Playing the endorsement game
November 19th, 2009 by Jerry BurrisSo is Senior Hawaii Sen. Daniel K. Inouye backing Honolulu Hannemann in the Democratic fight for governor next year, or is he not?
Hannemann says he was encouraged by Inouye to run, not quite the same as an endorsement but awfully close. Officially, Inouye’s office says the senior senator remains neutral.
Hannemann’s primary opponent, Neil Abercrombie, says as far as it is concerned, Inouye is staying out of this deal on the traditional ground of remaining uncommitted in a contested primary.
In time, it will become clear whom Inouye supports. He lets his preferences become known in subtle but unmistakable ways. A classic example is the primary for governor between Cec Heftel and John Waihee (who eventually won). Inouye never made his endorsement clear in so many words, but by the end of the campaign it was obviouswhom he backed.
But the real question is whether Inouye’s endorsement is worth much, other than prestige. He doesn’t have much of a grass-roots organization in Hawaii and it is not clear whether his choice can swing power blocks, such as unions, in one direction or another.
Bottom line: Inouye’s endorsement, whether subtle or overt, is highly coveted. But by itself it does not translate into large numbers of votes.
Tags: Abercrombie, Hannemann, Inouye, politics
November 20th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Let's not be naive, reading between the lines, Inouye is really supporting Mufi; otherwise, why would he urge Mufi to run knowing that an experiencee dem candidate is running? Strategically, it seems illogical to have two strong candidates to buck heads in a primary; to ensure dems hold on important offices, strong candidates must be considered for their likelihood of winning. The dems don't like Case, so Inouye urged Hanabusa to run for congress, challenging Case. However, Hanabusa does not have the "star" power as Mufi, so logically, he should be running for congress to ensure that a favored demo is elected.
However, the governor's race should be exciting up to the primary, with 2 outspoken candidates at each other's throats. Both have volatile personalities, which turn off many people, but not enough to allow Aiona to overcome. Lingle did too much damage (or not enough) that the people will elect another republican.