COMMENTARY
Live, again, from 'Olelo: reality TV
By Robert M. Rees
There's something about the mixture of politics and live television that churns things up.
The live-wire tension of reality TV will be back this fall when 'Olelo Community Television, as part of its "Vote 2004!" effort to involve voters, again offers a series of live one-hour debates open to all candidates from all parties.
Every weeknight at 6:30 from Sept. 7 through Nov. 1, a different contest or issue will be featured on 'Olelo Channel 54. There will be 40 debates, each one listed the morning of the event in The Advertiser.
Crewed by 'Olelo's talented volunteers, directed by Angela Behrens, moderated and produced by this writer and made possible by other 'Olelo producers who have relinquished their regular time slots, the debates are being supported by the city clerk's office, the League of Women Voters and the state elections office.
The first encounter on Sept. 7 will feature the chairmen of political parties who have qualified for the ballot. The second will offer a freestyle donnybrook between the mayoral candidates, including Duke Bainum and Mufi Hannemann.
On the next evening, the two candidates in the Democratic primary for state Senate District 23, incumbent Melodie Aduja and challenger Clayton Hee, will appear. James Henshaw and Gordon Tilley, candidates in the Republican primary for state Senate District 23, will debate the next night.
And so it will go through election eve.
As we did during the run-up to the elections of 2002, we'll make room for debates on state constitutional amendments. Last time, in a debate about the proposed amendment for direct filing of criminal charges, the facts that led to the invalidation of the vote by the Hawai'i Supreme Court emerged for the first time.
This year, we'll address proposed state constitutional amendments and proposed changes to the Honolulu Charter.
We are doing the series again this year because the debates of 2002 had an impact. House Speaker Calvin Say's comment during his appearance was indicative: "You know, this series is a big hit. It's having a major impact, and all the legislators are talking about it."
Rep. Marilyn Lee saw the series as a significant milestone. Said Lee, "This is sort of like the beginning of what could be public financing, where the media plays a big role in helping the candidates to get their message out."
First-time Republican candidate Gordon Trimble, in a successful campaign managed by his son, said the debates were central to his effort and to his learning experience. Another Republican, Councilman Charles Djou, was equally enthusiastic: "These debates on 'Olelo are amongst the most effective means of discovering who the candidates are, and what they stand for."
It's true that not everybody welcomed the live debates. The state Democratic Party, we learned, actually instructed seven of its less-experienced candidates to stay away. In response to this run-and-hide tactic, we deviated from our format in 2002 and invited the seven Republican candidates to join us for a discussion of their views.
Fortunately, most candidates don't duck, even when it would be easy to do so. In 2002, Sen. Bob Hogue, a shoe-in Republican incumbent representing Kailua and Kane'ohe, readily agreed to debate his opponent. Also signing up immediately was Speaker Say, who was pitted against the same opponent he had defeated with 78 percent of the vote in the previous election.
During the debates of 2002, some viewers asked whether I got bored with the candidates.
Bored? Heavens, no. There's healthy electricity in the air. For the most part, the candidates are well-informed. For some, it's the only exposure they get. The really good candidates pass out leaflets announcing their debates and invite their constituents to watch Channel 54 for themselves.
If you're running for office and would like to take advantage of the series to debate your opponent, let us know at rees@aloha.net.
If you're a voter, tune in every weeknight at 6:30, beginning Sept. 7, on Channel 54. You'll get hooked on 'Olelo's version of reality TV.
Robert M. Rees is moderator of 'Olelo Community Television's "Counterpoint" and Hawaii Public Radio's "Talk of the Islands."
