It's all in fun, of course.

But the goof Web site organized and launched by local social activist Larry Geller tells us something about the state of politics in Hawai'i today.

The site is Harbinforgovern or.blogspot.com, and it proposes to press recently appointed state Rep. Bev Harbin, Democrat (ostensibly) for governor.

"She's no quitter," the blog cheerfully announces.

The idea here is that Harbin, appointed amid much controversy by Gov. Linda Lingle to fill a state House seat left vacant by Rep. Ken Hiraki, is the kind of stick-to-it person we need in the governor's office.

Wasn't a Democrat until just recently? No problem. Wasn't a resident of the district she will represent? Still no problem.

Has a batch of unpaid back state taxes that needs to be dealt with? Hey, who among us ... ?

Couple of misdemeanors for bounced checks? Look, it's tough to be a small-business person today. You try to make it in the rough-and-tumble world of business in Hawai'i.

Despite all this, Harbin insists she will take her seat and serve her constituency.

That, says Geller with tongue firmly in cheek, is just the kind of determination we need in the governor's office.

Truth be told, Geller has another Web site — and presumably, one more serious — that advances the idea of Big Island Mayor Harry Kim for governor.

But his Harbin Web site has touched on a nerve that says something important about Hawai'i politics today. People are cynical, disengaged and more likely to think of politics as a joke, or worse.

Just look at the list (admittedly small at this point) of potential lieutenant-governor running mates Geller has solicited from his Web site visitors: Cal Kawamoto, Frank Fasi, Duke Aiona, Bu La'ia, Rene Mansho and Dalton Tanonaka.

Fasi and Aiona are a little hard to understand, but the others are political figures who are, or have been, in trouble with the law.

This is all a lot of fun, of course. But the more serious point is: It is dangerous when people begin treating politics as a joke. It is equally serious when someone can make a gag about Bev Harbin as the Democratic candidate for governor because, in truth, there is no one publicly occupying that spot.

Geller is using satire to underscore an important thought: The voters are cynical, and political leadership is ... well, shall we say, less than fully energized.

Now, it may be that there is no need to worry about the next governor's race because we already have a governor, Republican Linda Lingle, and she seems to be doing OK. We tend to give governors two terms (or more) to prove their worth.

But over the years, Hawai'i has tended to default to the status quo. No member of Congress ever has been defeated; incumbents are returned to the Legislature in overwhelming numbers, and governors are routinely re-elected until they step aside voluntarily.

So maybe all this is worth little more than a ho-hum, a chuckle and a wink. If that's the case, it's a shame.

Jerry Burris is The Advertiser's editorial page editor.

Reach Jerry Burris at jburris@honoluluadvertiser.com.