Sore Loser: Cagey Kaji Plays the Race Card Following Election Loss

Now this is just shameful.

Towards the end of the campaign, Councilman Jon Kaji was the subject of an FCC complaint from the FBI.

Here's how he responded:

Whether the "FBI" is an acronym for a private entity or the letters refer to the actual Federal Bureau of Investigation is immaterial to my point.

Why does Kaji mention 1942?

Because he's tying this political attack to Executive Order 9066 and the discrimination, incarceration, deportation, and internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

He literally compared his campaign setback to the Internment of Japanese-Americans.

This response is not serious.

In fact, it's quite offensive.

I don't recall David Kartsonis:

1. Forcing Kaji to sell his goods.

2. Forcing Kaji and his family to move out of their home.

3. Forcing Kaji to live in a horse stall as temporary shelter

4. Forcing Kaji and family to live in an internment camp

Did David Kartsonis do any of this?

Last time I checked, Kaji and his family are still safe and sound in North Torrance. There are no internment camps. Japanese-Americans in general are facing nothing like that level of discrimination today.

Most importantly, Kartsonis has done nothing of the sort to suggest or advocate for such treatment.

People are more than welcome to have their differences with Kartsonis (I certainly do).

But to implicate him with such abject racism and abuse is a low blow.

To disparage and exploit the Internment of Japanese Americans because you lost an election, that is just despicable.

Kaji was his worst enemy this election, and I must say at this point, he deserved to lose.

Update (July 16, 2026)

The Rational Animal summarized the base character of Kaji's retort very well, responding to disgraced Congressman Ro Khanna's racist remark earlier this week:

And here comes the race card. Not long ago I thought Khanna was the Democratic frontrunner for 2028. He's been spiraling fast, and now he grabs the oldest trick in the playbook: address a policy fight as racial martyrdom.

Bowman and Bush didn't lose over "Black martyrdom." They…

— The Rational Animal 🤔 (@theobjectivist) July 15, 2026

Election 2018 Torrance Mayor's Race: Time to Get Real

People, I will not be nice or diplomatic about this.

The city of Torrance needs real leadership, not corruption, arrogance, and malfeasance.

Crook Pat Furey must go, but right now there are two other contenders and they are poised to cancel each other out and give Crooked Pat re-election.

Ron Riggs and Tom Brewer, it's time for you BOTH to put the best interests of the city ahead of anything and anyone else. Who cares if I don't get invited to the Christmas parties or the swearing-in ceremony next June.

We need a fighter, we need someone who will call out the wasteful spending, the street-sweeping racket, the planning commission shenanigans, and the ardent bigotry of the mayor, who somehow thinks that the expression of First Amendment Rights constitutes an embarrassment to the city of Torrance. Not to mention the fact that one dollar out of four from the general budget goes to a pension!

We also need someone who will say to the labor unions "No More!" and say to the small businesses "Here's your money back." How about LOWERING the sales tax?

If neither one of you wants to do any of this, then both of you should back off and let another candidate run.

#FireFurey #MakeTorranceGreatAgain