Monthly 10
By B.J. Reyes
The entry of former Gov. Linda Lingle into the 2012 Senate Race has put Hawaii into Politico’s “Monthly 10,” the Washington publication’s monthly ranking of the most competitive contests in the country.
Lingle is in the race to succeed U.S. Sen. Dan Akaka, who is retiring. Also in the race on the Republican side is former state Senator and Air Force pilot John Carroll, while U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono and former Congressman Ed Case vie for the nomination on the Democrats’ side.
Hawaii’s Senate contest makes its debut in the Politico rankings at No. 6:
Linda Lingle is to October what Elizabeth Warren was to September: a new candidate whose near-flawless rollout attracts favorable media coverage and instantly reshapes a Senate race. The Star Advertiser dubbed Lingle’s debut “a textbook example of how a major campaign rolls out a kickoff.” Her candidacy is a coup for GOP recruiting efforts and widens the playing field even further in 2012. She’s also made it clear to leaders in Washington that she’s determined to separate herself from the GOP’s national and tea party brands. Whether she succeeds will determine whether the race stays hot in the coming months.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/67016_Page2.html#ixzz1c7vIuk8p
Political Radar
October 28th, 2011 at 6:36 pm
Get more information about the Lingle Campaign for Senate on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Lingle2012 and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Lingle2012.
October 28th, 2011 at 7:25 pm
Oh give us a break! Text book roll out? Separate herself from GOP and Tea Party? I don’t think so…
She might have re-shaped the GOP race with her entry, but that is about it.
October 29th, 2011 at 12:51 am
lingle made herself known with her frequent trips to the mainland to aid palin and gain support from her fellow elephant hunters. Da Braddahs with more local appeal would do a better job in senate than tutu in her pink suit. Rep Hirono best shape up her campaign since she already lost once to lingle in 2002. case just wants to be accepted and has no guts to go against Senator Inouye. I would flag this candytodate. If case were to win he needs to stand up to Senator Inouye and prove only to himself.
October 29th, 2011 at 9:33 pm
The problem for the “traditional democrats” is that Mazie is too weak of a candidate. She cannot win, they have put themselves into a corner, and they may not even realize it yet. Even if Mazie was to get by Ed Case in the primary, which is doubtful, she will get plastered once the one-on-one debates start against Lingle. Ironically, Ed Case may be their only hope.
October 30th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
Governor Lingle claims that the issue of civil unions and her veto was the most important and difficult decision in her political career, yet she is mum about it 15 months later when she announces her Senate candidacy on 10/11/11 (which happens to be National Coming Out Day). Why the silence Linda? Could it be that since your 7/6/10 veto of civil unions you finally realize that you are on the wrong side of history and that your veto was not only an afront to civil rights but also a strategic/political error? Since then, civil unions were passed in 2011 by RI, IL, DE, and HI. Let’s not forget NY which passed full marriage for same-sex couples. And the 2010 elections? All Hawaii’s pro-civil union legislators were re-elected including Blake Oshiro. Abercrombie won and Duke, Mufi, Bunda, and Okino are history. And the latest polls show 77% of Hawaii’s voters supporting legal recognition for same-sex couples in the form of marriage or civil unions. And when asked just about marriage, 49% of Hawaii’s voters now support making marriage for same-sex couples legal in Hawaii. This is radically improved from not only polls from 1998, but also polls as recent as 2009. Lingle, you need independent and moderate democrat voters if you have any chance of becoming a US Senator. If you let HB444 become law, you might just have had a chance as many of us would consider a vote for you in 2012. But not now. You may try to forget your veto of HB444 but we are not going to let you.