How did your state end up with a Republican Governor?

[Tweed]

I was looking through the Governors page (www.nga.org) and I saw that your Governor is Republican. This amazed me given the Democratic tradition of the state. I know things change from race to race, but this is curious. Is she popular? When is the next election? Can we get her out of office?

[TheFarseer]

1. I don't live in Hawaii or anything

but from what I heard, the presidential race in Hawaii was closer than usual because they really like their republican governor.

[Quetzal]

2. My opinion

Is Linda Lingle popular? Well, that depends on who you ask.

Linda Lingle won in 2002 with fewer votes than in 1998

1998 Governor's Race:

Democrat - Cayetano and Hirono - 204,206
Republican - Lingle and Koki - 198,952

http://www.hawaii.gov/elections/reslt98/general/98swgen.html

2002 Governor's Race

Republican - Lingle and Ainoa - 197,009
Democrat - Hirono and Matsunaga - 179,647

http://www.hawaii.gov/elections/reslt02/general/02swgen4.pdf

Now what does this mean? It means that Democrats didn't show up to vote in 2002. There were many high profile corruption cases that year, and all of them involved the Democrats. The governor at that time, Ben Cayetano, was also unpopular with quite a large number of voters.

Lingle won because Democrats didn't show up to vote. I'm sure it will all be different when 2006 comes.

And if the governor is so popular, why didn't her party make any gains in the state house and senate this year? All of her vetoes are just overturned by the legislature.

Prior to this year's election, she had 15 Republican members in the state house - now there are only 10 out of 54!!

In the state Senate, she didn't make any gains - only 5 out of the 25 state senators are Republican.

Was the presidential election in Hawaii closer this time? Yes, it was. I have two theories as to why it was close this year.

1) Republican campaigning by Cheney here in the islands
2) High military population

Nobody expected Hawaii to become a swing state in the final week of the campaign. Republicans became pumped up in Hawaii like I have never seen them last week. Cheney's visit to the islands motivated them to come out in higher numbers this year compared to others.

However, Cheney's visit ALSO prompted Democrats to come out in high numbers as well. I know of many Democrats that voted for Lingle in 2002 but are now angry because she is too close Bush administration, and Cheney's visit just reinforced that anger. Democrats in Hawaii voted against both President Bush and against the Republicans on the local level. That is why the Republicans did so poorly on the legislative level this year.

The Republicans got killed on the negihbor islands of Kaua'i, Maui, and the Big Island. However, I was suprised by their numbers on the island of O'ahu.

O'ahu of course has a high military population. Most of those that serve in the military are from poor, racially minoirty areas (i.e. Hawaiians, Filipinos, etc.) These districts went to Bush because military families have traditionally supported presidents when they are at war.

And no, North Korea is not an issue here. We rarely think about it.

[Tweed]

3. AWESOME post

Thank you so much for the detailed info on Hawaii's political scene. I greatly appreciate it. Can Lingle run again in 2006?

[mahina]

4. Ya, and if we don't run a stronger candidate this time

who knows.
grrrrr

[opihimoimoi]

5. Whoever it turns out to be, he/she had better start today if not yesterday

for the campaign. It starts with building the message, the approaches, the practicing of debating, press cons, etc. The Grooming begins at the earliest date for better odds.

[pacifictiger]

6. Linda got in because most people

were sick and tired of the 'old boy network' giving handouts to the favored few. Hawaii has been democratic for so long there has been growing graft and wink/nod deals, behind the scenes. Any party that gets too much power for too long becomes a magnet for unsavory, greedy types.
Linda was a moderate republican, former mayor of Maui and a seemingly smart, breath of fresh air. I have, however, been really disheartened at how she has cozied up to the Bush Administration. I have voted mostly republican locally, just to shake up corrupt 'old boys', but definitely democratic on a nation level. I have always voted for the person, not the party.

[Quetzal]

7. On the Maui County Level, I definetly vote Republican

They seem a lot more environmentally friendly than are the Democrats. Besides, County Legislators do not really set the tone for social issues - it is mainly the State Legislature. However, for State House and Senate, I usually vote Democrat.

Joe Souki is in my Wailuku district - in fact, he lives right across the street from me. I remember when he was embroiled all that Kamehameha Schools, Lokelani Lindsey Bishop Estate Controversy and the House Democrats stripped him of his power as Speaker of the House. During that time, he bought a new van, painted his house, and fixed up parts of his property. However, did I vote for him? Yeah - mainly because he is chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and is extremely effective in bringing funds back to Maui.

[KamaAina]

8. That's certainly a courageous admission

much more so than, say, me divulging I voted for Lowell Weicker over Lieberman in '84. :-) Then again, it was Lieberman, nearly as obnoxious then as now...

But, can you really trust a repuke, even at the county level? What happens if they get the call from Lingle or Karen Hughes or whoever? "Hi there, it's Linda. Karen just called and said it was time to terminate the homeless with extreme prejudice...Oh yes, they may have struck oil under 'Iao Needle. How fast do you think we could get drilling going in there?"

Wouldn't it be better to have a real, live Green Party over there? It seems like there'd be a real niche for it, as opposed to being just a minor party. (Note the success Kucinich had on Maui; there has been talk of recruiting him to the Greens.) That way the malama 'aina would be linked to an overall progressive agenda, rather than (as with the repukes) being an aberration caused by the Dems' ties to labor, and thus to construction and development (and subject to revocation at any time, by order of the Chimperor or his minions).

[Quetzal]

9. Actually, the Green party here on Maui is on ascendency phase right now

In the 2002 mayoral election, Greens and environmentally progressive citizens became a powerful force.

The Green message became even stronger when Kucinich won the Democratic county caucuses here during the primary season. Not only did we have anti-development campaigns - anti-GMO campaigns starting popping up everywhere. I swear to God, I had no idea where all this sentiment against GMOs came from. Ironically, the county council member that is leading the charge against Monsato and other hyper-development developers is none other than a Republican - Jo Anne Johnson.

During the Lingle years, the environment and open space was definetly not a heated issue - now it is. There is no way for a mayoral candidate to win countywide without being both "smart growth" and environmentally friendly.

I do have reservations about voting for Republicans on the county level - however, if I voted for the Democrats, there would be even more uncontrolled growth. And if the Bush administration ever wanted to spread its tentacles to the island of Maui, most citizens will be up in arms and fight them to the end. After all, he lost by 10,000 votes on this island.

Also, the elections on Maui are non-partisan. Now candidates are not so much defined by what party they belong to but what issues they speak out on.

We will see how influential the progressive agenda is come the next primary mayoral election. Alan Arakawa, the current Repulican mayor, will probably get a spot in the runoff. However, will a candidate that has ties to the Green party defeat the Democratic challenger for a spot in the runoff? If so, I will be suprised and excitied. That would mean that there is popular support on Maui for an ever expanding progressive agenda.

If a Green doesn't win a spot in the runoff, then I wouldn't be surprised if he/she came close to defeating the Demoratic primary challenger.

Also, Lance Collins, who was the former Ka Leo Opinion Editor, almost defeated the pro-development county council member Joe Pontanilla with only a meager campaign fund. Yes, he lost by 4,000 votes, but for being a candidate with almost no name recognition, that is extremely telling. There were as many Pontanilla signs as there were Gabbard signs.