Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 12, 1 December 1990 — Hawaiian voters show their power [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hawaiian voters show their power

by Linda Kawai'ono Delaney Land officer This year, Native Hawaiians joined the revolution. Every modern history of Hawai'i begins with the Democrat Revolution of 1954, when the Nisei heroes of World War II brought the battle for personal freedom from the shores of Sicily to the beaches of the Territory. What is less noted in those histories, is that it wasn't just the "Big 5" sugar and pineapple plantations whieh fueled the Republican Party domination of the islands — it was the Hawaiian vote and partisan influence whieh was reflected.

In this sometimes-uneasy allianee of business and Hawaiian interests, the political spoils system awarded the presidential appointment of Governor to the plantations and the maj6rri$r of elected offices and government jobs to the Hawaiians. Thus, when the Democrats swept the Territorial House in '54, the Senate in '59, and the Governorship in '62 — it was largely Hawaiian Republicans who lost their seats. Only the patronage and personalities of Jimmy Kealoha on the Big Island and Neal Blaisdell in Honolulu resisted the new order. And when Blaisdell declined to nin for Mayor in 1968, the last vestige of the system ended. In the years between 1968 and 1988, the Hawaiian vote was viewed by professional eampaigners as "unreliable." Hawaiians represented a "split vote." As commentator Dan BoyIan recently remarked, Hawaiian voters are not traditionally viewed as a bloc vote like the loeal Japanese. Instead, his description of Hawaiian voters was summarized as: "If they have white hair, they're Republican; If they're middle-aged, they vote Democrat; and If they're young, they don't vote at all." The drama involved in shattering that poliheal wisdom was strongest in the race for the U.S. Senate. Ten days before the General Election, political polls again showed Hawaiians splitting — giving 52

percent of their vote to Daniel Akaka and 48 percent to Pat Saiki in the Senate contest. Some sidewalk strategists were stunned. Hawaiians were seen as potentially "eineh" voters for Akaka — after all, he was the first Native Hawaiian individual ever to serve as a nahonal senator. Weren't Hawaiians proud and supportive of their own?

Unlike any other ethnic, eeonomie, or demographie group, the Hawaiian vote has historically defied categorization. Initially, Hawaiians were Republicans — and simply maintained family loyalties. Later, many Hawaiians felt ignored and increasingly stopped participating in elections. But

fundamentally, Hawaiians felt unimportant — no candidate seemed to actively care whether Hawaiians voted for them or not. This year, certain candidates demonstrated thev cared.

In the Akaka campaign, an intensive target strategy began. Ads ran in the OHA newspaper and on KCCN radio, brochures and postcards from "Hawaiians for Akaka" (and Waihee) were mailed, and telephone banks were set up to personally reach and ask for support from eaeh registered OHA voter. This appeal was not based

solely on the discredited "Nana i ka 'ili" of 60 years ago — but relied on substantive records of achievement and promised advancement for Native Hawaiians.

The appeal was successful. By eleehon day, Hawaiians voted 68 percent for Akaka, 71 and 73 percent for Patsy Mink and Neil Abercrombie, and overwhelmingly for Governor John Waihee. The U.S. Senate race — onee routinely described as too-close-to-call — was a run-away. And that break-away difference and the other lop-sided outcomes were, in large measure, due to shift in the Hawaiian vote.

What does it mean? For the first hme in nearly 40 years, the Hawaiian vote is a force in defining the public agenda. Although the revolution of 1954 met its goal years ago, a spirit of renewed commitment and recharged spirit ean be sensed in the election of Native Hawaiians to high office and in the focus of Hawai'i political energy. For years politicians have been saying, 'Why can't you Hawaiians get together?' Well, this year Hawaiians did. And may well have started a new revolution.

Democrats swept Hawai'i elections, . electing the first Native Hawaiian U.S. senator and re-elect-ing a Hawaiian governor.

Daniel Akaka U.S. Senator

Patsy Mink U.S. Representative

Neil Abercrombie U.S. Representative

John Waihee - Governor

Ben Cayetano Lt. Governor