By David Shapiro

Saturday, November 9, 1996

High ground is path
for Cayetano success

Many count Gov. Ben Cayetano among the losers of Tuesday's election. His candidate for mayor, Arnold Morgado, was clobbered by Jeremy Harris, who isn't ruling out a run for governor in 1998. Some believe David Arakawa's abrupt slide into oblivion in the prosecutor's race began with Cayetano's endorsement.

A Star-Bulletin poll taken the week before the election showed voters giving the governor C-minus grades midway through his first term. Only 40 percent of respondents rated his performance excellent or good while 60 percent rated him fair or poor.

But the bigger picture shows Cayetano surviving the election in better shape than his detractors think. Those who write him off as a political eunuch should remember that President Clinton's opponents were calling him "irrelevant" two years ago.

Several factors are in Cayetano's favor:

His biggest critics in the Legislature were either defeated or scared sober in the election. Sens. Milton Holt, Donna Ikeda and Michael Liu are out. Senate President Norman Mizuguchi and House Speaker Joseph Souki were humbled by close calls. As a result, Cayetano will face a contrite and conciliatory Legislature. They should be able to build a solid record of achievement to take into the 1998 election.

There's no clear challenger to Cayetano in 1998. Some unions and other special interests might lean on Harris to run, but he'd be smart to pass. A statewide contest in the Democratic Primary doesn't set up nearly as well for Harris as the non-partisan, Oahu-only race he just won.

Harris has little base on the neighbor islands and, in a Democratic primary, would be denied the many Republican votes he counts on in non-partisan mayoral elections. Against Cayetano, he'd not likely get his usual heavy support from voters of Filipino ancestry. If Harris wants to be governor, better he build a good record as mayor and wait for the next time.

If Harris doesn't challenge Cayetano, who else can? Norman Mizuguchi? He barely won his own district. Maui Mayor Linda Crockett Lingle? She's a comer, but isn't ready for a big statewide race. Pat Saiki? She's lost the big one twice in a row. Fred Hemmings? He's shown little statewide appeal. Frank Fasi? Sure.

Cayetano stands to benefit from an improving economy. He swallowed his bitter budgetary pills early in his term and enters the homestretch in a better position to mollify unhappy unions and be more generous in funding popular programs.

Harris, on the other hand, delayed some of tough budgetary decisions while he was running for re-election, if we are to believe Morgado and some City Council members. If they are right, Harris will be paying the piper while Cayetano is enjoying the recovery.

Cayetano has had moments of inspired leadership. He's also shown signs of being thin-skinned, petty and mean-spirited - a governor who disdains good advice from outside his inner circle and boasts of giving short shrift to those who disagree with him.

If he is to make a real mark, he must recognize that leadership is more than making snap decisions and bullying people. He needs to set a high-minded tone for public life. He must embrace the task of building a consensus that gets everybody involved in solving problems.

Cayetano would do well to study how Clinton rose from irrelevance to runaway re-election. He did it by staking out the high ground on issues, acting presidential and behaving civilly to his attacking opponents.

If Cayetano does those things, he can mail in his bid for re-election.