this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2025
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Hey thats one of my congress critters! One of the okayest of all time.
In the mean time, does any one know any one in Hawaii's first interested in running for House of Representatives that isn't a total scumbag. I'm still looking for someone to primary BlueMaggot Ed Case.
Be the change you want to see.
I'm not in the right district. And I've been in enough campaigns to know whats going to work and whats not. I'm trying to get a friend of mine, Tyler, to run. But in talking with them and where they are at, I just don't think they can meet the moment. They're too much of a people pleaser, even they do regularly attend our protests. I'm still shopping for a candidate to run, but they need to already be in the district. There is a lane for taking on conservatives in safe blue seats from the left, but it needs to be willing to start fights. But they'll need the right background and bonafides, and I've got at least one in my sights (Native Hawaiian activist, law degree, deep background in organizing, scientist).
Politics in Hawaii are, well, complicated. Especially by being one of the most diverse places on the planet, along with a geography of ongoing settler colonialism. You just aren't going to "hop in" in Honolulu politics the way you might in another district.
Extra edit: It looks like Tyler is starting to post Mandami style walking around videos... hmmm..🤔
Thank you for your detailed reply and I hope you’re successfully able to find the “right” guy. It’s remarkable to me that Hawaii isn’t more egalitarian/mutualistic given how isolated it is - but considering you can still get tons of stuff 2-day primed (on Oahu at least) I guess that isolation doesn’t seem as real as it used to.
I mean it is (egalitarian/mutualistic; being pono; understanding ones kuleana), but its also only a bit more than a hundred years out from being directly stolen in an oligarchial^1^ coup from the Hawaiian people. And considering how much so the impacts of slavery still influence other states politics, it shouldn't be that surprising that this history still impacts our politics very strongly, especially considering that effectively, the oligarchs that took over the kingdom, are still in power.
And thats kind of what I'm saying. Ed Case is wide open to this critique considering that his family basically moved here to serve the post-coup, and then eventually, territorial government.
So there is real narrative power here, and the zeitgeist is primed. Just need to find the right candidate.
1: Liluakolani used the word oligarch to describe the Missionary party (and Dole specifically) in 1898
Not helpful for this exact scenario, but may can help if you're trying to encourage someone to run for local / state office: Have you heard of the group Run for Something? They help young progressives run for office. They can help out in both general primaries and general elections
You know whats funny is they tried that once in 2010 and because the DNC vote was split between Case and Hanabusa the election got thrown to the Republican Djou with 39% of the vote.
It sounds like you're better off popularizing election reform in Hawaii rather than running even more blue (and green and yellow) ties.
Its a different time. People are more engaged than they've ever been. Case has a been a rat-fucker, and there is a wide open lane in one of the most progressive districts in the country. 2010 was a wave election for Republicans, coming off the heels of Obama's '08 victory. Its basically the opposite meta right now (26 will be a wave for D's), but probably not for all D's.
I wouldn't' say its without risk, but leave Case in place and it might as well be a Republican seat. I think watching Mandami, and Graham Porter's races for now, and see how they shape up; the only problem is that time's a ticking. Candidates really need to commit to running, pretty much now, to have the runway/ develop the earned media to get the small donor flywheel going (for a federals seat).
You've got a lot more faith in voters suddenly changing their ways than I do. I remind you that Trump won a second time because 8 Million DNC voters stayed home.
Yeah, but like, everyone with any sense saw that coming. And most of us were pretty loud about it. Trump didn't "win" 2024 so much as Democrats campaigned in a manner as to seemingly intentionally lose the election. And to be clear, Hawaii, as always, went hard D (even though MAGA did pick up 1 state seat). But its going to be even more extreme this cycle.
And this is why I'm making the point that "who" and how they campaign really matters here; Case is very vulnerable, but not to just any D' in a suit. Its gotta be someone willing to tap into the unaddressed grievances that Dem's have left on the table for decades. And Honolulu is incredibly "insider" in terms of its politics, and the first district is maybe one of the strongest examples of this.
I think I've got a pretty good read on voters and what works or doesn't work in a given context.