A progressive majority?

SUBHEAD: Nadine, JoAnn, Gary and Tim should be able to direct the votes of the council toward a more progressive future.

By Juan Wilson on 8 November 2012 for Island Breath -
(http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-progressive-majority.html)


Image above: A mashup of the new "progressive" majority on the Kauai County Council - Nadine, JoAnn, Gary and Tim. From mashup by Juan Wilson.

There is a benefit to the Kauai County Council election results that may have a long term benefit to the island. With the \election of Gary Hooser to join Nadine Nakamura, JoAnn Yukimura and Tim Bynum at the council table there will be a majority of relatively progressive representatives for the first time in more than a decade.

There were nine candidates running for seven seats. Two who ran must lose. Given the spread of votes in the primary and the fact that only Dickie Chang had fewer votes than Gary, Tim and Kipukai Kualii, not unlikely that possibly two of the candidates we were supporting for election might not get to the council table.

However, that was fortunately not the case. The quartette of Nadine, JoAnn, Gary and Tim should be able to direct the votes of the council toward a more sustainable, progressive and just future. At least in baby steps. Let's keep their feet to the fire.

With the great vote getting performance of Nadine Nakamura maybe she could wrestle the Council Chair position from Jay Furfaro. She is an excellent facilitator and has an ear to the ground for issues concerning local people.

Also of positive note, Justin Kollar beat Shaylene Carvalho for Kauai County Prosecutor and Mazie Hirono beat Linda Lingle to represent Hawaii in the US senate. For the most part women did well across the country. As of Tuesday, 20% of US Senators are women.

We would be living in a different (and worse world) had Romney been elected President and Linda Lingle was in the Senate.

On the national level there is some hope that our country is finally stepping back from the madness of the Bush era Republicans run by neocons and teapartyers. Those that say corporations are people;  deny global warming and evolution; and say we were founded as a Christian nation and that the Bible is literally true may finally be losing their grip on power.

Below is a detail of a graphic by Jonathan Jay that displays the results of votes in the primary and general election that compares performance in each and begs the question; "What did Joann, Gary and Tim do to so improve their performance in the general election? " Click on it to enlarge and see it all.


Image above: Detail of the five lowest vote getters in the Kauai County Council race. Two of them had to lose a seat at the table.


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