Daily Kos has long adhered to the motto of electing more and better Democrats. We’re usually focused on the “more,” but today, this endorsement is all about the “better”—and boy, do we ever need that here.
Throughout her six years in Congress, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has repeatedly shown how out-of-step she is with mainstream progressive values, despite the fact that she represents Hawaii’s deep-blue 2nd Congressional District.
Among many other things, Gabbard has cozied up to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, even visiting him on a secret trip to Syria two years ago; was one of the first (and only) Democrats to meet with Donald Trump after he won in 2016; refused to sign a letter from 169 House Democrats denouncing Trump for appointing white nationalist Steve Bannon as a White House strategist; has declined to sign on to a ban on assault weapons; has cultivated ties with violent Hindu nationalists in India; attacked Barack Obama for refusing to use the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism"; voted to make it all but impossible for Syrian refugees to settle in the U.S.; and even told a reporter in 2016 that her "personal views" opposing abortion rights "haven't changed."
And just the other day, Gabbard tried to #bothsides the federal government shutdown. Yes, she literally used that very phrase, telling CNN, “Both sides have completely hardened their positions and are unwilling to come together to work out the differences.” But any honest person who’s been watching the slow-motion tragedy of the shutdown unfold knows this isn’t true: Trump literally stalked out of negotiations with Democratic leaders and huffed, “Bye-bye!” Whatever side Gabbard is on, it’s not ours.
Fortunately, we have a vastly superior alternative, which is why Daily Kos is pleased to endorse state Sen. Kai Kahele, who announced a bid for Congress on Monday. Kahele is a combat pilot with the Air National Guard who's flown missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and now flies commercial jets for Hawaiian Airlines. He’s also a solid progressive who supports Medicare for all, a Green New Deal, and the Equality Act, which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Please give $3 today to send a much better Democrat to Congress: Kai Kahele!
Kahele would also be just the second native Hawaiian to win a seat in Congress (after the late Sen. Dan Akaka) and the first elected from the Neighbor Islands, the more rural part of the state that encompasses all of the islands other than Oahu, which is home to the capital of Honolulu. Kahele understands that his district needs a dedicated, full-time representative who’s willing and able to work extremely hard, particularly given the way the remote archipelago is too often treated as an afterthought on the mainland. (Remember when Jeff Sessions sneered that Hawaii was a mere "island in the Pacific"?)
Gabbard, however, recently kicked off a bid for president, ensuring that she’ll be spending lots of time far from home—and far from the needs of her constituents. Hawaii law allows her to also run for re-election simultaneously, but while she’s busy visiting county fairs in Iowa and diners in New Hampshire, Kahele will be making his case to voters early and often.
Despite her record, Gabbard is still popular in Hawaii, and she won’t be easy to beat. But the heightened scrutiny she now faces, as well as her diminished focus on her district, could very well leave her tarnished and weakened. If she fails in her bid for higher office, she certainly wouldn’t be the first presidential candidate to find that sometimes, you can’t go home again. And there’s still a chance she won’t seek a fourth term in the House no matter what happens, a question she’s punted on.
Kahele was smart to announce so early: Hawaii’s primary is not until August of 2020, giving him plenty of (forgive us) runway. But like any challenger hoping to oust an out-of-touch incumbent, he’ll need lots of resources to get his message out. We have a fantastic opportunity to replace a truly lousy Democrat with a far better one, so let’s seize it.
Please give $3 to Kai Kahele and help elect a better Democrat to a dark blue district!
