Posted on: Friday, May 25, 2001

Politicians campaign anywhere, anytime

By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Staff Writer

Sometimes, life offers up the most delightful little tidbits, unexpected tasty morsels that just about make your day.

Case in point. Check out the Web site set up by the Hawai'i Statewide Hazard Mitigation Forum. The group consists of county, state and federal agencies and businesses that came together to spread the word about disaster preparedness.

The site has pages and pages of information on how to prep your house for an approaching hurricane, what to pack to take to an emergency shelter, what not to do during a tsunami watch, stuff like that. You can even click on the individual islands to see specific information for that community. Very useful information. Life-or-death kind of stuff.

But here's the ono part.

The site has this really catchy address: www.mothernature-hawaii.com

Though the Hazard Mitigation Forum hired actors to dress in costume as cartoon-style bad guys with names like Flash Flood and Hurricane, their photos appear way down at the bottom of the page. Can you guess who's smiling face pops up when you open the MotherNature-Hawaii page?

Mazie Hirono.

Simple coincidence or careful strategy?

If not for the unavoidable-for-comment campaign style of gubernatorial hopeful Jeremy Harris, the idea that the current lieutenant governor and future Harris opponent would orchestrate a move to associate herself with the title Mother Nature Hawai'i probably wouldn't even surface.

Hirono serves as the honorary spokesperson for the Hazard Mitigation Forum, so naturally she'd appear on the Web page.

But she's campaigning against Jeremy Harris, a politician who is so good at being ubiquitous. He's seen at all the best parties, he gives speeches at all the high-profile events, and he makes appearances at all the big funerals. His dance card is totally booked up through Obon season. Every time you turn on the TV, there he is saving the 'aina with Jason Scott Lee or Richard Chamberlain. Heck, he bought Zippy's chili for the hungry keiki during the teachers' strike. How do you compete with that?

The MotherNature-Hawaii Web site might be a place to start, though I'm sure it was more a happy accident than a political move. And supporting preventive efforts against natural disasters is a good thing.

It worked for Harry Kim, right?

I'm sure Hirono didn't plan it, but she probably should have. The campaigning for governor is already everywhere. After all, Jeremy Harris is setting the pace, and everyone else has to work pretty hard to keep up.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Her e-mail address is lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com