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On Politics Richard Borreca |
In California or
Hawaii, angry voters
look for a leaderCalifornians delight in telling the rest of the country that all trends start on the West Coast. Last week we saw not so much the start of a trend, as the confirmation of how voters and the public look at politicians -- down.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's ascension to the California governorship answered voters' calls to fill the leadership vacuum in California. The decisive win also showed that angry voters, frustrated by the status quo, will jump parties and ideologies.
California trends aside, some of the elements of the Schwarzenegger victory have ramifications, 2,500 miles away, here in Hawaii.
First, the victory shows that name identification, a simple message and lots of money are three keys to winning a political campaign.
Although those are fundamental to any good political campaign, it is always amazing how candidates will skip the hard work of basic campaign organization.
Second, the campaign shows how critical it is for elected officials to do what it takes to be a leader.
The role of leader falls to the state's governor, so in Hawaii, we assume the governor to be a natural leader. Linda Lingle's summer performance with the anti-drug summit comes to mind as an effective use of the powerful "bully pulpit" that makes an effective leader.
On a more subtle level, that same organized, forceful leadership has been shown by Lingle with her more than two dozen statewide "talk story" sessions. Observers note that they have grown sharper and more focused as the summer and fall go on, to the extent that she has started to zero in on education as a key issue for both the Legislature and the 2004 campaign.
"If you don't believe the education system needs repair, then you are in denial," Lingle says.
Finally, part of the reason for Lingle's ability to win as a woman, a Caucasian and a Republican in a presumably strong Democratic state last year, was voter anger over the current Democratic crew of leaders.
Lingle can thank the Legislature's Democratic leadership for part of her success. Her performance shines in contrast to the profound inability of the Democrats to answer Lingle's call for a tough, new campaign reform law, their long unsuccessful struggle to put up a comprehensive, workable public education package and the pandering to public worker unions, such as the last-minute veto override of a bill designed to help the Hawaii Government Employees Association.
Early on, Democratic leaders tried to match Lingle sound-bite for sound-bite on government programs, but the Legislature by definition is not able to formulate policy. It works best as a check or decision point for the administration's proposals. In a war of words, however, the public relations value of being the person who says "yes" or "no" to the administration's plans doesn't carry the weight of actually making the plans of government.
When next year's state elections come around, the change that the earthquake in California will have produced is not that Republicans will win in Hawaii, but that voters will give them a hearing and not reject them because they are not Democrats.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
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.
