By Jerry Burris
Advertiser Editorial Editor

In the days and weeks to come, there will be plenty of commentary on the success — or lack of it — of our new governor in her first session with the Hawai'i Legislature.

Naturally enough, much of the analysis will be through a partisan prism: Lingle is a Republican, our first such in 40 years, while the Democrats are still firmly if factionally in control of the Legislature.

And that's not a bad way to look at it. There are sincere philosophical differences between Republicans and Democrats. And Lingle, to the surprise of some, has become somewhat more of a partisan Republican than she appeared during the campaign.

So, it will be logical to ask: Did the Democrats in the House and Senate recognize the "change" sentiment that elected Lingle and nearly nominated Democrat Ed Case in the gubernatorial primary? Do they get the message that the voters are fed up with business as usual?

If Lingle's agenda represents change and the ideas of the Democrats represent the status quo, then the answer is no, they did not get the change message.

But remember, the same voters who sent Lingle to the governor's mansion also elected mostly Democrats to the Legislature. Yes, there was a vote for change, but there also was a substantial vote for continuity.

Democrats would be untrue to their own "mandate" if they simply accepted the new GOP agenda. The question — and it cannot be answered until the details of this session are sorted out — is whether the Legislature acted as a legitimate counterbalance or whether it was simply obstructionist.

History might help here. If Lingle is feeling that her plans and ideas were ice-boxed simply because she represents another party, she might check in with some of her predecessors: Ben Cayetano, John Waihee, George Ariyoshi and Republican Bill Quinn.

Even in the heyday of sweetness and light between the governor's office and the Legislature (which undoubtedly was during the administration of the late Gov. John A. Burns), there was plenty of discord and disagreement to go around.

And that was a high point.

Ariyoshi, Waihee — and particularly Cayetano — had more than their share of power struggles with the Legislature. Nominees to important boards and commissions were rejected (often quietly), legislation was rewritten or dumped, and individual power brokers in the House or Senate imposed their will on the governor's agenda.

So it will be this time. Lingle will score some successes and will have to swallow more than her fair share of disappointments. And there will be two ways to go forward on this.

The first will be to blame the Legislature for standing in the way of the change the voters demanded. The other will be to patiently come back again next year, conceding on some issues and standing fast on others.

By all appearances, Lingle seems to be ready to take that second, more patient and less confrontational approach.

It certainly is the most sensible way to go. Because as Quinn, Ariyoshi, Waihee and Cayetano will tell her, it's not just about partisan politics.

Reach Jerry Burris through letters@honoluluadvertiser.com.