Dems save jabs for Lingle

By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Capitol Bureau Chief

When Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono finished speaking at a recent forum in the beachfront ballroom of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, a courtly Andy Anderson held her chair as she returned to her seat.

Reflecting the cordial mood of the campaign, Democratic gubernatorial candidates Mazie Hirono, left; Andy Anderson, third from right; and Ed Case, right, lunched with U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye, second from right, yesterday. Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

"Never tell them anything," Hirono advised him.

"I know, I know," Case said.

The three-way Democratic primary in the governor's race this year has become one of the most cordial, respectful and tame contests in Hawai'i history.

Perhaps things will get more blunt and personal later, but with the primary just six weeks away, the Democrats are refusing to target one another, directing almost all of their criticism at Republican front-runner Linda Lingle.

Negative ads fielded by one Democrat to cut down another — common fare in primary contests elsewhere and in some notoriously brutal Hawai'i campaigns in the 1970s and 1980s — seem to be out of the question this year.

While all of the candidates say they want to focus on issues and ideas rather than disagreements and personalities, there are sound strategic reasons for kid-glove campaigning in the Democratic primary this year. Whoever wins will confront the toughest and best organized Republican organization in state history, led by a seemingly tireless Lingle.

In that kind of a contest, the Democratic nominee will need every possible vote, and can't afford to alienate any party members.

"We know where our challenge is, it's in the general election," Hirono said. "But, of course, I'm saying that not taking the primary for granted. I'm working very hard."

There is also significant pressure from party elders — most notably U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye — to keep the campaign clean and friendly. Inouye has publicly warned the three leading Democrats to keep it civil and to focus on the issues, and he invited them to lunch at Sunset Grill yesterday to demonstrate they can "break bread together."

The messages offered by the candidates thus far focus almost exclusively on their own strengths, rather than their opponents' weaknesses. Since none of the three has much money, they have had to rely less on advertising and more on public forums, meetings with small groups and coverage by the news media.

In her advertisements and personal appearances, Hirono bills herself as a facilitator who can bring labor, business and other interests together to solve the state's problems, citing her efforts to reduce workers comp insurance rates and expand preschool education.

Case, a state representative from Manoa, stresses his credentials as an agent for change who has a clear new vision of where the state should go and how to get there, focusing mostly on his plans to curb state spending and make government more efficient.

Anderson cites his years of experience in business and politics, campaigning on a series of policy papers he has issued to address problems such as money for public schools, special education and high gasoline prices.

The net effect is a wonkish campaign with very little flash and no outbursts or finger-pointing. The loudest spat so far this year has been the running dispute between Lingle and Gov. Ben Cayetano, who quarreled over Cayetano's criticism of Lingle's tax proposals. The three Democrats running for governor kept their distance from the argument.

Keeping the primary on this safe track may not be a simple matter, especially in a year when the candidates have little money to get out their messages. Summoning the television cameras to attack an opponent is a quick, easy way to get free publicity for a campaign that can't afford much paid advertising.

The last time the Democrats mixed it up in a serious three-way gubernatorial primary was 1986, a primary now remembered for a last-minute "smear campaign" against candidate Cec Heftel. Heftel, a businessman who held a huge lead early in the race, lost to John Waihee and blamed the loss on an anonymous report supposedly implicating Heftel in a drug investigation.

Case predicted there will be disagreements but that there is a line he and the others won't cross.

"I will not accuse my fellow Democrats of personal dishonesty, of personal integrity lapses, because I believe that they are good people of good quality, but I will definitely debate with them the issue of who has the best overall package to take into the general," he said. "I will definitely debate with them and with the people of Hawai'i who is the best nominee to face the Republican nominee."

The candidates will be trying with all their might to win the primary, "but there's a way to have an election that doesn't tear each other down personally, and I think that's the commitment," Case said.

After meeting with Hirono, Case and other party leaders yesterday morning, Inouye said it is "absolutely essential" that Democrats not fight with each other. Anderson did not attend the meeting, but was invited and had a representative who attended, Inouye said.

Inouye said he expects the infighting in the primary will be kept to a minimum because "Democrats are gentlemen and gentle-ladies."

"I think today's meeting was a good start, and we left this meeting feeling good, I can assure you," Inouye said.

Advertiser reporter Lynda Arakawa contributed to this report.

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.