President Joe Biden’s actions during his recent visit to Hawaii could hit him where it really hurts — at the ballot box.
This week, the president finally made a visit to the fire-ravaged Hawaiian island of Maui after receiving criticism for refusing to say anything about the fires and his lack of action in helping with the relief.
Biden probably hoped that the trip would give Hawaiians and Americans the impression that the president really does care about the people whose lives have been turned upside down by this terrible disaster.
Unfortunately for Biden, it is going to be hard to convince the residents of Maui that he is sympathetic to their plight when he repeatedly dodged questions from the news media about the fires.
Worse, he spent a fair amount of his time in Hawaii cracking jokes with Hawaiian officials, and offering very little in the way of sympathy.
With all these shenanigans, the people of Hawaii could be forgiven for thinking that this was merely a photo op for the president.
The thing is, Hawaii is a very liberal state. Biden won the state easily in 2020, and most Hawaiians have been loyal Democratic voters for a long time.
But now, Biden’s seeming indifference to their plight and his callousness during his visit is making some in Hawaii have second thoughts about whether they made the right choice.
On Monday, The Daily Signal, the website of the conservative Heritage Foundation, gathered reactions from the people of Maui to Biden’s visit, and it is not good news for the president.
Kristen Goodwin, a Hawaii resident, and former teacher, put it bluntly, saying, “I’m not voting for him again — that’s for sure. I’ll vote for Trump. I will never vote for him again.”
Those are some pretty strong words. Not only is she saying that she would not vote for Biden, but that she would willingly vote for his chief adversary, in spite of all the serious legal challenges he is facing.
Leslie Santos, another Hawaii resident, lambasted the president for comparing the fires in Hawaii to the experience he had almost losing a Corvette during a kitchen fire.
“I’m not sure how anyone could compare the ‘almost loss’ of a Corvette, a replaceable object, to the loss of life, loss of all one’s possessions, and the loss of livelihoods,” she said, “I am offended.”
She also made her political feelings on the matter known, saying, “I am so disappointed in Biden — and I am a Democrat.”
Think about that for a moment — residents of one of the most liberal states in the country are saying that they are angry with a very progressive president over his lack of concern for them. Some are even considering voting for Trump! Not a good look for Biden at all, especially going into 2024.
True, Hawaii is probably not going to make or break the 2024 election for either side, but the loss of a hitherto liberal stronghold over Biden’s inaction on the wildfires would be devastating for the Democrats.
Biden really cannot afford another one of these missteps.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.