Not a Happy Party

Editor’s Note: Hawaii Reporter has covered all of the state’s main political conventions since its inception 6 years ago, and before that, for other publications. This weekend, we covered the Republican Party of Hawaii Convention and next weekend will be dedicated to the Democrat Party of Hawaii Convention. For more photos and commentary by Mel Ah Ching, log onto http://www.flickr.com/photos/macprohawaii/

HONOLULU, HI - Traditionally over the last decade, the Republican Party of Hawaii held annual festive conventions that rallied party members’ spirits and sent candidates energetically on their way with hopes of defeating powerful Democrat incumbents in the Hawaii State Legislature. Booths outside the convention room were packed with flashing American Flag pins, GOP Hawaii tee shirts, and red, white and blue elephants. Party officials warmly greeted the hundreds of delegates and guests attending the series of pricey lunches, dinners and speeches. Inside the convention room, patriotic-themed balloons filled the ballroom, campaign supporters packed the convention room with political signs of their favorite candidates, and upbeat “Rocky” music played as each new person walked on stage. Most delegates left satisfied that their party was working to defeat the Democrats’ 54-year domination of Hawaii politics.

This year’s convention at the Hilton Hawaiian Village hotel, however, was more comparable to being in a pressure cooker about to blow. Tension in the air was as thick as the volcano haze outside. Those checking in were asked for picture identification, even if they were known media or elected officials. Security was tight and hired security officers packed the room surrounding delegates. Guests and media were kept separated with a full physical barricade. Decorations were sparse. The same old Rocky theme, playing briefly as people walked on stage, seemed tired. Many Republicans quietly confided in trusted friends about the party’s direction.

On Saturday, the main day of the conference, spokespeople carefully read detailed scripts that told them every rehearsed word to say -- even jokes were written down.

See the script here:

http://www.studioryan.net/hawaii_reporter_video/2008_Hawaii_GOP_convention_script_scanned.pdf

There was no spontaneity or the usual laughter that comes with it. Those backing John McCain or Ron Paul for president were divided, but it was immediately clear that the party leaders planned to dismiss the estimated one-fifth of the participants rooting for Paul. Signs on every doorway entrance promoted McCain. Party leaders and the governor focused on McCain. No Paul supporter was given time to speak -- even 2 minutes -- to educate members about Paul’s platform. There was a paranoia by party leaders about controlling Paul supporters and anyone else who might be a “dissident.”

Clamp Down Began in January

The clamp down started in January. Several Republican delegates interviewed for this piece say their party saw a big influx of new members and party leaders were frightened because they thought they might lose control of the platform and the presidential nomination. They would not even allow debate on the platform at platform meetings held beforehand, and instead carefully orchestrated a meeting with their own new members where they cut off debate and adopted a 2-year-old platform.

Before the convention, several delegates interviewed by Hawaii Reporter were called by party volunteers and grilled on whether they support McCain or Paul. A party list was compiled of potential Ron Paul supporters and dissidents who might want to change the party platform partially from quotes and letters to the editor in the media.

Saturday was well organized to keep Paul supporters or perceived dissidents in check. McCain supporters were secretly handed a florescent green index-sized folded card, which listed which delegates they should vote for. They were even told later that these cards could be used in place of official ballots. That theme continued with several people in red McCain hats parading around like Wheel of Fortune’s Vanna White carrying large cue cards that told McCain supporters whether to vote “No” (red card) or “Yes” (green card) to maintain the party status quo.

Party leaders allowed no room for free thought and quickly cut off debate or discussion. Malia Gray, office manager for House Minority Leader Lynn Finnegan, and others employed in the Republican administration, physically blocked delegates with differing views from getting to the microphones.

Department of Labor Director Darwin Ching cut off all debate on the Republican platform, preventing any discussion on important policy positions. Photo by Mel Ah Ching

In fact, at one point, Darwin Ching, the state’s labor director who ran the contentious platform committee segment of the convention, ordered that one of two microphones in the audience be turned off so those who wanted the Republican platform debated could not be heard. Republican members throughout Saturday’s events spontaneously yelled at each other to “sit down” or “shut up.” The event only deteriorated from there.

Party leaders confer on how they will handle the platform debate - in the end, no debate was allowed and the 2006 platform was adopted. Photo by Mel Ah Ching

A shocking 4 minutes and 30 seconds was spent on the platform adoption process, despite weeks of volunteer effort to develop a new platform for 2008. No debate was allowed, no amendments or changes permitted and loud voices “calling for the question” ended what is usually a major convention every even numbered year. The delegates were then left with an added two hours of non-events prior to the evening’s luau dinner. Veteran delegates recall that in the past, even activist environmentalists, gay rights advocates and native Hawaii separatists were welcomed and given ample opportunity to debate the platform openly.

