STAKES for the entrenched Democratic Party of Hawaii have never been higher. If you work for the state you understand that. If you don't, as most Republicans don't, you probably won't appreciate the importance of this election. Democrats will fight
to stay in powerNever before has the Democratic Party been threatened on so many fronts.
Democrats run state government. That's a given. And it follows that state workers are in the Democratic Party.
State labor leaders are in the party. Several of the state's big-time lobbyists are influential members of the Democratic Party. Appointees to critical state agencies are in the Democratic Party. Even longtime civil servants are in the party.
If the Democrats lose control of the governor's office this fall, the loss of real, measurable political power will be immense.
Essayist Jose Gasset could have been describing political realities in Hawaii when he said: "To rule is not so much a question of the heavy hand as the firm seat."
Democrats today have that place at the table. Several political strategists say Democrats are likely to remain seated, because Republicans aren't willing to invest the time and energy to yank out their chairs.
For a lot of Democrats, the convention, the party and the election are part of their job, perhaps not an on-paper job description, and perhaps not as prevalent as when George Ariyoshi and John Waihee were governor, but certainly a strategically important number.
And those people are going to fight to keep those jobs no matter what the description.
Of course, a lot of Democrats are in the party, attending conventions and working on campaigns because of the party's stands, issues and candidates.
Most of the politicians in Hawaii are Democrats so it is likely that most of the political workers in the state are going to be Democrats.
Democrats at the recent convention showed that they were ready to rumble with anyone trying to take the top spot away. This is what Republicans have failed to understand.
Strategists look at the GOP and see a small party, with a lot of business support but little manpower or grass-roots strengths.
Those strategists frankly don't see the GOP standing by the road waving signs all summer, they don't see the commitment to keep the campaign headquarters staffed with real volunteers every night and they don't think the GOP will even be able to put a candidate in every state race.
Democrats, the civil servants, the lobbyists, the labor leaders and the political patronage appointees, however, understand and they will be there.
THE question then is what will those 1,300 Democratic convention delegates and alternates find when they start up the phone banks, neighborhood walks and town meetings.
They may have the grass-roots power to bring out the troops, but the question remains whether the Democrats of 1998 have the message that most voters want to hear.
As state Sen. Mike McCartney, part of Gov. Ben Cayetano's kitchen cabinet, said: "The Democrats must demonstrate that they can and will change. Regardless of party restructuring, there must be a shift."
If they can and the GOP doesn't understand how much work winning politics involves, the fall will bring another sweet victory to the state's incumbent powers.
Richard Borreca reports on Hawaii's politics every Wednesday.
He can be reached by e-mail at rborreca@pixi.com