Tulsi Gabbard, Hawaii Congress candidate with Ilocano ties, wins in upset

by Atty. Emmanuel Samonte Tipon 

Tulsi and yours truly

HONOLULU – “Go to the stage and thank the people for your victory,” we suggested to Tulsi Gabbard (formerly Tulsi Gabbard-Tamayo), as the first partial returns in the primary election for the second U.S. congressional district of Hawaii showed her with an insurmountable 15,000 vote lead over her rival, former Honolulu mayor Mufi Hannemann. She demurred, saying “The night is young.” “And you’re so beautiful,” we continued remembering Frank Sinatra’s song.

We told Tulsi that with her victory our faith in the Almighty has been strengthened. We said that we prayed for you in the Iglesia Ni Cristo chapel and God not only showered you with blessings, it was a downpour.


THREE KINDS OF FILIPINOS

Tulsi and family

There are three kinds of Filipinos – (1) Filipino by blood, (2) Filipino by place of birth, and (3) Filipino by marriage (“Filipino by osmosis,” as this writer puts it, or “Filipino by injection” according to an attractive Caucasian bank teller)

Tulsi was once-upon-a time married to a Filipino, Alfredo Tamayo, of Laoag, Ilocos Norte, whose father Antonio Tamayo, Jr. is the son of the prominent General Antonio Tamayo of EDSA fame. The General’s father is Angel Tamayo, this writer’s Ilocos Norte High School teacher in English and athletics. Tulsi lived in the Philippines for some time and studied in Baguio City. According to Toby Tamayo, Alfredo’s uncle, Tulsi stayed in their home in the Philippines.

BIGGEST UPSET IN HAWAII HISTORY

The biggest upset in the history of Hawaii - a political tsunami of epic proportions that has not been seen since Hawaii became a U.S. territory - was scored by the 31-year old Tulsi when she defeated the 58-year-old Hannemann who was backed by the labor unions, big businesses, the Honolulu Star Advertiser, and was the favorite of some well-known Filipinos. When she announced her intention to run for the seat, she was dismissed by pundits as inexperienced.  She started as a 20 to 65 underdog. Shortly before the election, the Honolulu Star Advertiser announced that Tulsi was closing the gap but still remained the underdog at 33 to 43.

Tulsi won with 62,869 votes or 56% compared with Hannemann’s 39,169 votes or 34% – a difference of 23,700 votes. When the final results came in, Hannemann did not cry like when he lost to Abercrombie for the governorship. He was whining, claiming that he was a victim of negative campaigning. He declined to concede initially and talked of another day. Tulsi’s ads were all positive. Her approach was as if she was applying for a job from the Hawaii voters, telling people about herself, her values, her character traits, her experiences in the war and in civilian life, and why she wanted the job – she would like to serve the people of Hawaii, like she had served our country by going to war when she did not have to. Her approach resonated with the voters and they overwhelmingly voted for her – beyond the wildest expectations of Tulsi and her fans.

BREATH OF FRESH AIR

As we indicated in a prior article, "if (or when) Tulsi wins, she will be like a breath of fresh air in the polluted world of Hawaii politics presently dominated by labor unions and the dirty, rotten, scoundrels protecting their “vested interests.”

GENERAL ELECTION MERE FORMALITY

Of course, there is still the general election on November 6 but that is a mere formality. Tulsi, a Democrat, will fight the winner of the Republican primary, the 60-year old Kawika Crowley, who had a mere 9,053 votes. Crowley’s website lists his occupation as “Painter/Handyman by trade” Crowley’s most famous quote is one he is said to have written himself: “A synonym for "Dysfunctional" is....Washington D.C.” He probably wants to go there to make it functional.

IMMIGRATION TO HAWAII

When Tulsi’s family (her father is State Senator Mike Gabbard and her mother is gourmet candy business owner Carol Gabbard) came to Hawaii, Tulsi continued her education at Hawaii Pacific University where she earned a degree in International Business.

In 2002, when she was only 21 years old, Tulsi was elected State Representative for Hawaii’s 42nd district (Waipahu, Honolului, and Ewa Beach). She was the youngest woman ever elected to a State office in America. She enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard. In July 2004, she gave up a secure legislative seat to deploy in Iraq with her National Guard unit.

