A Look At The Race For Governor

There’s been a surfeit of punditry about the perceived faults that caused the political downfalls of Neil Abercrombie and Mufi Hannemann.

I’d like to add something.

It’s true that Mufi strong-armed the train on us, but the mark of a good leader is moving us forward when we tend to be sluggish. I’d like to see a Superferry brought back, too.

But I’d not be concerned for our future if Mufi pulled off an (unlikely) upset in November. He’s smart, he’s visionary and he’s driven.

Abercrombie is pilloried for having said he’s the governor for the greater good and not a pal to a few. Nothing wrong with that. Perhaps the way he said it was taken as arrogance. Hey, Joe Biden regularly sounds arrogant and nobody’s putting him down for it. Being governor for the greater good is responsible leadership. And he was right to recommending we tax the pensions of people with high incomes. The feds tax pensions, and so do most other states. It’s income and should be taxable for those earning major post-retirement income.

I’d not have been worried for our future if Abercrombie had been renominated for governor. He’s smart, he’s visionary and he’s driven.

Duke Aiona and David Ige are mysteries. Very few of you have sat in on Ige’s Senate Ways and Means Committee sessions (he once wanted to special-tax all beverages with sugar), and very few of you were ever in Aiona’s courtroom when he was a judge (he has said he knows what’s right and what’s wrong).

Both appear to be very smart. Visionary? We don’t know. Driven? Well, isn’t everyone who seeks political office?

Mark Takai or Charles Djou? Another contest where we’re not sold short no matter which goes to Congress. Both are smart and have solid lawmaking backgrounds.

You can be comfortable with either candidate unless you’re utterly partisan.

In the Brian Schatz-Cam Cavasso U.S. Senate race, without measuring smarts or vision you’d have to be living in a cave not to know how that will turn out.

Anyway, that’s my punditry. Fortunately, I do not have to stand for election as a columnist.

* Some people say the much-slammed photo of President Obama saluting two Marines with a paper cup in his hand is much ado about nothing.

Some claim no president returned a salute until Ronald Reagan.

Not true.

Eisenhower saluted troops in Korea, during his inauguration and a soldier to whom he awarded a Medal of Honor in the White House.

A president isn’t required to salute, but if he is going to do it as commander in chief, he should do it properly.

banyantreehouse@gmail.com