The Personal Is Political
It may have been one of the most personal moments in the closely fought battle for the Democratic primary for governor.
Asked who they would choose to have lunch with — living or dead — and what they would discuss, Mufi Hannemmann said his parents.
“Because I lost both parents, I’d like to have lunch with them and like to say thank you, mahalo, for all they did for me and my siblings to give us hope and optimism and instilling in us an important feeling to give back,” said the former Honolulu mayor. “Then I would ask them to tell me how I can be better, Mom and Dad — that’s the lunch I would love to have.”
It was an authentic moment — a rare moment of humility, especially from a politician who has made his executive experience and educational attainment part of his campaign.
Neil Abercrombie, Hannemann’s opponent, chose T.E. Lawrence — Lawrence of Arabia.
“He was a fascinating individual in the sense that he had a world view greater than what he came from, and that is what Hawaii has provided,” said the former congressman. “Lawrence was able to see a world through other eyes and transcribe and transpose that world. And with the Islamic — [here Abercrombie paused to find the right word, or at least not the wrong one] — the Islamic terror question, the world conflict question, and religion, that would be fascinating.”
The answers were all the more compelling given the forum where they were made — at the Plaza Club before the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii and the Hawaii Medical Assurance Association.
The audience heard a few other insightful comments from the candidates as well.
But not before they heard a whole lot of what they already knew — like where each man stands on the economy, jobs, agriculture, education, health care, EIS’s, the GET, the military, public-private partnerships, the permitting process and blah-blah-blah.
Reporters covering the campaign can practically predict what each candidate will say before they say it. (Same goes for the candidates’ handlers, some of whom are starting to look — understandably so — as tired as their employers.)
To wit: Did you know that Abercrombie came to Hawaii 51 years ago to attend his beloved University of Hawaii, while Hannemann spent six-and-a-half years with C. Brewer Co. on the Big Island?
HMAA and the chamber heard all that and more Tuesday. With just 11 days before the primary, in what everyone believes to be a tight race, neither candidate is going to stray far from his talking points.
That’s why the unscripted moments are now the more valuable.
In addition to the lunch-with-the-deceased questions, forum moderator Bruce Coppa asked what actor should play the candidate in a Hollywood movie.
Hannemann chose his “ethnic cousin,” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson,” who Hannemann noted “grew up here and went to McKinley.” (Guess Nephi Hannemann, an actor on the old “Hawaii Five-O”, is past his prime.)
Abercrombie admitted he was likely to be portrayed by either Danny DeVito or Joe Pesci, though he’d prefer George Clooney. (Why not Richard Dreyfuss?)
Coppa also asked both men what career they would have chosen if they hadn’t gone into politics.
Abercrombie said teaching, explaining that politics has “just been an extension” of helping people form critical-thinking skills. Hannemann said teaching, too, as well as being general manager of a sports franchise or a radio host.
“But I’m not sure Gail would allow that,” he added, mentioning his wife.
The personal questions and answers were more thoughtful than the “lightning round” questions that came in the Hawaii News Now TV debate Aug. 30. While some observers thought those questions trivialized the governor’s race — Who wrote the state’s song? What’s the state fish? — others thought it revealed qualities about the candidates.
Hannemann and Abercrombie have only one other joint appearance scheduled, on Maui Sept. 14. From now on, voters will have to rely on their paid advertising.
And then the governor’s campaign starts anew Sept. 19, as either Hannemann or Abercrombie lives on to fight the Republican candidate in the Nov. 2 general election.
