Clayton Hee throws out the Progressive playbook in an end-of-the-game Hail Mary
It does not take a Ph.D. in Political Science to recognize a sinking ship when you see one — watching the rats jump overboard is a sure sign that something is not right. It seems that Clayton Hee’s karma has finally caught up to him.
Against the better judgment of Progressives, Clayton Hee has publicly embraced the endorsement of Equality Hawaii. Polls show the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor to be significantly behind incumbent Lieutenant Governor Shan Tsutsui. Recent efforts to breathe life into his campaign include:
- criticizing his opponent for not agreeing to any debates (HCB)[1]
- attempting to pass himself as a victim of bullying (HSA, HCB)[2]
The press release by the Hee campaign is significant because the “Progressive playbook” dictates that the key to success is to not talk about same-sex marriage on the premise that any discussion about same-sex marriage will link Progressives to the heavy-handed techniques used to pass the controversial legislation during the 2013 special session. The press release that Hee has proudly advertised has been quietly heralded on pages that are buried on the websites of other Progressive candidates that have been endorsed (Abercrombie – Schatz).[3]
At a glance, it would almost seem as if Abercrombie and Schatz did not want the public to know about this endorsement. Are they ashamed of the special session? One would think that they would at least take ownership considering how much political capital was sacrificed to abridge the basic principles of democracy to further the Progressive agenda.
The rats (jumping ship, as previously alluded to) are evident in this primary campaign for Democrats. While Republicans have taken advantage of the faith-based uproar[4], Democrats are also deeply divided by the tactics of party-progressives. It could be suggested that the degree to which the Equality Hawaii endorsement is accepted is predicated by public perception of “responsibility” for the 2013 Special Session. While the Hee campaign took the effort to issue a press release, the Abercrombie campaign noted the endorsement on their website with a dedicated page. The Schatz campaign appears to only have added the endorsement to a long list of Progressive endorsements.[5] It seems that Clayton Hee has openly embraced his most infamous actions as a Hail Mary (how ironic, considering his treatment of faith-based individuals), hoping just to advance to the general election in his bid for to be lieutenant governor.
While the faith-based community believes that votes for the Republican gubernatorial candidate (Duke Aiona) is the true litmus test of faith-based anger, the best measure is the fate of prominent Progressive politicians that are facing primary election challenges. While faith-based Republicans encourage votes for Aiona as a “demonstration of power”, the temptation of people of faith to use their ballots to vote against Progressives remains singularly seductive. The symbolic gesture of voting for Aiona or Hanneman pales in comparison to the vulnerability of Abercrombie, Schatz and Hee.
Faith-based ire is attributed strongly to Clayton Hee who adjudicated hearings in the state Senate regarding same-sex marriage where he used his authority to mistreat faith-based testifiers. While it was Abercrombie who called the state legislature into special session, he kept a low profile during the most incendiary portions of the ordeal. It was Schatz who swept in to cash in on Progressive empathy by fully-supporting the special session while washing his hands of responsibility.[6]
Will the faith-based community follow through with their one-two (-three) punch to Progressives? Only time will tell. Stay tuned.
[1] Not surprisingly, the only news source carrying this story is the progressive mouthpiece (Honolulu CivilBeat). At the time of this writing, no trace of this story could be found either at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Political Radar Blog or any other television outlet.
[2] In the wake of same-sex marriage, Clayton Hee is known to be a bully of his own right. Faith-based testifiers who have appeared before Hee at the Senate Judiciary Committee have been excoriated and humiliated before the committee before their deeply-held religious beliefs.
[3] Websites for Abercrombie and for Schatz we not prominently displayed on the front page. Information regarding the endorsements from Equality Hawaii were buried under two or three layers of links. At first glance, Facebook feeds (beloved by Progressive campaigns) were noticeably devoid of the announcement as well. This reality may have changed since the blog post was written. But at the time that it was written, there was a clear and palatable difference toward how enthusiastically the endorsement was received.
[4] It was House Republicans in the State of Hawaii that installed Progressive leadership in the chamber that opened the path for the issue of same-sex marriage to be railroaded through the Legislature in a special session. While House Republicans are equally to blame for installing Progressive leaders, they claim no ownership or responsibility for the ramifications of their actions.
[5] For links to the Abercrombie and Schatz announcements, see footnote #3.
[6] During testimony before the House Finance and Judiciary Committees, Schatz’s representative was asked why the acting Senator did not introduce legislation that would have addressed the Supreme Court decision that catalyzed the 2013 special session. Schatz’s representative noted the request and offered to return with a response. According to the inquiring representative, no response ever arrived.
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