Beth Fukumoto switching parties

[Pandaguineapig]

I feel this is relevant because this is the second time in a little over two years the Hawaii house minority leader has jumped ship. The republican party of Hawaii is turning into a small rump party

http://bigislandnow.com/2017/02/02/rep-fukumoto-seeks-to-switch-parties-after-trump-criticism/

[Pandaguineapig]

Whatever, won't miss her. Not like we will compete anytime soon in Hawaii.

Granted she was to the left of the entire caucus( and many members of the Hawaii democratic caucus) it's never a good sign when all your "rising stars" leave the party

[Pandaguineapig]

Whatever, won't miss her. Not like we will compete anytime soon in Hawaii.

Granted she was to the left of the entire caucus( and many members of the Hawaii democratic caucus) it's never a good sign when all your "rising stars" leave the party

Yes, but not because she left. Its because she should never have been the face of the party. I am not a RINO-hunter - in fact, i usually defend moderate repubs - but Fukumoto has always been pretty left-leaning even by HI standards (as you noted).

The party has a lot of structural issues - including not having any real agenda.

It sounds like she had been planning to leave for a while, she bashed Trump and his voters at the Hawaii state GOP convention and flirted with leaving the party during her speech, when she trashed the federal gop and participated in the women's march it was the last straw for the Hawaii gop and they removed her from her position. She's using that as her excuse to leave

[Pandaguineapig]

Hawaii has the most lopsided Democratic state legislature in the country now...The upper chamber dosent have a single Republican!

The Hawaii democratic party has become a big tent party that is not really seen in other states. There are very conservative members of the democratic caucus who are democrats solely to get elected( Tulsi Gabbard is an example).

[Pandaguineapig]

But, certain politicians will always be exceptions to the rule. Beth Fukumoto seems to be one of those exceptions.

You gave no explanations what wrong she did? Dared to criticize Trump, and reserved her right to do so in the future? IMHO, she was absolutely correct. May be that's because i have absolutely no respect for him, but i don't see anyone as standing above the criticism, being it Trump, Obama, Clinton. What else? That she conducted politics in bipartisan way? Again - absolutely correct by me, especially in Hawaii, where Republican presence in legislature is neglidgeable. What else?

And i sincerely dislike that "we" (i saw a lot of it on DKE too). Who "we", and why these "we" decide for everybody??

There are points in your post i agree with, but not these one...

It went beyond criticizing trump(there are several gop governors and senators who do so) it's the constant grandstanding against her own party and appearing at far-left rallies that went too far