Let’s Debate: Open Letter to Hawaii Democratic Party Chair

Open letter to Party Chair Dante Carpenter

Dear Dante:

Happy New Year! I wish you and yours and our party only the best for 2012.

This is to suggest that the Democratic Party of Hawai’i host a series of statewide joint presentations with Mazie and me before primary election voting starts at the end of June.

Hawai’i’s open U. S. Senate election is one of the most crucial in decades for our party, state and country. The decision Hawai’i voters make in the August 11th Democratic primary will deeply influence the future of the DPH and may well determine the U. S. Senate majority.

Throughout our careers, both Mazie and I have been proud Democrats who share the core values of our party. But we are very different Democrats in many ways, from experience to focus, support, agenda and approach, not to mention matching up against Linda Lingle.

In considering this crucial choice, the 70,000 members of our party and 250,000-plus Democratic primary voters deserve every opportunity to compare Mazie and me personally and side by side. Taking our candidacies directly and openly to the voters together will result in a far better discussion and decision than just a few statewide TV debates to go with endless carefully-scripted thirty-second commercials.

I respectfully request that you work with our party’s leadership and Mazie to call and host a series of joint presentations across Hawai’i by the two of us. In discussing our economy, education, budget, safety net and host of other challenges in school cafeterias, business groups and community halls across Hawai’i, we can bring this crucial choice to voters right where they live and work.

Voting starts in just about 180 days. Here is the U. S. House calendar for 2012: https://majorityleader.gov/Calendar/112Congress2ndSession.pdf. In the next 180 days, the House is only in session about 65 days (!), leaving about 115 non-session days when Mazie can be home and available.

I am open to whatever schedule and agenda our party sets. To provide the broadest voter opportunity and especially to reach the smaller and too-often-ignored communities of our state, I suggest at least 25 meetings statewide. If Mazie is agreeable, I am happy to share expenses and to invite other Democratic candidates to join us along our campaign trail.

In this time of deep voter cynicism and disengagement from government and micromanaged cookie-cutter campaigns, our statewide joint candidate tour for such a crucial election will be an exciting and energizing undertaking for our party, will empower voters, and will increase voter participation in the Democratic primary. I very much hope you will urge our party’s leadership to pursue this suggestion, and stand ready to assist in any way.
Warm aloha,

Ed Case
U. S. Congressman (2002-2007)

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