Islanders liked him, whatever their party
By Jerry Burris
Advertiser Editorial Page Editor
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It's a fair argument to make that the late Ronald Reagan was a front-line soldier in the decades-long struggle by local Republicans to seize their share of political power from Hawai'i's dominant Democrats.
Strolling on Kahala beach with his wife on one of his many Hawai'i visits, Reagan picked up a coconut and threw it like a football.
Hawai'i voters routinely supported Democrats in election after election from statehood forward. Before Reagan's 1984 victory, only one GOP presidential candidate took Hawai'i: Richard Nixon in 1972, a year in which he virtually swept the nation against anti-war candidate George McGovern.
But Nixon's win was less a coup for the GOP than an indication that local Democrats had little enthusiasm for McGovern.
Reagan's first bid for the presidency, in 1976, was unsuccessful, but it launched a core of supporters in the state who stuck with the former movie actor and California governor and saw their loyalty pay off years later.
"We damn near won that first one, but it paid off in '84," said retired record producer Donald McDiarmind, head of the local Reagan campaign in 1976.
"I guess we got whipped, but we got back in and we eventually took it."
Four years later, the Reagan effort was led by former State Rep. Kina'u Kamali'i. She fought a formidable battle against the local Republican hierarchy, which was generally far more comfortable with moderates of the Nelson Rockefeller stripe.
Although Reagan won the presidency in 1980, he could not crack the Democratic lock on Hawai'i, which went for Jimmy Carter.
Moment arrives
But in 1984, it was Reagan's turn. He carried Hawai'i, as he did most of the nation, against Democrat Walter Mondale.
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The new president's political star power was immediately put to use the following year, when he was enlisted to film a television commercial supporting three
School children showed their Easter creations to President Reagan and his wife, Nancy, on a visit to the home of Gov. George Ariyoshi.
Honolulu City Councilmen who faced recall after they switched from the Democratic to Republican Party at the behest of former Mayor Frank Fasi.
The effort was unsuccessful, but Reagan's personal charisma was undoubtedly a boon to local Republicans.
Former State Sen. Wadsworth Yee was honorary chairman of Reagan's campaign in 1980, a role dictated by the fact that the Republicans held no statewide offices at the time. He remembers Reagan as a warm and entirely authentic personality.
"He was fully engaging, with a great smile, and just thoroughly a gentleman," Yee remembered. "He had a charming personality, not aggressive. Anyone who knew him liked him as a person."
Reagan, Yee said, knew his political fortunes in Hawai'i were difficult. "He knew it was a strong Democratic state, but he wasn't willing to concede anything."
Pacific view
Reagan visited Hawai'i often, both before and during his presidency.
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His first visit, shortly after statehood, came when he was better known as the spokesman for General Electric than as a politician.
Reagan used his star power in an ad to help three city councilmen who faced recall for switching parties: from left, George Akahane, Rudy Pacarro and Toraki Matsumoto. Despite his help, they lost.
He would often stay at a luxury hotel or at the private home of wealthy supporters.
In one well-remembered incident, Reagan and his wife, Nancy, took a stroll along Kahala beach, where the president picked up a coconut and threw it, football style — shades of a tropical Gipper.
Journalist and Reagan biographer Lou Cannon said Reagan's interest in Hawai'i was part of a larger world view that saw Asia and South America as critical to the interests of the United States.
As a Californian, Cannon said, Reagan always "looked west and south. Most of his predecessors looked east."
"He was a free-trader," Cannon said, "and from an economic standpoint, his views were of a Pacific and South American nature."
The world view of Richard Nixon, also a Californian, simply didn't direct him west and south, as it did Reagan, Cannon said.
Warm memories
Reagan was remembered fondly yesterday by Islanders of all political stripes.
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"I think President Reagan's passing away is going to rekindle a spirit people had while he was president, to go out and to make change, to make the world a better place, to be optimistic about the future of our country," Gov. Linda Lingle said. "I think his passing will inspire not just Republicans here, but all across the country."
Ronald and Nancy Reagan made many visits to Hawai'i, both before and during his presidency.
Lt. Gov. James Aiona said Reagan stood for what all Republicans stand for, especially in terms of integrity and family values.
"I think he stood for the future. He set the groundwork for what we have right now," Aiona said. "My prayers are with his family."
Micah Kane, director of the office of Hawaiian Home Lands, said Reagan would be remembered as one of the great world leaders, mentioned in the same breath as Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln.
"I think the U.S. realized after his term how much he did for the country and the world," he said.
Miriam Hellreich, Republican National Committeewoman for Hawai'i, who met Reagan several times, said she was continually inspired by his ability to communicate and motivate people.
But on a personal level, she said, Reagan was a shy guy.
"He believed in peace through strength," she said. "He inspired people to believe in themselves."
Democratic congressman Ed Case said Reagan would be remembered as being the right man in the right place at a critical time in history.
"He lived an amazing life," Case said. "I think with respect to
foreign policy, with respect to the Soviet Union, he was the right person at the right time. He was straight up with what he believed. They couldn't doubt his direction and ability to communicate in a way that people in our country and around the world understood. He was no question a giant of the 20th century."
Praise for Reagan, the human being, poured in across the political spectrum yesterday.
"Ronald Reagan championed the causes of freedom and liberty that all Americans hold close to our hearts," Hawai'i Sen. Dan Akaka said in a statement from Paris, where he was participating in events marking the 60th anniversary of D-Day.
"Whether you agreed or disagreed with some of his administration's policies, you could not help but like the man and appreciate his plain-spoken leadership. He never succumbed to negative and personal partisanship, for at the end of the day, we are all Americans.
Legacy continues
Word of Reagan's passing came just as state Republicans, now in charge of the governor's office for the first time since 1962, were celebrating their political progress in their annual state convention in Waikiki.
Former state representative Sam Aiona, co-chairman of the convention, said Reagan got a lot of people interested in running for office.
"In 1984 I got involved in politics because of Ronald Reagan," Aiona said. "He was an inspiration to me. I think he got a lot of people involved in the party, and he is known as the father of the party. Through his spirit, we will continue the fight."
Advertiser Staff Writers Peter Boylan and Lynda Arakawa contributed to this report.
Correction: Former State Rep. Kina'u Kamali'i, a longtime supporter of Ronald Reagan in Hawai'i, is retired and living in Punalu'u. In a previous version of this story, Kamali'i was incorrectly characterized as "the late" state representative.
