Local Democrats wilt in the face of bigotry
Thursday, September 25th, 2008Democrats made history this year by staging a contest for the party’s presidential nomination between the first African American and the first woman to ever seriously contend for the White House.
It’s ironic that Hawaii Democrats, who claim Barack Obama as a native son, have become symbols of racism and exclusion as a result of their dogged support for Hawai’i Tourism Authority CEO Rex Johnson after he was caught sending an e-mail to friends dismissing Obama as a “coon” and Hillary Clinton as a “beaver.”
To my knowledge, no top Democratic elected or party official has denounced Johnson for the prejudice he displayed against the two party icons. They’ve not joined with offended civil rights and women’s groups — loyal Democratic constituencies — that have called for his ouster.
In fact, from her public statements, it appears that Senate Vice President Donna Mercado Kim remains one of Johnson’s leading defenders as the tourism agency prepares to meet next week to decide his fate.
Polls indicate that his race may be Obama’s greatest obstacle to being elected in a year that should otherwise be a slam-dunk for the Democrats.
If Republicans are accused of stirring racial tensions, they’ll have a ready answer: “Don’t look at us. The top tourism official in the state where Obama was born and raised denigrated him as a ‘coon’ — AND THE LOCAL DEMOCRATS DEFENDED THE GUY!”








