Neil + Brian = Bromance
Neil Abercrombie says he couldn’t be more pleased than to have Brian Schatz as his running mate.
He’s so happy that he’s already given him an actual job in his cabinet, even though the election is still more than three weeks away.
Schatz will head up the “Hawaii Fair Share Initiative” to grab those coveted federal dollars that the former congressman is always talking about.
It was only the second joint Abercrombie-Schatz press conference since the Sept. 18 primary.
The Democrats have some catching up to do with the Republican team of Duke Aiona and Lynn Finnegan, who held their first press event the morning after the primary and have appeared together virtually every day ever since.
Abercrombie reflected on how Schatz — whose name he is now correctly pronouncing as SHOTZ — came to join the ticket.
“It was very interesting to watch the very intense competition for the LG slot on the Democratic ticket,” he said at a press conference Thursday at his Ward Warehouse campaign headquarters. “It was competitive, there were very fine people in it, it was an admonition to governors past and future to make sure it takes care of itself.”
Abercrombie said he would have been fine had another candidate won — “I had personal friendships, collegial relationships, and I always said I was happy to work with whoever succeeded.”
But Schatz seems a better fit than the socially conservative Norman Sakamoto and Bobby Bunda. Jon Riki Karamatsu looks even younger than Schatz, who is 35 years junior to Abercrombie.
Lyla Berg, meantime, would have helped with gender balance, but she’s taller than Abercrombie and that might have been awkward. And Gary Hooser might have looked too similar to Abercrombie — although Hooser ditched his facial hair and eyeglasses a few years back and has a full head of hair.
Said Abercrombie, “I am happy because the person who emerged as the winner not only was able to reach out to whom he competed with and receive their support enthusiastically and genuinely, but he turned out to be someone I myself have worked with in the past. I represented the district he represented, literally, and we worked together on the Obama campaign.”
Schatz said the two got to know each other better while taping campaign commercials.
“We cracked jokes,” said Schatz.
“He laughed at all of my jokes,” said Abercrombie.
“It’s part of the job,” said Schatz, getting laughs from reporters.
“I guess you could say we bonded,” said Abercrombie. “The day of the ceremonial role for the lieutenant governor is about to end.”
Both men wore dark blazers at the press conference.
Abercrombie & Fitch, watch out!
