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.