Liz Moore, who, along with her husband Phil, has attended 41 years of Hawaii Republican conventions as a delegate, says she is disappointed with what occurred over the weekend. “We’ve often been on the opposite side of party leaders on platform issues, but we’ve never not been able to debate those issues at past conventions. The party leaders' last minute rule changes, altering the voting structure so it was top down and not grassroots, and refusal to let the platform be debated as long as it was needed, left a lot of people with a bad taste.” Moore, an alternate for this year’s platform committee and a member of previous platform committees, says she recalls years where the platform was debated long into the night.

Patrick Price and Daniel Brackins, both Ron Paul supporters, were disappointed with how they were treated, saying their candidate did not get a fair shake. They were also frustrated that there was no open discussion on issues and that when attempts were made to hold debate, the microphones were blocked or turned off.

Newcomer Mark Piscioneri, a delegate from District 23 (Waikiki and Ala Moana) and combat veteran who attended his first Republican convention this weekend, says he doesn’t plan to come back.

When he wouldn’t just commit to the preprinted green ballot supporting McCain’s people, and wanted to support a retired Navy captain who was accidentally left off the list of delegate candidates, he was first put off and then prevented from voting.

“I am one of the few people who came here as a regular citizen to participate in this process and make my own choices, not on a ballot where people told me who to vote for.”

Piscioneri says he’s been to other conventions in other states and for different political parties and this was the “worst run convention he’s ever seen with Roberts Rules of Order and party rules continually being violated and manipulated.”

“There is some atmosphere of fear here that they are not even letting resolutions to the platform come to the floor, which I have never heard of or seen before. Sadly, I got involved in this process because I thought a valid two-party system is good for Hawaii. I thought I would bring some new energy and experiences to the party. But if they won’t even let you vote when you are an elected delegate, I don’t think they are very interested in growing or expanding their party or having people with life experience being part of it. They are looking for sheep to hand in the ballots they want.”

As a veteran, Piscioneri says he fought for his right to have free speech, to vote and to live in a democracy, adding “This is the worst travesty of justice and constitution democracy that I have ever seen in an official setting in my life experience.”

Party Deteriorating with Dismissal of Fundamental Republican Values

So why were party leaders so fearful this year? They claimed they were trying to prevent the Ron Paul supporters from taking over the party convention like they did in Nevada. But critics within the party say problems run much deeper than that.

Many veteran Republicans are increasingly dissatisfied with the philosophical direction their party and political leaders are taking and they are talking about it more openly for the first time. They see their local party on the brink of disaster, with the number of House members dropping from 22 of 51 to just 7 of 51 since Lingle took office in 2002. Senate members are at 4 of 21, with Sen. Paul Whalen of Kona not seeking re-election and a strong Democrat expected to grab that seat. Two so-called Republicans switched parties last year, becoming Democrats in favor of better benefits they receive in the majority party. On a national level, things aren’t any better.

Hawaii Republicans have very few candidates recruited to run in 2008. When the party usually has candidates lined up to challenge most of the House seats, this year that is far from the case. And the deadline to register for the September primary is July. To unseat some of the more powerful Democrat incumbents, candidates should have started work one to two years ago.

In addition, there are no candidates set to run against easy targets. For example Sen. Ron Menor, D-Mililani, who was just arrested for Driving Under the Influence of alcohol with his children in the car, and then in a short public statement, misrepresented to the media what really happened -- and House Judiciary Chair Tommy Waters, D-Lanikai, who single-handedly defeated much needed tort reform, Karen’s law and other pro-victim legislation, and made many enemies in the process.

Democrats Rep. Michael Magaoay and Sen. Clayton Hee, disliked by many in their own party, would seem to fit this list, except that the governor elicited their support to help her "win the day" on the controversial Turtle Bay hotel takeover during the recent legislative session.

Is James "Duke" Aiona the Best Republican Gubernatorial Contender for 2010?

Governor Linda Lingle promotes James Duke Aiona and Presidential candidate John McCain. Photo by Mel Ah Ching

With delegates, there also is concern about James "Duke" Aiona as the next GOP gubernatorial candidate. To his credit, Aiona professionally delivered a well-written speech filled with election rhetoric for his 2010 gubernatorial candidacy. He touted typical Republican virtues including bettering Hawaii’s business climate by empowering small businesses and taxpayers, helping doctors and patients with tort reform, and getting people more involved with government through a constitutional convention. But how convincing was he?

