As residents of Kaaawa, on the windward side of Oahu, we’re firmly in Congressional District 2. That’s the district where Mufi Hannemann is trying to resuscitate his political career, while Tulsi Gabbard, Esther Kiaaina, Bob Marx, and Rafael des Castillo are all trying to emerge as serious challengers to Hannemann in the Democratic primary.
Kiaaina, who I don’t believe I’ve met, turns out to be a cousin, descended from my great grandfather, Robert William Cathcart.
But it’s probably Gabbard, with both legislative and city council experience along with lots of name recognition, who appears to have the best shot at competing with Hannemann.
So I was interested in an article appearing on the Daily Koz back in January, “Tulsi Gabbard: The Curiously Conservative and Nepotistic Network of a Democratic Candidate.”
The article traces the Gabbard family’s decades-long track record as champions of socially conservative political positions. And while Tulsi Gabbard is certainly young enough to break away from that family history, the article finds many disturbing ties back into the Gabbards’ old political network.
Gabbard’s current congressional campaign, though, promotes her as a progressive, a pro-choice supporter of women’s rights, and a proponent of a quick U.S. departure from Afghanistan.
Civil Beat’s Adrienne LaFrance did an interesting profile, “Tulsi Gabbard’s Leftward Journey,” back in January which is probably must reading as well.
According to LaFrance:
In recent years, Tulsi has undergone what she describes as a “gradual metamorphosis” on social issues. She says her transformation was spurred by spending time in countries governed by oppressive regimes during deployments to the Middle East as a member of the Hawaii Army National Guard.
“Some of these experiences living and working in oppressive countries, not only witnessing firsthand but actually experiencing myself what happens when a government basically attempts to act as a moral arbiter,” Gabbard said. “It really caused me to take a look at myself and the way we’re doing things here at home, locally, and nationally.”
Today, she says she is pro-choice and would fight to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. (Read a related article that outlines Tulsi’s and four other 2nd Congressional District candidates’ views on social issues.)
That’s an incredibly dramatic political shift. The question: Is it real or is it Memorex?
I certainly don’t know, and I’m interested in the experience of others.
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Every candidate running for office will/can talk the talk. The best way to predict the future is to look at the past. What has the candidate done in the past to make you believe the words they speak today are true? Tulsi, while an attractive candidate has done nothing to support her new makeover, except talk. And she talks well. She knows the right thing to say and she says it well. I suspect she practises and her father and friends help and coach her in how to act and talk like a good candidate. Her Dads ties to the Christian right combined with her newfound progressive friends, combined with environmentalists who care about only one issue, might just be enough to beat Mufi. In their dreams.
My basic advise about politicians-always count your fingers after shaking their hand…
Personally, I tend to think it’s Memorex. She hasn’t done any one thing long enough to be good at it. Couple years State Rep., couple years in Akaka’s office, couple years (not yet) City Council, with National Guard stints in between. And nothing of note to report in any of these capacities. Unless you count devising ways to sweep away the homeless without really addressing the problem.
Becoming a leader is not the same as finding things to put on a resume. Resume entries are window dressing that can change in an instant; deeply held, core religious conservative beliefs inculcated by ones family endure. My bet is that unless and until she shows/does something in her own right to prove otherwise, it is those family values that will guide her and express themselves when push comes to shove.
I have had some exposure to Tulsi’s grassroots-level involvement over the past year. When we have had neighborhood issues involving the City she has listened to us and, where appropriate, followed through on behalf of us as constituents. I seriously doubt that any voter can find someone who agrees with his/her position on every issue; however, I feel that I am willing to give Tulsi my vote. I’m “Mufied-out”.
If she is 1/2 who she says she is, why wouldn’t you vote for her? people can and do change. i’d give her the benefit of the doubt over voting for Mufi. we KNOW for a fact what values and style he brings to the table.
anyone who is sick and tired of all this rail crap and how that whole process went down: Remember that is Mufi. Mufi is about Mufi. you can do no worse.
Rafael Del Castillo.
Leopards….spots…..things you learn with age….
” Becoming a leader is not the same as finding things to put on a resume. ”
Wow! Particularly with the nepotism / name recognition free-ride.
It is very difficult as a citizen to not feel hopeless about the lack of choice.
Mufi haters wrestling with Gabbard doubt. Sorry, but it’s pretty funny.
it truly is. hilarious! such a hawaii political conundrum. could be a rap rep skit!
Mufi has always been out to pave over the entire island for his developer masters .
Tulsi introduces bills to take the last posessions from homeless people.
I cant decide which is worse !
There are a couple of ways to approach this situation. You can laugh at people you believe to have a lack of understanding, or you can contribute new and useful information to help them make a better choice. Hmm.
universal and frequently difficult decision for (undecided) voters:
which one is worse than the other?
answer:
check out everything you read and hear or you will learn the answer the hard way. (and then fail to remember the lesson four years later.)
