Rep. Charles Djou (R-HI), who picked up his deep-blue seat due to a split Democratic vote in the May special election, has a new campaign ad out. Or is it a tourism ad?
“All across Hawaii, there’s a new feeling of hope and progress,” says the announcer. This is followed by no narrative of any accomplishments or substantive issues whatsoever — but instead just a musical score over a montage of Djou meeting with supporters, plus some totally non-sequitur video of Hawaii’s beautiful palm trees and beaches. “Making the difference for Hawaii — Congressman Charles Djou.”
One has to wonder about the “making the difference” line. Did the palm trees and beaches not exist in Hawaii until he was elected?
Djou is one of a relatively small number of incumbent House Republicans who could potentially lose this November, running in a district where President Obama won 70% of the vote in 2008. In the winner-take-all special election this past spring, Djou won with only 39.5% the vote, followed by Democrat Colleen Hanabusa with 30.8%, and another Democrat Ed Case with 27.6%.
Case has since dropped out of the November race, setting up a one-on-one runoff of sorts between Djou and Hanabusa.