By David Shapiro

Honolulu Councilman Jon Yoshimura did himself and his party a big favor by dropping out of the race for lieutenant governor to run for the state Senate.

Yoshimura should have realized long ago that it was a twisted fantasy to run for the state's No. 2 office while his license to practice law was suspended by the state Supreme Court for lying about a traffic accident in which he sideswiped a parked car after drinking.

In the unlikely event he won the nomination in a large field that could resemble a lottery more than an election, his personal issues would have dragged down a Democratic ticket already in deep trouble against Republican Linda Lingle.

How could voters justify putting somebody next in line to become governor who is under Supreme Court sanction for lying? Even Hawai'i's notoriously tolerant electorate wouldn't swallow that.

Yoshimura's mere presence in the race would have added exponentially to the embarrassing attention Democrats are drawing for the legal and ethical problems that have beset the party's elected officials in recent years.

His withdrawal allows Democrats to focus on picking a running mate who can complement the party's candidate for governor — likely Mazie Hirono, Ed Case or D.G. "Andy" Anderson — rather than give Republicans an easy target in the No. 2 spot.

Even a Senate race is a stretch in Yoshimura's current circumstances, but he has nothing to lose. If he can't quickly restore his credibility with the public, his political career is likely over. All he can do is throw himself to the mercy of voters and hope they find him worth rehabilitating.

As a Senate candidate, Yoshimura may help Democrats keep the reapportioned 12th District seat out of the hands of Rep. Lei Ahu Isa, who recently quit the Democratic Party to run as a Republican.

If voters are ready to forgive and forget, Yoshimura could be a formidable candidate in the district (Kaka'ako, Ala Moana, Waikiki) that covers part of the area he's represented on the council.

He handily defeated Ahu Isa and several others when he first ran for the council in 1994, and was popular enough to run unopposed for reelection in 1998.

If Democratic voters can't stomach giving Yoshimura the Senate nomination after his legal troubles, he'll provide another Democrat a good primary test and a valuable scalp to take into the general election against Ahu Isa.

Yoshimura, 43, is in a political purgatory of his own making. Personable, articulate and a capable leader, he served as council chairman for three years and had a bright future before becoming entangled in his false account of the traffic accident and a scrape with the Campaign Spending Commission that cost him a $3,500 fine for misusing political funds.

The traffic incident, especially, was a basic test of integrity that the public easily understands — the honesty to tell the truth and accept responsibility even when you think nobody saw you mess up.

Many voters wrote him off after he admitted lying.

Others have kept a more open mind, waiting to see if he made stupid mistakes that can be forgiven or if he suffers a fundamental character flaw.

To win over the latter group and have any chance of reviving his political career, Yoshimura must be scrupulously straight with voters, avoid political game-playing and consistently do what he thinks is right according to the highest ethical standards.

He should have learned by now that if he fakes it, the public will know.

David Shapiro can be reached by e-mail at dave@volcanicash.net.