Before divulging the ultimate prognosis, let's examine three fascinating aspects of this delicate operation known as democracy in action:
Mayoral madness. Woe to Jeremy Harris. Instead of clinching the mayoral race outright, with 94,846 votes, his showing of less than 50 percent means a general election showdown with Arnold Morgado, who garnered 56,241 votes.
Woe to us. Instead of being spared two months of television commercials, viewers will now be subjected to more relentless images of Harris sounding sincere, Morgado sounding sincere, Mayor and Mrs. Harris sounding sincere, Morgado's mother sounding sincere, etc.
Pass the remote control.
Here's an additional pearl to ponder - coming in fourth behind Frank Fasi was that enigmatic and ever-popular candidate, Blank Votes. Just think, there were 7,163 citizens who entered the voting booth but they 1) were disgusted by the choices on the ballot, 2) were confused by the name-calling, mudslinging and negativity during the campaign, or 3) decided that Honolulu would be better a place without any mayor at all. Tantalizing concept, don't you think?
Incumbency ire. Norman Sakamoto unseated incumbent Sen. Rey Graulty in the 16th District by espousing a vastly different approach to fighting crime. Businessman Sakamoto said he wanted to create more jobs to boost the economy, ergo tax revenues would go up, ergo the state could build more prisons.
On the other hand, Graulty had a more direct approach - tightening gun-control laws. He was so direct, in fact, that he mailed out thousands of bullet casings to show constituents that he didn't like firearms.
But isn't that like mailing out used condoms to voice displeasure with birth control in the schools?
Senate President Norman Mizuguchi (District 15) and Rep. Terrance Tom (District 47) were almost beaten by two capable women challengers, Diane Ho Kurtz and Iris Catalani. On the epidermis level, the close call looks like unhappiness with longtime incumbents. But perhaps the disgruntlement is more than skin deep. Leaders of the land, are you getting the message that women in the community think their needs and concerns aren't being met by a male-dominated Legislature? If not, gentlemen, you will.
A question of ethics. The true pulse of the electorate was taken in District 14 in the heated race between Sen. Milton Holt and Rep. Suzanne Chun Oakland. It was like the Big Bad Wolf vs. Little Red Riding Hood.
Holt had been involved in incidents of domestic abuse, public drunkenness, customs violations and other woes. Then Holt insulted his constituents by saying that they didn't care about ethics and moral character, but were more concerned about effective, results-oriented leadership. He misread that thermometer, badly.
Chun Oakland's decisive victory shows the prognosis for Hawaii is really quite good. Voters do know that all is not well in the land of aloha. They will not succumb to a terminal case of public indifference and apathy.
Heed their cries: Bring on the general election! Bring on the debates! Bring on the aspirin!