Nothing could be worse for the people of Hawaii than for Mufi Hannemann to eventually replace Senator Dan Inouye in the US senate. Yet that is exactly what is going to happen if Mufi defeats Tulsi Gabbard in the congressional race. The question is do we care enough to prevent Mufi Hannemann from achieving his ultimate political ambition.
What is Tulsi’s “ultimate political ambition”? And why should we help her attain it?
If Mufi is in Congress for a couple of years while waiting for Senator Inouye to retire, why can’t we knock him off when he makes the move on the Senate seat?
Seriously, I am no fan of Mufi, but I think you are demonizing him just a bit and it is causing you to suspend a critical examination of Tulsi as a result. I am not prepared to go there without more honesty from Tulsi.
Mufi & his Rail shenanigans makes me ill. I’m voting for Tulsi.
Bob Marx from the Big Island is very popular here on the Big Island.
I like many of his platforms.
I hope many Oahu folks will get a chance to listen and/or meet Mr. Marx in person before casting their ballots.
Even if 6% to 8% of the people vote for someone other than Tulsi Gabbard, then Mufi Hannemann wins. In fact, Mufi is counting on it, that’s why every chance he gets he reminds people that there are “four candidates” in this race.
LMO,
NOt sure what your point is. If the Number One Goal for everyone should be to STOP MUFI, then anti-Mufi voters should try to settle on one candidate. As someone who likes Esther Kiaaina, Bob Marx and Del Castillo better than Tulsi, I gotta wonder what makes you think Tulsi is ENTITLED to all the anti-Mufi votes?
Here’s a proposal to those who do not like Mufi: Let’s have the four non-Mufi candidates meet in a series of forums. Not necessarily “debates,” but panel discussions where voters can become more familiar with their views, their personalities and their life experiences in order to decide which is best qualified to wear the crown of “the Anti-Mufi Candidate.”
It could be televised via Olelo and the other public access channels. There was such a forum on Olelo about a week ago, but Mufi refused to reply to the invite and Tulsi, surprise(!) discovered a last minute “scheduling conflict.” It coincided with the arrival of her new, Inside the beltway, professional campaign manager, Max Glass.
Just as Mufi sees no advantage to appearing on a stage on equal footing with Tusli, Tulsi does NOT WANT to have to compete on an even footing with Kiaaina, Bob and Del. Having watch those three discuss the issues, I can see why Tulsi wants to avoid sitting alongside them. I believe all three of them are more knowledgeable–and trustworthy– on the wide range of issues a congressmember has to deal with, whereas Tulsi’s specialty is to wear a lei, smile and say soft things about the environment and veterans.
Because significant activists in this state deeply distrust Tulsi, her expectation that all “anti-Mufi” voters will rally to her will not happen. Should she EARN the right to serve as the anti-Mufi champion through honest discussions and candidate forums, then I am willing to support her. But until that trust is earned, the “Mufi-hater” vote will remain split.
Frankly, I believe Tulsi entered the campaign knowing it was a long shot for her to win and consciously using the campaign to build statewide name recognition in order to elevate her stature for future races. Behind the scenes, she has been getting support from Senator Inouye’s network. (The Senator is “officially neutral” in the race between Mufi and Tulsi, but has allowed his campaign consultants to work for Tulsi’s campaign. Other’s in Inouye’s group are solidly behind Mufi.) The reason this network can be supporting BOTH Mufi and Tulsi is because they see Tulsi as a talented “up and coming” politician willing to play ball with them. Most of them prefer Mufi for Congress right now, but want to encourage Tulsi’s ambitions for future benefit to them.
The irony is that Chris Butler’s group long viewed Senator Inouye as their arch-enemy and attacked him without mercy. Look at Wayne Nishiki’s attacks and the damage done by Rick Reed. Someone in Chris’s group decided a few years ago, “you can catch more flies with sugar than with vinegar.” So Tulsi ingratiated herself into the Akaka campaign and family, then helped her father switch parties. And Inouye’s people have let down their guard and drawn Tulsi to their bosom.
Sleeper cell.
Didn’t you used to call this arrangement the Democrat primary?
Yep, I still call it the primary. The challenge is for voters in a multi-candidate field to figure how to cast their vote strategically, given the shape of the field.
As you rightly noted, a lot of Democratic voters dislike Mufi. But Mufi has an (almost) unbeatable advantage of campaign funds. Those you call “Mufi-haters” are trying to figure whether to plunk their support behind one candidate. Tulsi and her campaign volunteers posting here are saying she deserves to be that candidate.
