The last time I wrote a political blog (July 8), I questioned whether Biden or Trump were the best 2 people that a nation of 300 million people could come up with to be their leader.
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2024/07/in-nation-of-300-million-is-this-best.html
also check out the video I posted the same week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv5sAqseiu4
So much has happened since then!
First, there was the assassination attempt against Donald Trump at an outdoor rally.
A few days later, there was the Republican convention! Trump was seen as a survivor, and JD Vance was seen as a hero for the working class. Plus, having Hulk Hogan at the convention brought excitement. How the hell the Democrats going to top that when all they have is past-his-prime Biden?
Then THE BIG NEWS! Joe Biden ended his presidential campaign.
Despite pessimistic predictions, it didn't take long for the Democratic Party to unite around current vice-president Kamala Harris. After all, she's the only person that could inherit the money raised for the Biden-Harris campaign.
Back in 2019/2020, Kamala Harris tried running for president. She didn't inspire confidence. It was obvious that she was pandering to the far-left who already thought she was a corporate Democrat! She wasn't ready for prime time.
But now she is! She reintroduced herself to the country as a center-left candidate who is ready to take command. She reminded us that she was a prosecutor who stood up to con artists, sex offenders, and whatever other categories Donald Trump belonged to.
As for who would be Kamala Harris's vice-president, there were some strong names in the running. Like Josh Shapiro, Gretchen Whitmer, Andy Beshear and Pete Buttigieg.
However, the relatively unknown Tim Walz came out of the shadows with his soundbites taunting Donald Trump. The Democrats needed excitement, and Tim Walz brought it.
Part of politics is balance. Kamala Harris is a woman from the West Coast, part of the coastal liberal elites. Tim Walz is a man from the rural Midwest and has won elections in rural counties that normally vote Republican. Tim Walz has masculine credentials as a former member of the National Guard and a former football coach. However, his masculinity is the one that isn't afraid to stand up for the vulnerable of our society. He was the advisor to his school's Gay-Straight Alliance long before any state embraced same-sex marriage. For many, Tim Walz is the dad they wish they had
And the recently completed Democrat convention brought more excitement than the Republican convention! All the stars were there. The speakers taunted Donald Trump with a mix of aggression and humor. And to top it all off, Lil Jon performed snippets of his biggest hits during roll call.
Meanwhile, RFK Jr was supposed to be the most prominent of third-party candidates. He was once known as an environmental lawyer associated with the far-left. But his anti-vax views became popular with the far-right during the covid lockdowns.
Whatever RFK Jr's support from the environmentalists he had left was pretty much gone when he told of his bizarre story of dumping a dead bear cub in NYC's Central Park.
RFK Jr pretty much surrendered and endorsed Donald Trump!
However, third-party supporters aren't totally out of hope.
The Libertarians have Chase Oliver, who is the mold of past candidate Gary Johnson. Jill Stein is back for the Green Party.
Activist/professor Cornel West is also running for president, though he won't be on the ballot for most states.
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As for Hawaii, it was one of the most boring primary season ever!
The only excitement was for state House races in Kakaako (where Kim Coco Iwamoto beat incumbent Scott Saiki) and Mililani (where Trish La Chica beat Ken Inouye).
Honolulu mayor's race was just the incumbent (Rick Blangiardi) versus a few candidates with minimal name recognition.
Several offices had only one candidate running. Snooze!
Very low voter turnout!
The general election would have more turnout because that's when people can vote for president.
Hawaii is most definitely going blue as usual! Even though Trump has some passionate supporters here, the general population here thinks of him as a pathetic joke. Kamala Harris will win Hawaii easily!
