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Duke and Mufi
making final pleas
The candidates are reaching
for hands of unfamiliar voters
Elizabeth Stuber stumbled across a Mufi Hannemann political rally yesterday in downtown Honolulu and vowed her support for the mayoral candidate.
"I'm going to vote for him," the 43-year-old Aliamanu woman said. "We have to spread it, though. We have to let our friends know because a lot of people don't know, and a lot of people don't want to vote because they don't see people that they trust. But I trust him."
In the last days of the campaign, Hannemann and his opponent, Duke Bainum, are hopping aboard trolleys, canvassing neighborhoods, shaking hands and broadcasting ads as they target people like Stuber.
"I think it's clear that I need my voters to go out and vote -- places that I did well in the primary but where they had a low voter turnout. I'm talking about the Leeward areas and parts of the Windward Oahu," Hannemann said.
"My focus is to shake every hand, give every speech, answer every question all over this island and look people in the eye," Bainum said.
And the high-profile visits this weekend of the vice president, a former vice president and a daughter of a presidential candidate could benefit the Honolulu mayoral candidates with a larger voter turnout.
Both candidates said the presidential race will draw more voters, but the national attention to Hawaii will be an added plus.
"It's going to be a tremendous boost. It helps us because we're leading in every category," Bainum said after finishing sign-waving in Wahiawa.
"It's definitely going to have an impact because it will heighten interest in voting. We benefit from a high voter turnout, and I think it's going help the mayor's race," Hannemann said.
Hannemann's lunchtime rally yesterday at the Richards Street YWCA was to showcase support by labor and business groups. It was also a time for the leaders of those organizations to send a message out to their people.
"We're looking at family, friends, other supporters, retirees who may not understand or fear the absentee process," said Randy Perreira, Hawaii Government Employees Association deputy executive director, as volunteers were grilling hot dogs nearby and passing out bags of potato chips. "There are some members that don't participate by absentee that are still traditionalists and go to the polls. So it's just that reminder, that last push, if you will."
Hannemann will be hopping on a trolley tomorrow, making a sweep of the island in what he calls traditional grass-roots campaigning.
"We're going to go everywhere. We're going to try to be in as many places. I think with the remaining days that we have, we've got to be as accessible as possible," he said.
Bainum made his way yesterday from Nanakuli to East Honolulu, sign waving, going though shopping centers and giving talks to business and community groups.
Bainum said he is targeting areas such as Nanakuli and Kaneohe where there have been "openings" for more votes for him. "Certainly at this point and throughout this campaign, when people get to know me ... the better we do in areas that historically we have done well."
Tomorrow morning, both candidates will make their final joint appearance on KSSK radio's "Perry & Price" broadcast from John Dominis restaurant.
