BY ED CASE – This is to ask you to vote for Peter Carlisle because if it’s not Carlisle it’ll be Kirk Caldwell.
In my last e-newsletter, I endorsed Carlisle as an independent, fiscally responsible, inclusive leader for Honolulu, and opposed Caldwell as a dependent, fiscally irresponsible follower of an exclusionary political machine. I applauded Panos Prevedouros’ contributions, but expressed concern that he would split the majority vote for change with Carlisle and allow Caldwell to win. (This election is winner-take all, so the successful candidate will probably win with well less than 50%.)
This is the risk we now face. Caldwell’s special interest money and negative campaign have closed the gap with Carlisle to around 7 points (37% to 30%) according to a recent public poll. Caldwell would like nothing more than to increase Prevedouros’ votes because most every vote for Prevedouros is one less for Carlisle and one more for Caldwell. That’s why Caldwell isn’t also attacking Prevedouros.
Prevedouros will tell you he can win, but that’s just not a realistic assessment. He’s been 10-20% the whole way, half firm and half maybe. There’s no late surge going on.
Many Prevedouros supporters oppose rail. But if the practical choice is Carlisle or Caldwell, I’d far rather have Carlisle applying some responsible and transparent fiscal scrutiny and sound judgment to the project than for Caldwell to be going along with whatever his rail support factory wants.
I hope Prevedouros serves in future public office. But it’s time for the hard decision to unite behind Carlisle as the candidate with the only realistic chance of changing business as usual at both Honolulu Hale and, together with other candidates, throughout our state.
Please don’t wake up Sunday morning with the Mayor you least wanted and the status quo intact. Mahalo for your consideration.
ED CASE IS A FORMER HAWAII CONGRESSMEMBER (2002-2007, D-HAWAII)