During his 6 years as lieutenant governor, Aiona focused on trying to rid Hawaii of illegal drugs and underage drinking -- arguably difficult issues to measure progress. Other pledges the Lingle/Aiona team made to fix the economy and the business climate, make government more transparent and better Hawaii’s nearly worst in the nation public school system, along with virtually every other issue, have been left to Lingle to handle publicly without him. Critics say this strategy hasn’t inspired confidence in Aiona’s ability to tackle serious problems outside his expertise. Many Republicans are privately worried that the lack of competition combined with Aiona’s perceived weaknesses, will enable the Democrats to snatch the administration branch back for another 4 decades.

There is little the Republicans feel they can do. Gov. Linda Lingle, who clearly calls the shots in her party, told Republicans during last year’s convention that Aiona is the party’s gubernatorial candidate for 2010, cutting off opportunities for a competitive race. While stifling competition might be fine if Aiona were a strong candidate, his critics believe he’s not. In stark contrast to Lingle, some say he’s shown his weakness on the radio and in press conferences where he isn’t handed a prepared script and he has to think on his feet; and that he knows too little about issues outside drugs, crime and alcohol abuse. They question whether he can debate polished politicians such as Congressman Ed Case (2002 to 2006), Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann or Congressman Neil Abercrombie in a race for governor.

But then again, delegates ask "where are the other viable Republican candidates?" The governor announced she is starting a leadership academy this year, but that is too late for this year’s election. What was done during the past few years to groom young, talented Republicans for office?

Party’s Weaknesses Highlighted by Republican Elected Officials Track Record

But the party leaders’ failures run even deeper than an inability to attract candidates, to beat incumbents or to even retain seats. Much like the national party leaders, many Republicans feel local GOP directors and the majority of their elected leaders have abandoned fundamental Republican principles and opted for politics over principles.

Starting with the top, Lingle promised to boost the economy and improve the business climate. While the economy bettered just after she was elected and sustained for several years, meeting record highs in several categories such as unemployment, real estate property sales and personal income, the economy is taking a dive, and part of this can be blamed on Lingle economic policies.

Lingle promised to lower taxes. Despite signing a tax pledge with Americans for Tax Reform in 2002 not to support or introduce tax or fee increases, Lingle quickly broke that promise more than once beginning in 2005. Citing home rule, she allowed HB 1305 to become law to give the Honolulu City Council and Mayor Hannemann the power to implement the county’s biggest tax increase in its history to fund a multi-billion dollar rail system. The 12.5 percent General Excise Tax surcharge was implemented in January 2007 and grosses nearly $150 million a year in additional taxes. Economists in a recent Small Business Hawaii economic summit cite this tax increase as one of the primary reasons for financial difficulties and record small business closures with more to come. Lingle has asked lawmakers to make other reforms to the tax code, but they’ve refused, so the outcome is taxes have risen to an all time high after she promised cuts.

Lingle also promised to fix public education by decentralizing the single statewide Board of Education but backed off the fight publicly when strong opposition continued in the Democrat dominated state Legislature. Students are paying the price in terms of some of the lowest reading and math scores in the nation.

The governor has made her administration more transparent than her predecessors, and for that she deserves credit, but Hawaii government still has a long way to go before it is truly accountable to taxpayers and rid of corruption.

The real crux of the problem, her critics say, is Lingle has succumbed to distractions that have taken her eye off the ball and her team off its stated mission.

Her attorney general and the governor herself have spent a great deal of effort and political good will lobbying Congress and the president for the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, even though it is a Democrat bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, more than 7 years ago and it was not part of her original election platform.

Known as the Akaka Bill, it seeks federal recognition of Hawaiians and would allow native Hawaiian leaders to create their own government within Hawaii, with their own laws, land base, finances and autonomous political hierarchy. Many Republicans are appalled at this legislation because they see it as a murky racist initiative that is unnecessarily divisive and gives a great deal of power and money to a yet unknown and undefined entity. Lingle says the Akaka Bill is the only way to protect race-based programs for native Hawaiians from being shot down by the U.S. Supreme Court. But the debate has given political power and momentum to those native Hawaiians who want Hawaii to secede from the union and has left Hawaii more racially divided than it’s ever been.

