Home About Chat Users Issues Party Candidates Polling Firms Media News Polls Calendar Key Races United States President Senate House Governors International

New User Account
"A comprehensive, collaborative elections resource." 
Email: Password:

  Case's strategy called a gamble
NEWS DETAILS
Parent(s) Race 
ContributorJ.R. 
Last EditedJ.R.  Jul 30, 2006 11:16am
Logged 0
CategoryNews
MediaNewspaper - Honolulu Advertiser
News DateSunday, July 30, 2006 05:15:00 PM UTC0:0
DescriptionU.S. Rep. Ed Case is asking all voters who want change to pull a Democratic ballot in his September primary against U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, a strategy political analysts consider a gamble because it suggests Case will attract independent and Republican voters to help contain Akaka's advantage among establishment and progressive Democrats who are more likely to vote.

Case said he is not specifically targeting independents or Republicans in his U.S. Senate campaign but says his message of change and the need for leadership transition appeals to mainstream Hawai'i.

"We certainly believe that our candidacy is universal," Case said. "It doesn't matter whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, some other party or independent, to understand the need for transition, to want change, to want better performance in the U.S. Senate.

"We are reaching out to all voters. We are not targeting any one group, whether it be party or otherwise."

Interviews with political analysts, activists, other political candidates and voters indicate that the Republican crossover vote in Democratic primaries likely has been overstated in the past, a leftover theory from days when Republicans were weaker and had problems finding strong candidates to compete against the dominant Democrats.

Even in open-primary states like Hawai'i — where voters are free to choose which party's ballot to take — primary voters tend to reflect a party's political and demographic base.
Share
ArticleRead Full Article

NEWS
Date Category Headline Article Contributor

DISCUSSION