You win some and you lose some. Right now, the far left is in a rut. In May, they were clinching some significant wins. In July, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez beat incumbent Democrat Joe Crowley (D-NY) in an upset win. She’s now seen as one of the faces of the far left and the future of the Democratic Party. We’ll see about that. As of now, her endorsed candidate win list is quite thin. The vast majority of candidatesshe has backed have lost. Has the far left hit a Midwestern wall? Perhaps this go-around, but given that more Democrats view socialism more favorably than capitalism, the lurch towards Karl Marx is quite clear. Also, while the far left and the establishment have gone at each other’s throats, it hasn’t been detrimental to their position this year. Democrats could be poised in retaking the House. Still, Ocasio-Cortez saw another left-wing minion of hers go down, this time in Hawaii, where Kaniela Ing fell short in the primary for the 1stcongressional district. Ing ran on a platform that Hawaii values are democratic socialist ones (via CBS News):
“What dreams would you pursue if your basic needs were met?” Our message is mainstream; it just makes sense. Hawaiian values are @DemSocialists values. pic.twitter.com/FyUaBodmcx
— Kaniela Ing (@KanielaIng) August 8, 2018
It is easy to draw parallels between Ing's campaign and that of Ocasio-Cortez. A campaign ad for Ing released in July was produced by the same company that created Ocasio-Cortez's viral campaign video. He released another campaign spot on Wednesday which showed him strumming a ukulele while saying that "Hawaiian values" are Democratic Socialist values.
"When we talk about policies like Medicare for All, universal health care, housing for all, public education through college, canceling student debt - these are just policies that would make everyday, working people's lives dignified," Ing said in the ad. "All this stuff is possible, we just cannot lose hope, and we've got to come out and vote."
While he may benefit from low voter turnout, which some believe Ocasio-Cortez did, he faces five primary opponents, unlike Ocasio-Cortez, who faced one.
Ing is facing big names such as former Rep. Ed Case, current Lt. Gov. Doug Chin, and state Sen. Donna Mercado Kim in the race for the seat soon to be vacated by Rep. Colleen Hanabusa.
Welp. The primary was held on last week. Ing lost:
Ing, 29, had only secured 6 percent of the vote with 99 percent of precincts reporting as of Sunday morning, compared to opponent former Rep. Ed Case who earned 40 percent of the vote in the six-way race.
Ocasio-Cortez's star power is being questioned after candidates she has endorsed experience mixed success in their respective contests.
Well, one less socialist to worry about, I guess.