God Bless These Candidates
Are you a conservative Christian and inclined to vote — but not sure where the candidates stand on issues important to your values?
The , whose goal is to “organize and mobilize Christians across denominational lines with a unified pro-family voice that is having a powerful impact on our government,” has posted a “Candidates Comparison Chart” on its website to help you decide.
The coalition compares Neil Abercrombie with Duke Aiona, Brian Schatz with Lynn Finnegan, Daniel K. Inouye with Cam Cavasso, Colleen Hanabusa with Charles Djou and Mazie Hirono with John Willoughby.
Candidates for state House and Senate races are compared as well.
The comparison chart includes a lot of footnoted sources, which range from the authoritative — — to the partisan — .
Faith, Marriage, Life
As a 501(c)4 nonprofit, the Hawaii Christian Coalition can participate in elections.
Its candidate comparisons leave little doubt as to where candidates stand on the issues of faith, marriage, fiscal stewardship and life (e.g., abortion), and whose endorsements the candidates have won.
Take the governor’s race between Republican Aiona and Democrat Abercrombie, for example.
Aiona is identified as a Catholic, but the section on Abercrombie says, “Unknown. Not referenced on campaign website or literature.” It also says, “Abercrombie as Episcopalian?” with a footnote to HawaiiFreePress.
The chart suggests you contact the Abercrombie campaign directly about his faith. It helpfully provides the phone number and website.
Under the “life” category, meantime, Aiona is reported as “proudly pro-life” — it’s in bold type — while Abercrombie is said to have voted in favor of “federal funding of abortions” and privately funded abortions at “U.S. military facilities overseas,” and voted to “partially deliver a fetus/unborn child” before it is aborted.
Fiscal Stewardship?
Aiona: “We have proved state government can spend within its means and balance the budget without raising taxes.”
Abercrombie: Porker of the Month, according to Citizens Against Government Waste.
Abercrombie’s position on fiscal stewardship includes this quote: “Abercrombie has reached into the pockets of hard working Americans to fund radical and obscene ideas,” but it is not sourced. I Googled it and the the most popular reference was … the Hawaii Christian Coalition!
Bold Use of Bold
Still not sure whether to vote for Duke or Neil?
The chart reminds you that coalition president Garret Hashimoto has endorsed Aiona, while Abercrombie has the nod of Human Rights Campaign — “a lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual civil rights organization.”
Other races are similarly demarcated.
Interesting ecumenical tidbits surface in many of the charts.
For example, did you know Hanabusa is a Buddhist, to Project Vote Smart, and that Inouye is Methodist, to Project Vote Smart?
is Buddhist, too. But I knew that.
How about state Rep. Blake Oshiro, aka Mr. Civil Unions?
The Hawaii Christian Coalition reports, “Unknown. Not referenced on campaign website or literature.” But Oshiro’s Republican opponent, Sam Kong, is a Christian who opposes House Bill 444.
“I am just a family man with family values,” says Kong.
