This just in:
The Democratic Party of Hawaii’s State Central Committee reconvened in emergency session late Saturday night and unanimously voted to reverse its earlier rejection of Laura Thielen’s request to run in this year’s election as a Democrat.
The vote came shortly after midnight on Sunday, April 1.
“We realized it’s far more important to actually extend our aloha than to pass resolutions proclaiming the importance of the Aloha Spirit,” a committee spokesman said.
The meeting was called after key party leaders concluded rejecting the former Lingle administration official makes the Democrat’s “big tent” begin to look more like “a miniature circus tent.”
“When you’re wrong, it’s best to admit you’re wrong,” one party officer and former legislator said. “It does no good to just circle the wagons.”
“I felt like we had drifted into a province of Bizarro World,” one central committee member said, referring to the alternate universe of Superman comics where normal meanings are reversed.
“Anywhere else in the country, Democrats would have been celebrating Thielen’s decision to run as a Democrat and trumpeting it as an important indication of our party’s strength and vibrancy,” she said. “After all, this was really a political coup to have a cabinet member from the previous Republican administration ‘come out’ as a Democrat and ask to join the front ranks of Democratic Party candidates. But instead, it was seen as a threat, a problem. That’s bizarre.”
Okay, so that was just a bit of April Fools’ Day satire.
And, just to be clear, all the quotes attributed to party officials or committee members were fabricated for the occasion.
But the point is real.
Landing someone like Thielen as a new party member and candidate should have been seen as a major accomplishment rather than a threat to vested interests. Rejecting her request gives the public a terribly negative impression of the internal workings and motivations of the party in the midst of a very important election year, and that’s not what Democrats need right now, in my view at least.
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You got me there!
“The Democratic Party of Hawaii’s State Central Committee” sounds like we’re in Communist China.
“the Democrat’s “big tent” begin to look more like “a miniature circus tent.” sounds like we’re in Hawaii.
You got me, Ian. I was completely taken in. That was a very clever way to make your point and to celebrate this special day!
Well played. Got me.
You got a career at Atomic Monkey, Ian.
I am not clear why Thielen would want to join the Democratic Party…why not just run as an Independent.??
Patty – Laura wants to run as a Democrat because she is a Democrat.
That is hilarious! Thank you very much. (And like all excellent political comedy, it makes the point better than any serious statement can.)
Because only fools or the impractical run as independents. It Hawaii, an independent must command 10 percent of the primary vote to get in general ballot. It ain’t ever happened as best I know.
Got me too Ian! Was all excited that the Dems had reversed this foolishness. Whole situation makes Dem Party look very bad. So as the clock moves forward toward the filing deadline is the Party going to be picking and choosing who to let through the door on an exception or will the door be closed to everyone? What was it that Gump said “stupid is as stupid does”? Or – sorry I cannot resist “Run Forrest Run!” but not in Hawaii.
Another related stupidity is http://www.HonoluluAdvertiser.com BIG QUESTION today.
On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the worst, how cumbersome are Hawaii’s environmental laws?
cumbersome?
So, builders can do whatever they damn please?
Basically, this means is that the Democratic Party stands for nothing. It’s claim to represent a broad political spectrum that is incompatiable with reality where there has to be a healthy debate of the issues and by being “all inclusive” that public debate and discourse is buried. That what makes for a healthy democracy.
For those who may remember, or have trouble remembering, their philosophy courses in college use to talk about thesis/antithesis as the way to generate the best course of action within a society. The United States government provides this basic function through its system of justice where two sides adjudicate their dispute/position before a person with some training to give a reasonable outcome.
Here we have a situation where the Democratic Party now acts like the monster that decends from the heavens to devour and incorporate all living matter. Think of it like “The Blob” or “The Thing”. Well the outcome is the same, there is no easy way to cure the problem that is created, but leaving the existing situation only makes for a very messy outcome.
How come no one is naming “central committee” names? Is that taboo in town to print that? Everything I’ve seen is quite vague on the people involved.
I wish the initial decision HAD been an April fools joke. Unfortunately it’s far from humorous. I have known Laura Thielen for over 10 years and she has always considered herself a Democrat.
Combined with the bill fast-tracking and gut & replace shenanigans at the legislature this year, the public is increasingly, and alarmingly, being denied their right to a voice and a fair democratic process.
Many of the democrat party’s actions this year have been far from democratic, a discouraging and disheartening behavior to witness from any political party. As an independent voter who casts her vote based on a candidate’s positions and merits, not their party, I am dismayed that the democratic party has denied all voters the opportunity to consider a very viable and worthy candidate.