U.S. Sen. Waihe'e? That's a thought
By Bob Dye
Kailua-based historian and writer
"Governor of Hawai'i is the best political job in the United States," says former Gov. John D. Waihe'e. "Every other office is a step down."
Advertiser library photo • May 17, 1996
While the U.S. Senate may be a step down in his eyes, his face lights up when we talk about the possibility of his serving there someday.
John Waihe'e, former governor of Hawai'i, is an attorney in a politically well-connected Washington law firm. Looking back and surveying the elections outlook, he says: "I believe politics is a noble profession."
John Waihe'e was our youngest elected governor and the most charismatic. His rise to political power was meteoric. Elected to the Constitutional Convention of 1978, he successfully led the fight to place the "Hawaiian amendments" in the state Constitution. In 1980, he was elected to the state House of Representatives.
After serving only one two-year term, he was elected lieutenant governor in 1982. Eight years later, with the support of outgoing Gov. George Ariyoshi and Sen. Daniel Inouye, he upset Cec Heftel, a wealthy congressman, in the Democratic primary.
John then went on to beat popular Andy Anderson in the general.
Do you miss being governor?
"Yes and no. What I do miss is not having the sense of purpose I had when I was governor." He says he has excitement and challenges in his present job, that of a private attorney in politically well-connected Washington law firm, but he no longer shapes the content of a society. "I believe politics is a noble profession."
But while Waihe'e has his dreams, there is no indication that either Senate seat will be open in the near future.
So, meanwhile, John works to revitalize the Hawai'i Democratic Party. And he'll help whichever Democrat it is who wins in the gubernatorial primary to go on to beat Republican Linda Lingle.
"Lingle lacks the soul to be governor of this state," John contends. "She has no message for our people."
He reminisces. Legendary political guru Bob Oshiro once told John: "It takes three things to get elected. The first is a message. That's most important! Second is money. And third is people. If you have a lot of money, you may need fewer people. If you don't have a lot of money, you'll need more people. There's a fudge factor there. But there's no fudge factor when it comes to the message.
"Without one, the other two won't get you elected."
Who do you think will be the Democratic candidate in the general election?
"Jeremy is clearly the front-runner today. But no one who led in the polls this early ended up winning." He offers Heftel as an example.
"Nor has any mayor won the governorship," I add, giving Frank Fasi as an example.
"The way to beat Jeremy is to take the Neighbor Islands and split O'ahu," he says, separating hands to indicate division of the island. It is the strategy he employed against Heftel.
"What about Mazie Hirono?"
"I told her that she needs three to five people who will die for her — work night and day to get her elected. So far, she doesn't have them. But she does have a secret weapon. Her husband, Leighton Oshima, is a political genius. She should bring him into the campaign."
What about Andy Anderson's flirtation with a gubernatorial race as a Democrat?
"Andy was the best managing director in the history of the city. So we know he can manage the state. And he was the toughest political opponent I ever faced.
"But as a campaigner he seems to lose interest. I think he likes to develop strategy, but I don't think he likes to campaign. And you have to love it, or you'll lose."
He muses that maybe someone who is not a professional politician will appear on the scene.
I tell him that I heard [former Bank of Hawai'i President] Larry Johnson's name mentioned.
He hadn't. But he says Walter Dods of First Hawaiian Bank or HPU's Chatt Wright are the kind of people who could win. When John was first elected, he recalls, there were, unlike him, 20 other new governors who came from outside of politics.
"Half of them were good governors, and the other half bombed." He shrugs.
The next governor must bring people together, he says, not divide them. The governor has to help all of our people, including recent immigrants, understand why Hawaiian rights must be fulfilled. How that makes all of our lives better.
"That's a message that needs to be sent."
Are you advising any candidates?
"If someone stops by, I give my advice freely. I talked with Duke Bainum the other day. He brings a lot of enthusiasm to the mayor's race. And I visited Mufi Hannemann in the hospital. He'll run a good race."
He laughs at himself for gesturing so exuberantly. "As you can tell, I love to talk politics."
"And," he adds, "I don't rule Frank Fasi out of contention in the mayor's race. The voters might be ready to have him back."
What has changed in Hawai'i politics?
"The younger Republicans in the Legislature are now an impressive group. They remind me a lot of the young Democrats when I was in the House. And there is virtually no investigative reporting on government by newspapers, as there was during my administration."
He cites the Michael Kahapea fraud case as an example of what he believes was a recent under-probed story. That kind of "theft of public money ... never could have happened in my administration."
After leaving Washington Place, you had an interest in publishing as a career, I remind him. "Phil Gialanella (former Star-Bulletin publisher) offered to buy the paper and name me publisher. But Gannett turned down the offer, later selling the paper to Liberty for far less money than Phil offered. Too bad. I would have loved being publisher. There would have been in-depth investigative reporting. I might not have known particulars, but I knew what closets to look into."
He finishes the meat in his half of a corned beef sandwich, virtuously leaving the crusts of rye bread and forgoing the garnishes. But he does select a guava sweet from the dessert tray.
Many of the diners at the Waioli Tea Room are tourists and don't know who John is. But kama'aina at the next table give him warm looks. He flashes his famous smile, eyes making contact. Still charismatic, John's an inveterate campaigner.
"If I run for the U.S. Senate, I'll win," he promises.
The day you announce, you'll be the front-runner, I tease.
"I don't know about that. But I will be on Election Day."
