AYUMI NAKANISHI / ANAKANISHI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Participants and supporters for the Oahu Democratic party gathering prayed for Patsy Mink yesterday morning at Moanalua High School cafeteria. Among those praying were, from left, David Gregory of the AFL-CIO, gubernatorial candidate Mazie Hirono, Bill Puette and Angie Chinen.
Isle Dems rally Oahu Democrats are heading into neighborhoods to urge residents to vote for "change with a 'D'" in the general election.
for support
They hope their grass roots
campaign translates into
general election wins Nov. 5By Helen Altonn
haltonn@starbulletin.com
More than 100 Democratic candidates, legislators, precinct workers and party leaders rallied at Moanalua High School yesterday morning, kicking off what they hope will be a grassroots campaign for the Nov. 5 general election.
Veteran Democratic Congresswoman Patsy Mink's death yesterday wasn't known at the time of the meeting, but the party was told Friday that her chances of recovery from viral pneumonia at Straub Hospital were poor.
Richard Port, former Democratic state chairman and longtime friend of Mink, led a prayer for her at the rally, expressing thanks for her "many years of life and service ... We are truly blessed by her contributions to the state and nation."
Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono, Democratic gubernatorial candidate, and other party and community leaders learned of the congresswoman's death while attending a Korean Centennial Gala Fashion Show yesterday afternoon at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki.
Hirono, vying with Republican Linda Lingle for the governor's office, said at the rally: "I want to do this (win) for Patsy, too. I'm so grateful for what she stood for. It has been an inspiration to me. As we stand on the threshold of the first woman governor of the state, let her be a woman with a 'D.'"
Ed Case, who lost the Democratic primary nomination for governor by just 2,603 votes, received such enthusiastic applause when called upon to talk that he said it felt like he was still on the campaign trail.
He said he received a tremendous amount of e-mail after the primary from well-wishers and others saying if he had run as a Republican he could be lieutenant governor.
"My own message," he said, "is I'm a Democrat and that's not an option for me. Thank you very much."
Case said a large bloc of undecided voters want to vote Democrat: "They believe we offer the best overall hope for Hawaii."
But to win their votes, he said, Democrats must discuss issues, talk about the future instead of the past, and offer constructive change.
Later, in an interview, Case said the party "has not found common ground internally on what it will take to win" and "they don't have much time to figure it out."
He said he feels Democrats should represent "mainstream Hawaii," which wants basic changes along with Democratic values. But some party members "basically believe things don't have to change to be victorious," he said.
He said a lot of hard-core, traditional Democrats want change.
If voters have to choose between changes promised by Republicans and Democrats offering no change, "they will choose change," he predicted.
State Democratic Party Chair Lorraine Akiba and Oahu County Party Chair Jimmy Toyama encouraged Democrats to pull together as a family and draw the community into the political process.
"This is our strength, the grassroots," Akiba said. "Let's go out and give the passion in our hearts to the people of Hawaii."