Another Republican fiasco, the business community says, is Lingle’s decision to pursue the purchase of the Turtle Bay resort in order to keep its owners from building five additional hotels on the North Shore of Oahu. She sprung this plan on the Legislature and the owners of the resort in her 2008 State-of-the-State address. She only obtained the votes in the Democrat-controlled Legislature to pursue this plan by arm-twisting Republicans into supporting a plan that should be against their principles and recruiting votes from opportunistic Democrats seeking re-election this year and hoping to get support from environmental groups involved in the issue.

But critics in her party are appalled. Here is a Republican governor announcing her plans to take a private resort by force if she has to with taxpayer dollars. Here is a Republican governor willing to have the state take over a private business with no business plan of her own. Will the state be able to resell the hotel as she says while retaining the open land nearby? What if the taxpayers get stuck running a hotel and a huge bill to boot? Or the hotel is forced to close, and many more jobs are lost because lack of additional revenues from even the most modest development? For a governor who promised to make Hawaii “open for business” what kind of message does this send to the business community and investors around the world?

People Speaking Out

Like the story of the frog in boiling water, Republicans tolerated Lingle’s increasingly more liberal agenda partly because she’s accomplished something they never have. In 2002, she broke the Republican dry spell and defeated then Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono to become Hawaii’s first Republican governor in more than 4 decades. She achieved important cultural barriers as the first woman, first person of Jewish ancestry and the first neighbor island mayor to become governor and she is bright and speaks the language of business.

But there are no coattails for legislative candidates and the party’s lost ground it could take years to get back. Candidates say part of the problem is their party is so busy helping Lingle’s campaign that they are left to fend for themselves, even when faced with daily attacks on their campaign by the Democrats and their party. The party is also out of touch with what is happening at the capitol, candidates say. Rarely, if ever, are Republican party officials at the Legislature, whereas Democrat party leaders frequently are there keeping track of what is going on and testifying as well.

Eric Ryan, a local graphic artist and Republican since 1992, has tried to keep the party on track. He created a series of cartoons depicting the dilemma that Republicans find themselves in because of Lingle’s political choices and the party’s refusal to stand against the direction of the party and for Republican principles. He’s also contributed to http://www.ZeroShibai.com, a Web site updated daily with local political satire, where various artists take shots at elected Republicans and party leaders.

Willes Lee, the party chairman, said on several occasions that he’d like Ryan to use his talents to attack Democrats rather than Republicans. But when Ryan twice did offer his services free of charge, even creating an attack ad on Democrats, he got no response from the party leaders. See his story here: "Hawaii Republican Party Rejects Ad Campaign Donated by Party Supporters"

“The need to change our party leadership has never been clearer. We’ve been railroaded by insiders for too long who only care about protecting their power base and preventing the discussion of our platform and principles,” Ryan says. “We’ve strayed a great distance from our party’s beliefs and we don’t even bother to tell voters what we believe in. If party leaders spent as much time implementing a winning strategy as they do circling the wagons to prevent reform, Hawaii would be a different and better place today.”

In an interview with Hawaii Reporter on Saturday afternoon, Lee said he was proud of how the convention was run. A press release the party issued says more than 450 Hawaii delegates voted to send 17 delegates, and 17 alternates to vote for John McCain as the Republican presidential nominee in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Sept. 1-4. In all, more than 600 Republicans from 51 house districts (480 certified to vote) attended the Hawaii Republican State Convention to celebrate this year’s theme, “Republican Leadership Matters.”

Lee, who announced his support for McCain’s presidency at the beginning of the convention, says he is pleased that McCain’s candidacy received more support than Paul.

“Now more than ever, America needs a President with the experience, judgment and character to lead our nation through challenging times. There is no truer representation of these qualities than John McCain, and Hawaii Republican delegates made their enthusiastic support for Mr. McCain clearly evident this weekend.”

Sen. Gordon Trimble, R-Waikiki, who is up for election this year, also took an optimistic view of the convention. “As we have seen from the federal level to the state Legislature, Republican leadership matters and makes a difference. The over 600 Republicans who attended this year’s convention are ready to elect a President and state legislators who will continue to lead our nation and state in the right direction.”

But critics like Ryan say they can’t count on the Republican leadership in their party to take them to victory in 2008 and beyond. He and others started an unofficial caucus within the party called Reform Republican Victory Caucus and they hope to live up to the name.

Reach Malia Zimmerman, editor of Hawaii Reporter, at mailto:Malia@hawaiireporter.com

Original here