Some people who have borne the brunt of the attacks from the Gabbards over the years: gays & lesbians, abortion rights advocates and anti-war activists, are not prepared to trust Tulsi’s politically convenient conversion on these issues. Not without more explanation and, frankly, something approaching a heartfelt apology.
So, yes, this is primary level behavior. Both from the candidates and from the supporters of the different campaigns.
I am sincerely unsure who to support. Sometimes I am willing to support your guy, Mufi, against Tulsi. OTOH, I am open to being convinced Tulsi has changed her spots. Nonsense replies by her acolytes attributing my criticisms to the Mufi campaign or claiming only “religious bigots” would raise concerns about the Chris Butler cult-like ties between the Gabbards, their core donors and campaign workers, just confirm they are using the same Moody’s operandi as Rick Reed and Mike Gabbard used for years.
In Mike and Rock’s campaigns, it came from first generation Butler devotees, “original Gangsters,” if you will. Now the “OGs” have gotten older, with small businesses to run, they appear as campaign contributors and the role of volunteers has been taken over by the second generation of Butlerite Hare Krishna Kids, who call each other, “Haribols.” We can also call them, Saffron Diaper Babies,” raised in the tightly-knit subculture, like calabash cousins, protective of each against an unfriendly outside world.
The auto-correct feature on my phone totally replaced words in my comment. I wrote “modus operandi.” The phone changed that to “Moody’s operandi.”
My writings are disjointed and odd enough without interference from my “smart” phone.
We just had such a forum on Akaku in Maui – Esther, Tulsi and Bob. 2 hours. Tape is available for any island’s public access station. Mufi, of course, refused the invitation.
I received the 12-page e-mail late last week from progresshawaii at gmail dot com. I donÿt know for sure who that person is although three different progressives and one media person have given me three different names.
Ian – could you confirm who the sender really is. Mahalo.
Re Bob Marx: I don’t know where he lives on the Big Island, but could he consider running for the State Senate against Malama Solomon or Bob Herkes if he happens to live in either of those districts?
Getting some office-holding experience will increase his street creds.
Re the Second Congressional District seat: If Mufi wins the nomination, he’ll win the November election as well. The Goppers haven’t selected a candidate and it’s not likely that the person selected to be on their side of the ballot will get more than a few thousand votes.
Come November, most of us who despise Mufi will leave that line on the ballot blank.
Re Tulsi: As someone who spends a lot of time in the two public policy buildings on both sides of Punchbowl mauka of King Street, I have seen a lot of her (and her dad) over the past 15 months.
Tulse is definitely worth a second look. She’s bright, young, and knowledgeable about political processes.
Actually, if I had my druthers, I would prefer that she stay on the Council for now, but given the threats that Mufi brings both to the Denocratic Party as well as to the people who live & work in Hawai`i, she has to be looked at seriously.
If you’re concerned about her positions on social justice issues, ask her straight out what her position is. I did so several months ago.
Tulsi Gabbard may claim that her views have changed but her staff hasn’t. Her campaign manager is Devin Bull, who was Mike Gabbard’s campaign manager and right-hand-man in his numerous anti-gay crusades. Her office manager Erica is her father’s former staffer. Gabbard is my councilmember and I have kept a close eye on her at many Budget committee and Council meetings. Tulsi Gabbard rarely participates in the discussions and never asks questions of the testifiers. She’s Vice Chair but never speaks in the Budget committee, even on contentious issues, staying glued to her laptop or ipad screen. Disappointing!
Holly,
Devon has been replaced by Max Glass. This may be partly an attempt to disguise the obvious continuity you correctly call attention to, between Tulsi’s campaign and the campaigns of her father, her mother and, before that, Rick Reed.
But it might also reflect a higher level of professionalism made possible by the increased funding being poured into her campaign by people close to both the Inouye network, Abercrombie and, unfortunately, the seal of approval she received from Emily’s list. (Et tu, Emily?)
As of less than two years ago she was anti-civil unions and anti-same sex marriage. Of course she wasn’t running for congress two years ago either. She’s a conservative republican in democrat’s clothing, just like her father.
Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 10:47 PM
Aloha Joel,
Thanks for taking the time to send me a note. I apologize for the delayed response. I like to respond to all e-mails personally, which unfortunately takes a little longer to reply.
I am opposed to civil unions as expressed in HB444. It is the same thing as same-sex marriage, just called a different name, which has been clearly stated by its’ proponents. Hawaii’s voters stated clearly their opposition to same-sex marriage. Additionally, there are laws currently on the books that provide benefits to committed couples, regardless of sexual orientation.
Thank you again for your note. Please let me know if I can ever assist you in any way.
Mahalo,
Tulsi
Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo
City Council, District 6
e-mail: tulsi@votetulsi.com
cell: 808-383-5941
You’d think that if she truly had a revelation over in Kuwait or Iraq, she’d have articulated that change as soon as she came back.
