cares about what the Democratic party thinks. He certainly didn't last time he opposed Akaka, why should he care now? IMHO, Case cares about Case, and his own advancement in politics and the money, power, prestige and privileges available there. And if he doesn't care about his party, do you think he cares about us?

So you're saying that his stepping down from the House race was completely in his own self-interest? I find that difficult to believe. He would have won in a knock-down primary campaign and then cake-walked back to Capitol Hill after dismantling Djou. If anyone should have withdrawn from that race it was Hanabusa.

Both of you are correct. Challenging Akaka for his U.S. Senate seat as a freshman Congressman is what got Ed Case where he is today: on the sidelines. If ultimately, Akaka’s seat is his goal, why exhaust campaign resources on a hard-fought battle with Hanabusa, as a setup to Case vs. Akaka Part 2?

No, I believe Scriv is correct in that Case was tipped off to Akaka’s retirement and Kaonohi was also right in that stepping down from the House race was completely in Case’s self-interest. Ultimately, I couldn’t care less, as I think it’s clear the Democrats will lose the U.S. Senate in the next election unless something dramatic happens between now and 2012. That makes electing any Democrat a losing proposition if, as a state, we want any kind of influence on Capitol Hill outside the White House.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Ed Case enters race for U.S. Senate

I'm so happy Ed is running for U.S. Senate.
Ed CASE For U.S. Senate

Yet another self-serving career poli Dino? nah, we gotta do better, much better.

electing any Democrat a losing proposition

Not until we get rid of all of the even worse, and keep them out.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Ed Case enters race for U.S. Senate

Ultimately, I couldn’t care less, as I think it’s clear the Democrats will lose the U.S. Senate in the next election unless something dramatic happens between now and 2012. That makes electing any Democrat a losing proposition if, as a state, we want any kind of influence on Capitol Hill outside the White House.

Tunnl, Tunnl. Hawaii voters have consistently turned their back on Republican candidates who base their campaign on, "Vote for me. I'm going to be part of the majority party in DC." The 1994 national wave of anti-incumbency sentiment was not enough to push Orson Swindle past Neil Abercrombie. Neither was last year's mood of disaffection with House Democrats enough to convince Oahu voters to keep Charles Djou in the District 1 seat beyond the interim term.

One more signifcant thing you've totally overlooked: 2012 is going to be a Presidential election year, which means Barack Obama is going to be on the ballot. Any political analyst worth his salt knows that no matter how unpopular the Prez may be with the national electorate come next year, Obama will still be a cinch to win the Hawaii vote and to draw in all those supporters who would otherwise not gone to the polls. This fact alone puts Hawaii's GOP congressional candidates on an uphill battle.

Historically, whatever tiny bit of success Hawaii's GOP had in congressional races for open seats have all come during non-Presidential elections. Hiram Fong was elected to the Senate during the 1959 special statehood election, while Pat Saiki got into the House in 1986. Unfortunately for the Republicans, 2012 is not one of those years.

[TuNnL]

Re: Ed Case enters race for U.S. Senate

Tunnl, Tunnl. Hawaii voters blah, blah blah...

One more signifcant thing you've totally overlooked: 2012 is going to be a Presidential election year, which means Barack Obama is going to be on the ballot. Any political analyst worth his salt knows that no matter how unpopular the Prez may be with the national electorate come next year, blah, blah, blah

While your post is interesting and I agree with your analysis (at times I have made these same points on HT), it had absolutely no relevance to my post. I would just reiterate my point that electing any democrat to represent Hawai‘i is a losing proposition because the Democrats are going to lose control of the U.S. Senate in 2012 — regardless of who wins Akaka’s seat. Read carefully, and try to keep up.

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Ed Case enters race for U.S. Senate

What happened to this rising star in the Democratic Party? He seemed to hit a ceiling. Is it because he's not a regular Kimo straight outta Punahou?

[mel]

Re: Ed Case enters race for U.S. Senate

Toast


Burnt Toast by BloGGingHoLLy, on Flickr

[Kaonohi]

Re: Ed Case loses race for U.S. Senate

Toast

Thank intelligent voters.

Too ambitious, too egotistical, too smarmy for me - and lots of others as well.

I think he stabbed himself in the back trying to axe Akaka.

[TuNnL]

Re: Ed Case loses race for U.S. Senate

Too ambitious, too egotistical, too smarmy for me - and lots of others as well.

I think he stabbed himself in the back trying to axe Akaka.

Agree wholeheartedly. Surprisingly, I voted for Ed Case. Not because I wanted to help elect him to the U.S. Senate, but because the Republican ballot was boring and sewn up from day 1, anyway. If it’s between Ed and Mazie I’ll take Ed. At least he has more substance then a woman in the words of Linda Lingle “thinks this campaign is about Barack Obama and difficult childhoods.”

But yeah, Kaonohi, some people never learn. Case vs. Akaka was and continues to be the main reason people don’t like Ed. You would think he would try to avoid the mistakes of that campaign. That he went negative towards the end of the race truly erodes my faith in the veteran people running his camp.

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Ed Case loses race for U.S. Senate

At least he has more substance then a woman in the words of Linda Lingle “thinks this campaign is about Barack Obama and difficult childhoods.”

Was Lingle making fun of people who have difficult childhoods? Did she bully others in high school like Mitt Romney?