With Such Socially Conservative Allies, Duke Aiona Is No Shoe-In
He’s an appealing candidate, but he’s a Republican aligned with people who go against Hawaii’s tolerant vibe.
Duke Aiona has lots of experience in government. He has a native Hawaiian family name that is recognized throughout the islands. Duke is handsome and also happens to be a very nice man.
So he’s shoe-in for governor, right?
Wrong. There are three major reasons why. The most obvious one: he is a Republican in one of the most consistently Democratic states in the nation. Secondly, when he was in high office, he directly participated in financial clumsiness and administrative foul-ups. (Remember “Furlough Fridays” during the administration of Gov. Linda Lingle?)
Former Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona on the day he launched his candidacy at the Hawaii State Capitol in May.
PF Bentley/Civil Beat
But, as a recent Christian Coalition fund-raiser at a snazzy country-club reminds us, Aiona has a third problem and it’s really a biggie. He is hand-in-glove with right-wing social conservatives.
Hawaii’s electorate and the islands’ host Native Hawaiian culture are noted for tolerance of diversity. This includes ethnic diversity, as well as openness on sexual orientation and religious faith — or the lack thereof.
Duke’s got a third problem and it’s really a biggie. He is hand-in-glove with the far right-wing social conservatives.
The Republican Party of Hawaii, and especially the social conservatives who so strongly back Duke Aiona — and who have inserted one of their own, Elwin Ahu, as his running mate — are noted for intolerance. It is intolerance of gays and lesbians, intolerance of immigrants, and a fundamental certainty that there is only one true religion: theirs.
It is difficult to imagine that Aiona is going to be able to convince Hawaii’s notably friendly-to-each-other-no-matter-your-background voters that our state needs the brand of fundamentalist intolerance disguised as “pro-family” values that is represented by some of the folks Duke stands with.
Hawaii knows what “ohana” means and it’s almost the complete opposite of what Duke and his backers are promoting.
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