Tulsi will not be new to the nation’s capital of Washington, D.C. She served as a legislative aide to U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka when she returned from Iraq. In 2009, Tulsi again deployed to the Middle East. It was during her military tours of duty that she learned the skills of leadership as a platoon leader and where she displayed her caring attitude for people.

Last year she ran and won a seat in the Honolulu City Council representing District 6 (Downtown Honolulu, Kalihi Valley, Punchbowl, Nuuanu, Liliha).

Hawaii’s second congressional district comprises rustic Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kauai, and the big island of Hawaii. Unlike any other campaign for a congressional seat in the United States, a candidate for Hawaii’s second congressional district must fly to the various islands meeting people one by one. It is a grueling campaign.

TULSI’S QUALITIES

The people of the second district are very fortunate. Tulsi is a likable and warm person who is willing to listen. She works very hard to help people and finds joy in serving others. She is very intelligent and has a sense of humor.

As we said in an earlier article about Tulsi, when Jerome Kern wrote the music and Dorothy Fields wrote the lyrics to the song “Lovely to look at, delightful to know,” they must have been thinking about someone like Tulsi.

She was recently the recipient of the U.S. Jaycee’s “Outstanding Young American” award given to those who “exemplify the best attributes of the nation’s young people.” Previous awardees included John F. Kennedy and Elvis Presley.

X VISA AND VISA WAIVER PROGRAMS

Tulsi wants to help immigrants, since, although Caucasian, she is an “immigrant” herself, having been born on April 12, 1981 in American Samoa, an American possession like the Philippines was in the good old days before 1946. Tulsi vowed to work hard to have the Philippines added to the “visa waiver” list. Citizens of countries in this list are not required to have visas to visit the United States. Among the countries in the visa waiver list are Japan, South Korea, Australia, and most of Western Europe. She will also consider a bill proposed by this writer for an "X" visa, whereby beneficiaries of relative visa petitions who have been waiting for more than 3 years for their visas to become available can be allowed to enter the United States as nonimmigrants and wait for their visas to become available here, rather than abroad.  They would be permitted to work or go to school during this waiting period. Their status would be similar to the V visa holders several years ago.

RESCIND RESCISSION ACT

Being a war veteran herself, Tulsi appreciates and understands the plight of Filipino World War II veterans. We are asking her to file a bill to rescind the Rescission Act.

When World War II broke out, over 200,000 Filipinos enlisted with the U.S. Army. As American nationals, Filipinos were promised all the benefits given to those who served in the United States armed forces. However, when World War II ended, the U.S. Congress then controlled by Democrats and with Democratic President Harry Truman enacted the so-called “Rescission Act of 1946,” Public Law 79-301 on February 18, 1946. The Act rescinded or revoked the rights of Filipino World War II veterans to equal treatment with their American citizen fellow veterans, thus stripping the Filipinos of their benefits. Of the 66 countries allied with the United States during the war, only Filipinos were denied military benefits.

This wrong should be righted by rescinding the “Rescission Act”, thus restoring Filipino World War II veterans to the same status that they once had before the “Rescission Act”. No better person can do it than a Democrat since it was the Democrats who voted for the “Rescission Act”.

WHAT DOES “TULSI” MEAN?

When we asked Tulsi’s mom, Carol, where she got the name “Tulsi”, she said it was the name of a much-valued sacred plant of Indian origin. Our research disclosed that “Tulsi” refers to an aromatic and exotic (not erotic, stupid) plant or herb like holy basil.

As we told Carol, Tulsi has a very bright future and will probably be spending the next 50 years in Washington, D.C. as a congresswoman, or a senator, or like Nancy Pelosi whom we helped when she first ran for congress in San Francisco, a Speaker of the House of Representatives.

IMPOSSIBLE DREAM?

Who would have thought six months ago that Tulsi would win, let alone win by a landslide.

Only those who, according to the song of Jim Nabors (in whose Honolulu beachside home we once held a fundraiser for then mayoral candidate Peter Carlisle when he and former Governor Ben Cayetano were still allies) aspire:
     “To dream the impossible dream.
     To fight the unbeatable foe.
     To bear with unbearable sorrow.
     To run where the brave dare not go.”

(Atty. Tipon may be reached at: filamlaw@yahoo.com)