By David Shapiro

Saturday, March 21, 1998

Republicans have to
campaign harder

HOUSE Republicans dropped by this week to tell us how frustrated they are that they don't get more play in the news. It convinced me that Republicans need a reality check more than they need better press coverage.

Republicans have opportunities this year that they haven't seen for decades. If they're not smart enough to stop whining and take advantage of their good fortune, they don't deserve more news coverage or more power.

Let's look at what's going the GOP's way:

Republicans nearly doubled their House seats in 1996, thanks to Democratic bungling on same-sex marriage. They have potential for more gains this year as the economy sputters and the same-sex marriage referendum looms.

The GOP is among the leaders in fighting the unpopular excise tax increase proposed by Gov. Ben Cayetano's Economic Revitalization Task Force. The critics seem poised to win.

Maui Mayor Linda Lingle, once lightly regarded as a challenger to Cayetano, is getting a serious look in this frightening economy.

Democrats gave Lingle a powerful issue in their blundering attempt to limit her ability to raise campaign funds from mainland sources. It looks blatantly unfair and, worse, gives Democrats the aura of desperation.

The state Democratic Party has repudiated key parts of its own governor's economic plan. How can the party now argue convincingly for Cayetano's re-election? Democrats will throw Republicans another easy issue if Tom Gill, a leading proponent of same-sex marriage, becomes party chairman.

But Democrats can play with one hand tied behind the back because they've always been able to count on one thing: No matter how much they screw up, the GOP will screw up worse. Local Republicans have no clue how to win elections.

Republicans here have always had the misperception that politics is only about ideas. All they have to do is espouse their ideas on the House floor, get news coverage and voters will come. Hence the whining about media play.

But that's not how it works. Local politics is about organizing support at the grass roots and delivering the vote. It's about selling a vision for Hawaii. Pat Saiki ran for U.S. senator and governor with lots of great ideas and big leads in the polls. She was out-hustled and out-organized by the Democrats both times.

Republicans accuse the Democrats of lacking vision, but Democratic candidates come with a built-in vision. It's the vision of equality and opportunity for all that gave Hawaii's oppressed underclass a seat at the head table and forged the party's bond with labor unions that share the same plantation roots and values.

THE Democratic vision -- or at least the execution of it -- may be getting tattered. But until Republicans present a clear and compelling vision of their own, voters will keep electing Democrats.

Republicans confuse efficient management with vision. Most voters would agree without another word being said that Lingle is a fine manager. But voters want to know if she's a leader. What does she stand for besides efficiency? Where will she take Hawaii?

Lingle is an attractive newcomer to statewide politics and there are promising young Republicans in the House. If they tell their story well and get out into the community to organize voters, they can make a real mark.

If they continue the GOP tradition of sitting on their behinds waiting for voters to flock to their ideas, they'll join the likes of Randolph Crossley, John Leopold and Rick Reed as insignificant blips on the political radar.