On Politics
BY RICHARD BORRECA
Akiba’s departure spurs
Democratic self-analysisThe departure of the exuberantly optimistic Lorraine Akiba as Democratic Party chairwoman has triggered a new round of questions about how to address the Republican challenge of Governor Lingle.
Akiba, an attorney, said she is leaving because of the difficulties of keeping up her law practice while serving as Demo- cratic Party head. She flatly denied that it had anything to do with Hawaii Democratic leader Sen. Dan Inouye's recent criticism that the party was not united and that its leadership was weak.
But other party leaders, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said communication was so bad last year that during the last election a virtual war went on between the Ed Case and Mazie Hirono campaigns after Case lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary and jumped into the race for the late Patsy Mink's congressional seat, which he handily won.
Another party leader said there is a feeling that the party leadership "represents the old guard, and we won't be answerable to the old guard."
Democrats, who are happiest when doing battle with themselves, are looking at a search committee to pick a new leader, and already the rumor mill is relishing the fight. Tony Saguibo of the Young Labor Caucus is one rumored candidate, as is former state Rep. Alex Santiago.
Andy Winer, who headed the Democrats' coordinated campaign that was praised by Inouye, said he was going back to working on former Councilman Duke Bainum's campaign for mayor, and was not interested in the post.
But the party will have to change, Winer said.
"We may look with fond nostalgia at the old ways campaigns were run, but we don't have the luxury of just having people showing up at the polls regardless of what we do," Winer advised.
Most important, he said, Democrats should learn from the Republicans' successful voter-identification drive that started three years before Lingle won the governorship.
"We have to be prepared to do that," Winer said.
Maui Democratic Party chairman Jonathan Starr agreed, noting that "there was a definite resurgence in the state Republican Party."
Ever the optimist, Akiba sees the Lingle victory as a function of the two-term GOP Maui mayor adopting the Democrats' platform.
"Linda Lingle's message was our message -- she sounded like a Democrat in Republican clothing," Akiba said.
What is clear is that despite controlling the state House and Senate and the congressional delegation, after losing the governor's office the Democrats still hear footsteps behind them.
Richard Borreca writes on politics every Sunday in the Star-Bulletin.
He can be reached at 525-8630 or by e-mail at rborreca@starbulletin.com.
