Notes from the primary

Mufi Hannemann is pleased to have come so close to outright victory with two major opponents doing tag-team attacks on his rail stand. Ann Kobayashi says she's pleased to have gotten 30% when her campaign started late and she was up against an incumbent. Who is right? Both are right. Kobayashi did start late, raised less money than the mayor did, and the mayor did have the power of incumbency. She did well, considering. While she struck me as a negative candidate who was specific in her attacks but vague in taking stands of her own, others including the mayor praised her budget skills, and in times like these that's an important skillset to have. On the other hand, the virtual candidate "No Rail" had been running for months and Kobayashi was seen as part of that ticket, so to speak. Hannemann took a specific stand for rail, never waffled on it, and made himself a giant target for the local allies of the highway lobby. Kobayashi brought up various forms of transit and said she supported transit but the most specific thing she said was that she thought steel-on-steel was too expensive. I think this means the election will have the practical effect of being a rail referendum. If I'm misreading Kobayashi's position then I think others are doing the same thing and she will benefit from clarifying this. Hannemann and Kobayashi have been allies in the past and I am sorry to see that both of them now see the other as fighting below the belt. This partly stems from the actions of their supporters, for whom they might be held accountable but which they might not have ordered, and partly stems from the fact that both of them are astonishingly thin-skinned, even touchy, for public officials. Kobayashi reminded us that she enthusiastically supported Hannemann the last time he ran and still considers him a friend. I'm so sorry so see the way political campaigns strain friendships and think it ought to be worth the effort to focus campaigns on finding clever ways to promote their candidate instead of finding clever ways to zing the opposition. It will also be good if the candidates can say more about their views on matters other than rail, especially property taxes and land use issues.