Her flat-out opposition to HB444 in 2010 (no space for wiggle room) even after coming back from war suggests to me that her recent switch to “progressive ideals” is disingenuous pandering.
Don Quijole,
Thanks for that. It helps give focus to the questions. We can see her campaign is closley monitoring these comments. So let’s lay it out frankly for them.
What do we know about the chronology of her professed “change of heart” as a result of her experiences with religious-based anti-woman oppression? Clearly, she had returned from Kuwait prior to running for the City Council seat in the special election. Yet when she sought the endorsement of Local 5 in the Council race, she told them she opposed civil unions.
It is possible for a politician in Hawaii to win a council or state legislative seat and be opposed to equality for women and gays. But it is extremely difficult to win a congressional Democratic primary in Hawaii professing the same views. Mufi is an exception, kind of. He sidled up to the religious social reactionaries when he ran for Governor against Neil. Only to find Duke AIona and the Republicans had a tight grip on them and refused to share. It turned out, the anti-civil union, redshirted mob was largely a paper tiger in politics. Especially in Democratic politics. This year, hoping to avoid antagonizing social liberals, Mufi is saying he supports civil unions.
Tulsi, scoping the race, sees she has NO CHANCE against Mufi from the right on social issues and also from the left on the environment, decides to re-package herself as a “progressive” on BOTH issues. This despite 30 years of having lived, breathed and chanted religion-based social reactionary views. And some addled brain progressives/environmentalists, so hellbent on opposing Mufi, see this as an opportunity to sing Kumbayah. To help seal the deal, Tulsi says it is time to end the war in Afghanistan, having earlier sought political advantage in the early years of the war denouncing anti-war activists (and Muslims) through the group she formed with her father, Stand Up for America. (An organization whose website was conveniently taken down just as Tulsi launched her campaign.
Perhaps Tulsi’s evolution has been sincere and it is just coincidence it is also politically convenient. If so, she should invest the effort in trying to convince us. Speak freely and honestly. Answer questions–difficult questions–about WHY you believed (and did) the things you did before and why (and when) your views changed.
What do we know about the chronology of her professed “change of heart” as a result of her experiences with religious-based anti-woman oppression? Clearly, she had returned from Kuwait prior to running for the City Council seat in the special election. Yet when she sought the endorsement of Local 5 in the Council race, she told them she opposed civil unions.
It is possible for a politician in Hawaii to win a council or state legislative seat and be opposed to equality for women and gays. But it is extremely difficult to win a congressional Democratic primary in Hawaii professing the same views. Mufi is an exception, kind of. He sidled up to the religious social reactionaries when he ran for Governor against Neil. Only to find Duke AIona and the Republicans had a tight grip on them and refused to share. It turned out, the anti-civil union, redshirted mob was largely a paper tiger in politics. Especially in Democratic politics. This year, hoping to avoid antagonizing social liberals, Mufi is saying he supports civil unions.
Tulsi, scoping the race, sees she has NO CHANCE against Mufi from the right on social issues and also from the left on the environment, decides to re-package herself as a “progressive” on BOTH issues. This despite 30 years of having lived, breathed and chanted religion-based social reactionary views. And some addled brain progressives/environmentalists, so hellbent on opposing Mufi, see this as an opportunity to sing Kumbayah. To help seal the deal, Tulsi says it is time to end the war in Afghanistan, having earlier sought political advantage in the early years of the war denouncing anti-war activists (and Muslims) through the group she formed with her father, Stand Up for America. (An organization whose website was conveniently taken down just as Tulsi launched her campaign.
For 35 years, the Butler cult has engaged in politics, often in secretive ways. If their views have now flip-flopped 180 degrees, please explain why we should now trust you without further explanation beyond your smile and a vague statement drafted by a public relations consultant.
Unless or until this sort of HONEST discussion–which means it must be multi-sided and not simply one-way–occurs, Tulsi will continue to face deep and determined opposition for her entire political career. She certainly will not win this election, but beyond that, her attempt to re-invent herself as an enviro-progresive will not find acceptance.
I see we all have the same doubts about tulsi and after reading many posts, I have found yours most articulate & convincing. So it’s down to mufti? Because seems bob Marx is most progressive but no chance to win? Oops Mufi. Aloha Gail
Her campaign manager is now Max Glass and you can reach him at max@teamtulsi.com
Given the bloviating Tom Berg and constant inquirer Romy Cachola, it’s nice that others on the Budget Committee read and listen rather than abble-babble the way these two do.
My councilmember rarely asks questions either.
Why not submit questions to Tulsi for her to ask testifiers or members of the Carlisle Administration. I do that all the time.